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Arlene Dickinson, 2021, photo by Jnasr.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Arlene Dickinson

Arlene Dickinson is a South African Canadian businesswoman, investor, author, and television personality on the multi-award-winning television series, Dragons Den.  She is the general partner of District Ventures Capital and CEO of Venturepark. In 1959, her two sisters and parents emigrated from Germiston, South Africa to Alberta.

She was born on October 8, 1956, and got married at the age of 19. She got divorced at 31 and has a total of four children and seven grandchildren. Later, Dickinson was one of the casts of the CBC business reality show Dragons’ Den. She was part of the second season in 2007, departed in the ninth season in 2015 and returned for the 12th season in 2017.

She was initially asked to join the series after she won numerous awards such as the Calgary Business Owner of the Year, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards and Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Top 100 PROFIT magazine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and the show describes her as a self-made multi-millionaire. Here are fascinating facts about Arlene Dickinson.

1.Her father was a struggling electrician

Arlene Dickinson’s father was a struggling electrician who built one of the first computerized software programs. The program he designed was meant for mainframe use as personal computers were entering the market.

Her father wanted to create better opportunities professionally in 1959 and decided to move the family to Canada. He became a teacher at a local college teaching electronics and walked to work every day to save a bus fare of 15 cents.

2.Dickinson joined the cast of the CBC business reality show, Dragons’ Den

Arlene Dickenson of the Dragons’ Den, photo by Tabercil.

During its second season in 2007, Dickinson joined the cast of CBC-TV’s bruising business reality show Dragons’ Den. She was part of the show for over 12 seasons. She departed in the ninth season in and then returned to continue with the Dragons for the 12th season in 2017.

Five years ago, when she was asked to come for the auditions, she thought it was a joke. She made multiple deals on Dragons’ Den and in each season, she didn’t start with a particular budget in mind, because many deals fall through in due diligence.

3.She has won numerous awards

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on

Dickinson won numerous awards such as the PROFIT magazine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, Calgary Business Owner of the Year, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards and Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 which describes her as a self-made multi-millionaire.

4.She is a three-time best-selling author

Dickinson is a best-selling author and public speaker. Dickinson published her first book, Persuasion, in 2011. The book is centered on the importance of relationships and a new approach to changing minds. She talks about persuasion as connecting and not as wanting what is best for the other party.

Her second book, All In, subtitled You, Your Business, Your Life, was released in 2013. In 2019, Dickinson released her third book, Reinvention. In the opening pages of her new book Reinvention, she speaks about Changing Your Life, Your Career, and Your Future as, a Canadian entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

5.She’s the general partner of District Ventures Capital

She’s the general partner of District Ventures Capital, a leading venture capital fund for innovative food, beverage and health sectors, and CEO of Venture Communications. Venture Communications is a company that grew from a small, local firm to one of the largest independent agencies in Canada.

6.Over the years, Dickinson has served on various boards

Over the years, Dickinson has served on boards including Ad Rodeo, Kids Help Phone, and the Calgary Municipal Lands Corporation. She currently sits on the advisory committee of the Stratford Institute at the University of Waterloo, and the Leadership Council of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

 She also sits on the editorial advisory board of Marketing Magazine and was appointed to the board of directors of Aphria, a licensed medical marijuana producer in October 2016.

7.She got married at the age of 19

Dickinson and husband Burt and new baby, photo by Press photo, ebay.

In 1975, at the age of 19, Dickinson got married to her best friend’s brother. By the time she was 27, she had six pregnancies; four children and two miscarriages. However, they got divorced more than a decade later.

She got married a second time at the age of 41 but it only lasted seven years before ending in divorce. In 2011, she got engaged again but it ended before they did a wedding.

8.She fought in court for full custody of her kids

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on

When Dickinson found herself recently divorced, unemployed and having to support four young children at the age of 30, she had an extremely difficult time. The judge informed her that full custody would not be difficult and impossible as she had no conceivable means with which to support her children, during the divorce proceedings.

She worked hard to support her ex-husband’s education which resulted in his landing a good teaching position. When she had no work, her former sister-in-law came to her rescue and told her about a job opening at a local television station selling TV time. She did the interview and got the job. Dickinson turned out to be very intuitively good at sales.

9.In 2014, Dickinson chaired the federal government’s Expert Panel

Dickinson chaired the federal government’s Expert Panel on Championing and Mentorship for Women Entrepreneurs In 2014. Her duties involved listening to 400 women and men talk about roadblocks to starting and growing businesses in Canada. The panel gave seven recommendations on how to increase access to capital, mentor women and help them network.

10.She once visited Canadian troops in Afghanistan

Her greatest life achievement and life experience was her time visiting Canadian troops in Afghanistan. In addition, she was the only female celebrity who was asked to fly with Canada’s top soldier General. The two travelled to highly dangerous locations on the front lines to meet soldiers.

Dickinson is truly among the fewest and greatest women who won numerous awards such as the Calgary Business Owner of the Year, the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards and Canada’s Most Powerful Women, and Top 100 PROFIT magazine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners.  She is the general partner of District Ventures Capital and CEO of Venturepark.

Despite her struggles in life never did she regret not having tried her best to succeed. The same can be seen in she has written, Persuasion, in 2011. Her second book, All In, subtitled You, Your Business, Your Life, was released in 2013. In 2019, Dickinson released her third book, Reinvention.