Together, we help entrepreneurial leaders
Grow Bigger, Faster
With Your Peers
Our experiential, peer-based programs give growth-stage leaders what they need to succeed.
Our Purpose
The Wallace McCain Institute was founded in 2006 with a generous gift from Wallace and Margaret McCain. As co-founder of McCain Foods, Wallace McCain was a model of the energy, acumen, determination and leadership required for a successful business. The family envisioned an organization that, “gives entrepreneurs in our region what they need to succeed.”
“Gives entrepreneurs in our region what they need to succeed.”
By the Numbers
Our Community at a Glance
Atlantic Business Leaders
From individual operators to major CEOs, every Business Owner and C-Suite in the Atlantic Area.
Employees
Our members collectively employ over eighteen thousand people across Atlantic Canada.
Annual Revenue
Our members generate $2.6 billion in annual revenue, contributing to regional prosperity.
The vision of the Wallace McCain Institute is to be the catalyst that inspires entrepreneurial leaders in the economic transformation of the Greater Atlantic Area.
Testimonials
Hear from our alumni
“The peer group changed how I think about leadership. I walked in a manager — I walked out a CEO.”
Sarah Mitchell
CEO & Founder · ELP Alumna, Class of 2019
“For the first time, I had a room full of people who understood exactly what it means to grow a business in Atlantic Canada.”
James MacLean
President · ELP Alumnus, Class of 2021
“ECHO gave me the confidence to have the hard conversations with my father about succession. That alone was worth it.”
Emily Basque
VP Operations · ECHO Alumna, Class of 2022
What We Offer
Our Programs
Entrepreneurial Leaders Program
For business owners who are the majority shareholders and visionaries pushing their company to new heights.
Learn MoreStrategic Executives Program
For senior executives connecting the vision of the leader to the work plans of the team.
Learn MoreFamily Business Program
For members of multi-generational family businesses who may eventually take over the company.
Learn MoreKnow someone who should be here?
Nominate an entrepreneurial leader from Atlantic Canada for one of our peer-based programs.
Nominate a Leader