8°c Partly cloudy
19°c Variable cloudiness
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
An entrepreneur extraordinaire
IT firm founder legendary for mentoring others
Michael Legary holds prototypes made at AssentWorks on Adelaide Street. Legary is one of the finalists in the BDC�s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
It's almost not fair to the other nominees that Michael Legary is one of the finalists in the BDC's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Not only was the 32-year-old founder of Winnipeg information-technology security firm Securis Inc. named one of the eight finalists in that award program this week, he was also named Manitoba patron for a new national private-sector support program for entrepreneurs called Startup Canada.
Legary is also becoming legendary in the city for helping other entrepreneurs through a community innovation space, or "makerspace," called AssentWorks he funded and helped found.
With plenty of Legary's own cash and sweat equity from him and AssentWorks co-founders David Bernhardt and Kerry Stevenson, they have put together a facility in a warehouse space on Adelaide Street with industrial machinery such as plasma cutters, CNC (computer numerical control) machines, 3D printers and a shop full of tools donated by Princess Auto and the Tallman Foundation. It's there for folks to build their ideas into a prototype reality (a small membership fee is required).
On a higher level, what they have created is a community of entrepreneurs and inventors -- numbering about 75 members -- who use the facility and the equipment with the help of Legary and a growing crew of super-skilled volunteers.
"I couldn't be happier with how it's gone," Legary said about AssentWorks, which has only been open since last fall. "There are such amazing folks who are using it."
Even though he's running an IT security firm with about 85 employees, offices across the country and high-end customers as far away as South Africa, the indefatigable Legary is at AssentWorks almost every day, providing advice and encouragement.
"Every time I'm there, someone blows my mind with an amazing idea or an amazing skill, or something I have never thought of before," he said.
For instance, AssentWorks has helped a couple of young snowboard manufacturers in Winnipeg save thousands of dollars and months of time to develop prototypes.
Matthew Olson, 21, one of the partners of Home Snowboards, said, "Since the day we got in there, Mike has pushed us along. He's been great. The most awesome thing about Mike is that he gets things done. He makes sure we see things through to the end."
Despite the fact Legary is so much more accomplished and successful, he may be more impressed with Olson than the other way around.
In his pitch for the BDC award, Legary is proposing cash investments to help form community innovation spaces across the country.
(This year, finalists in the BDC award program submit a one- to two-minute video explaining an innovation project and how it will help their business grow. Online voting at https://www.bdcyoungentrepreneuraward.ca/ will decide the winner of the $100,000 prize.)
It's that sincere effort to help other entrepreneurs that Jan Lederman, chairwoman of Innovate Manitoba, says sets Legary apart: "Mike is a young entrepreneur who is creative, innovative, started a company with positive growth and is already at a point where he's giving back to the province and the city."
Innovate Manitoba is the local partner for Startup Canada that will hold a number of launch events in Winnipeg during the second week of June.
Innovate Manitoba made Legary the Manitoba patron for the organization where he will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brett Wilson from Dragon's Den and Heather Reisman of Indigo Books.
Legary's interest in getting entrepreneurs to help other entrepreneurs is almost unprecedented in that there is virtually no public-sector support in sight at AssentWorks.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 31, 2012 B5
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More Business
- Back to Top
- Return to Business
More Business
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Japan's top leaders defend 'Abenomics' economic strategies as roiled markets settle
12:38 AM 0TOKYO - Japan's top leaders are defending the economic strategies championed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, though the central bank ...
About Martin Cash
Martin Cash joined the Free Press in 1987 as the paper’s business columnist.
He has spent two decades chronicling the city’s business affairs.
Martin won a citation of merit from the National Newspaper Awards in 2001 for his coverage of the strike and subsequent multi-million-dollar union settlement at the Versatile tractor plant. He has also received honours and awards for his work on agriculture and technology development in Manitoba.
Martin has written a coffee-table book about the commercial and industrial make-up of the city, called Winnipeg: A Prairie Portrait.
Martin Cash on Twitter: @martycash
martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Poll
Most Popular Business
- New owner for lumber stores
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- She's got entrepreneurial spirit
- The Galapagos to be just a click away: Google photographs famous islands for Street View
- Hobby Lobby appeal tests limits of federal birth-control coverage mandate
- Wealth survey indicates average person has $6.6K
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- Target exceeds sales goal at Canadian stores
- New owner for lumber stores
- Mounties say crooks passing fake polymer bank notes in British Columbia
- 2 men arrested in killing of Las Vegas teen who refused to give up his iPad
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- Microsoft reveals Xbox One as all-in-1 entertainment console, last of 3 major systems unveiled
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- Housing slowdown to worsen, cost 150,000 jobs, says mortgage group
- Bridging the gap
- Ottawa threatens 'retaliatory measures' over new U.S. meat labelling regulations
- Target opens its first Manitoba stores Tuesday
- New structure to be king of downtown?
- Transcona transformation
- Target opens Manitoba stores
- New owner for lumber stores
- Mounties say crooks passing fake polymer bank notes in British Columbia
- City to get a touch of glass
- Canad Inns property has personal meaning for owner
- Holiday pump jump debated
- Local boy leads Great-West
- New owner for lumber stores
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- She's got entrepreneurial spirit
- US new home sales rise 2.3 per cent in April while median home prices hit record high
- Bell invests in 'TV everywhere'
- Bridgwater site to resemble Osborne Village
- Transcona transformation
- PotashCorp cites confidence in cash flow, increases quarterly dividend 25%
- Bridging the gap
- Young entrepreneurs pitch ideas to investor Warren Buffett, win prizes for their businesses
- New owner for lumber stores
- Ex-'Pegger seeks to grow local businesses
- Bridging the gap
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Skyline-altering project will happen: developer
- There are lots of I's in 'team'
- More than a new boss
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- Viterra plans $20 million capacity upgrade at four Saskatchewan grain terminals
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- New owner for lumber stores
- Transcona transformation
- New structure to be king of downtown?
- CEO, execs terminated at TCIG
- Target opens its first Manitoba stores Tuesday
- Canad Inns property has personal meaning for owner
- Winnipeg's got the REIT stuff
- Older and jobless? Resource on hand
- Local boy leads Great-West
- Ex-'Pegger seeks to grow local businesses
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.