Merritt’s Greg Girard Advances to Top 10 Finals in Entrepreneur of Impact Competition

A well-known Merritt man is looking to put Merritt onto an international stage as he has advanced to the Top 10 in North America for the Entrepreneur of Impact Competition.

Greg Girard, co founder of Eh! Canada Marketing Group has reached the final round of an American-based competition open to Canadians, where Girard currently stands as the only Canadian remaining in the running.

For Girard, this moment reaches far beyond personal recognition.  It represents a powerful opportunity to champion small-town communities across Canada, particularly Merritt and the Nicola Valley. Girard focuses on working with places often overlooked yet rich in culture, resilience, and untapped potential.

“This isn’t just about winning—it’s about proving that small towns can lead big conversations,” said Girard. “Merritt has heart, grit, and determination. If we can rally together and show what’s possible here, we send a message across Canada that no community is too small to make a national impact.”

The momentum behind Girard’s journey reflects a groundswell of local and regional support. Residents, businesses, and tourism leaders have rallied around a unified message: “Vote for Greg is a Vote for Merritt BC.”

Girard has long been a driving force in rural tourism development, working to elevate small communities through storytelling, digital strategy, and collaborative economic development initiatives. His work continues to support local businesses, promote regional experiences, and strengthen community identity. Now, that same community is standing behind him.

The stakes are significant. The winner of the Entrepreneur of Impact Competition will:

• Be featured in a two-page advertorial in Entrepreneur Magazine
• Receive a one-on-one mentoring session with Daymond John of Shark Tank
• Take home $25,000 to invest directly into community-driven initiatives like Experience Merritt.

“This opportunity to sit down with Daymond John is what fires me up the most,” Girard added. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dig into real strategy and how to market smarter, scale attention, and turn overlooked places into must-visit destinations. I’m not going in to talk theory. I’m going in to bring back ideas that put Merritt and small towns across Canada on the map in a big way. That conversation could change everything.”

Girard has committed that, if successful, funds will be reinvested into small-town programs such as Experience Merritt—fueling tourism growth, local engagement, and long-term economic sustainability.

“This is about turning momentum into something lasting,” Girard added. “If we win, we invest it right back into the community and into experiences, into people, into the future of Merritt.”

Supporters can learn more and vote here:

https://entrepreneurofimpact.org/2026/greg-girard