By DAVID JANZEN

Staff Writer

A dragon was loose in Toronto.

Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications, took some time out of her busy schedule to join Steve Stunt, a business professor at Niagara College, and two students on Stunt's radio program, the Entrepreneur Hour. Stunt's program is broadcast from the CP24 Radio 1050 studio in Toronto.

 Venture's main office is in Calgary, but Dickinson has a residence in Toronto, saying it's "like her second home." 

She has appeared on CBC's hit television program, Dragon's Den for its past four seasons.

 On the show, Canadians get the chance to make a sales pitch to a panel of successful business people - the dragons - in an attempt to raise capital for their business ventures.

Stephanie Jakop, 21, of St. Catharines and Mike Ferragina, 25, of Bradford, won a draw in their entrepreneur class for a chance to ask Dickinson some questions in the studio in early February. 

Ferragina says he was impressed how personable Dickinson is. 

"In person she is so humble, she's the nicest person. You can tell she really cares about business."

During the radio program, he asked Dickinson why, in some cases, do second- or third-generation family businesses sometimes fail? Her response put the responsibility in the hands of the parents. 

Dickinson says if a child grows up with a sense of entitlement, as opposed to valuing hard work, the company could potentially suffer.

Ferragina also asked about raising capital for a business, to which Dickinson replied, "You have to weave it into conversations. It's in the fabric of how you think."

When it was Jakop's turn to speak with Dickinson, she asked the Dragon for advice to new graduates of a business program.

Dickinson stressed the importance of making choices after college or university for yourself, not to please your parents or anyone else. 

She says to ask, "What makes you happy? You're in charge of you. Don't give up those life decisions to anyone else."

With her teacher sitting beside her, she asked Dickinson what an entrepreneur professor should be teaching students. 

"I feel like I've just been set up," says Stunt with a laugh.

Dickinson agreed with Stunt, who says it's hard to teach entrepreneurial material from a book. 

"He should teach you about the pitfalls in business and encourage whatever entrepreneurial spirit you have."  

CBC aired the season five finale on March 15, but fans need not worry. Dickinson will return for season six. 

Applications for contestants are now open for season six and can be made online at www.cbc.ca/dragonsden, where there's also a list of dates and locations to apply in person.