Teenage entrepreneur Raphael Paulin-Daigle is feeling validated after being named one of 10 Future Dragons by CBC’s Future Dragon Fund Contest.

The Grade 12 Moncton student was thrilled to win $5,000 in the contest. The youngster has already proven his entrepreneurial smarts after starting his first business, an online magic store, at the age of 11. He recently had to close another venture, Shopulse, when he realized he could not grow the business, but he chalked that up to experience.

“Winning this contest for me is sort of like a confirmation that people see that I've been working hard so I get rewarded for all of this hard work. It's pretty much a form of recognition and motivation; it helps confirm that I'm on the right path and that I should keep going forward,” he told entrevestor.

The young man is currently working on his math grade in the hopes of attending Dalhousie University’s entrepreneurship and innovation program.