Arlene Dickinson is stepping away from her executive position at her indie creative conglomerate, Believeco:Partners, effective today, according to an announcement on LinkedIn.
The Dragons’ Den star is founder and general partner of District Ventures Capital, CEO of CPG ecosystem Venturepark Labs, and executive chair and co-managing partner of Believeco:Partners – which includes agencies Venture Play, Argyle, Brightworks, Zync, Revolve and Castlemain.
Dickinson says she will continue to focus all her efforts on the consumer goods-focused venture capital firm District Ventures as managing partner, supporting and investing in entrepreneurs across the food and beverage and health and wellness sectors. District investments include Balzac’s Coffee, Cook It, Sapsucker, and Walter.
“In order to effectively launch the firm, I have poured my sweat and soul into building the framework, building the team and building relationships that marries my vision with a commitment to excellence,” Dickinson said, adding that she remains “actively engaged as a member of the board and as a shareholder in the company.”
This year, Believeco:Partners named veteran entrepreneur, strategist and McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group vet, Mario Simon, as its CEO. Simon has been tapped to lead the agency’s 300-plus team spanning 10 offices in North America.
This spring, Dickinson’s Venturepark Labs renewed its partnership with Sobeys to support local CPG entrepreneurs across Canada, from the ideation phase to commercialization, through a range of programs.
