Erwin Sniedzins
editErwin Sniedzins was the Founding Chairman & Director, Mount Knowledge Holding Inc.,(OTCBB:MKHD), Mount Knowledge USA Inc., and was the Chairman, President, CEO, Director, Mount Knowledge Technologies Inc.,currently he is the Chairman, President, CEO, Director, Mount Knowledge Inc.;Inventor, Author, Publisher, Philanthropist, Poet, Lecturer, Professor; Hebei Normal University and SJZ Vocational College for Foreign Languages in Shijiazhuang, China and global traveler. He is married to Flora Yan and has 3 children, Sarah, Thomas and Scott, as well as a step son named Wayne.
Early years
editBorn in Riga, Latvia, he immigrated to Canada disembarking in Halifax. He spent several years in Chapleau ON, attending Chapleau Public School before moving to Toronto, ON where he attended Maurice Code Public School and then Northern Secondary School. He was one of the founding students when Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, the largest College in Canada, opened its doors in an old Woolworth building at Sheppard and Yonge. In his last year he became Chairman of the Student Federation Council and graduated with a diploma in Electronic Technology. Later he attended York University, Atkinson College and graduated with a degree in Economics. He has three children Sarah, Thomas and Scott.
Business Development
editXerox Canada Inc.
edit- After College Erwin joined Xerox Canada Inc. and over 18 years held many managerial positions from Customer Service to Regional, National Programs, International Products and National Training and Development. In 1976 he took an 18 month sabbatical to travel and ski around the world. On his return to Xerox he help to create many new programs from Affirmative Action, Customer Service Field Incentives, Flex time training, a Snowcrest Training and Support Centre. He resigned from the company in 1989 to organize a Mount Everest Expedition to raise International Awareness and funds for Rett Syndrome.
UCANDU Learning Centres Inc.
edit- In 1995 he founded UCANDU Learning Centres Inc. to train people on Personal Development through Accelerated Learning and how to handle information up to 300% faster than traditional rote learning methods.
- Working with the Canadian Government’s National Research Council and the Ontario Government’s Multimedia Development Corporation he developed a patent pending “Real Time Self-Learning Intelligent Application System and Method” (Knowledge Generator) software engine that enable people to learn most subjects such as English, TOEFL or IELTS up to 32% better than traditional methods. Learners and employees can now learn information much faster while at the same time; improving their school marks, reducing their stress, reducing parent’s tutoring expenses; increasing company’s productivity by up to 32% - (©2008 Cisco Systems, Inc.) improving international corporations’ communication processes; establishing standardization training processes while reducing training costs.
- In 2005 he traveled to China with the Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin and International Trade Minister Jim Peterson to meet with Premier Wen Jia Bao in the Great Hall of the Peoples Republic of China. On this trip an agreement was signed to introduce the company's Knowledge Generator system and Syntality to the students of China.
Mount Knowledge Inc.
edit- In 2005 he founded Mount Knowledge Inc. to globally introduce his patent pending interactive educational learning technology system called the Syntality “Knowledge Generator” to clients in North America, Europe and established an office in Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang in 2010, China.
- A US Patent was filed in 2006 for his “Complete Real Time Self Learning Method and System”.
- In 2009 Erwin was able to sign an exclusive Chinese agreement to sell at least 1 Million English Knowledge Generator CD System with You He Trading Co., Ltd. and 100 MtK Learning Franchise Centres over five years. This represented more than US$70 Million in sales.
Mount Knowledge USA Inc.
edit- In 2009 Erwin as Chairman established Mount Knowledge USA Inc.
Mount Knowledge Holdings Inc.
edit- In 2010 Erwin as Chairman established Mount Knowledge Holdings Inc. on the US stock market; symbol (OTCBB:MKHD)
Mount Knowledge Technologies Inc.
edit- In 2011 Erwin as Chairman, President, CEO, Director established Mount Knowledge Technologies Inc. in Canada to provide research and development for MKHD <br /
Philanthropic Activities
editInner City Angels
edit- During 1979 to 1983 he was the Chairman of the “Inner City Angels” that supported the introduction and exposure to the arts and artist performances to Inner City children.
Community Homes for the Mentally Handicapped Association
edit- In 1983 he became the founding Chairman for “Community Homes for the Mentally Handicapped Association” to raise awareness for independent living and community support for individuals who were mentally challenged. One of his most noted activities was to author and publish a best selling Who’s Who in Toronto: A Celebration of this City book to generate funds for the charity.
Canadian Rett Syndrome Association
edit- In 1986 Erwin read an article about Rett Syndrome, a severe disorder that mostly affects baby girls. He decided to raise International awareness of this debilitating disorder. In 1987 he changed the name to the Canadian Rett Syndrome Association.
International Rett Syndrome Medical Symposium
editUsing the funds from the books sales on May 10, 1988 he organized an International Rett Syndrome Medical Symposium in Toronto to bring together the leading experts on this disorder to educate and share strategies on the steps needed to identify the cause(s) and research developments being done globally.
- The success of this Medical Symposium galvanized Erwin to raise more international awareness and funds for Rett Syndrome research. It was at this time that he decided to put together the first expedition to climb Mount Everest for charity. He called it the “Climb for Hope.”
“Climb for Hope” Mount Everest Expedition 1991
edit- The project to climb Mt. Everest and raise international awareness and funds for Rett Syndrome took 5 years to complete. Never before had Mt. Everest been climbed for charity. During this time 13 climbers had to be recruited, sponsors found, funds raised and training completed while still working at Xerox Canada Inc. In training for this climb Erwin climbed the; Canadian Rockies, Ishinca (5532m), Peru, Andes; Peak Communism (7500m) Tajikistan, Pamir, and Mt. Everest (8828m), Tibet, Himalayas.
“Climb for Hope” Celebrity Balls
edit- Founding Chairman of the Board for the Internationally famous series of “Climb for Hope” Celebrity Balls (1989 - 1991) that included the Prime Minister of Canada wife Mila Mulroney, Sir Edmund Hillary (the first man to climb Mt. Everest in 1953), Sir Peter Ustinov, Dr. Andreas Rett (discoverer of Rett Syndrome), Mrs. Raisa Gorbachyova wife of Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Soviet Union and other celebrities and movie stars.
“Avalanche of Hope”
edit- The CN Tower is the world’s tallest free standing structure at 1815.4 feet. Climbing this tower 16 times will be equivalent to getting to the top of Mount Everest. It was the perfect venue to launch an “Avalanche of Hope” fundraiser. Erwin created a ping pong ball event were sponsors would receive a ping pong ball for every dollar raised and a color ball for every $5 dollars. 50,000 ping pong balls were carried to the top of the CN tower’s 1776 steps. The balls were suspended behind a wire mesh ready to descend the stairwell. Media with TV cameras were posed to record the first balls that came out the open door at the base of the CN Tower.
“Canadian National Everfitness” program
edit- Some of the potential sponsors of the Climb for Hope event were concerned in 1989 that the expedition may not be allowed entry into China. So Erwin had to find other means to ensure the corporate sponsors that they would get the exposure for their charitable support. He then established and became the founding Chairman of the Board for the “Canadian National Everfitness” program (1991). This was a huge wall poster of Mount Everest that was delivered to all the Elementary and High School students across Canada challenging the students to find their own Mt. Everest in Fitness, Wellness and Environment. Each day the students had to do a task to advance up the wall chart.
“Climb for Hope” Movie
edit- In 1992 the documentary of the events leading up to the trials and tribulation of the “Climb for Hope” Mt. Everest expedition for Rett Syndrome was shown at the International New York Film Festival. The movie was narrated by Leslie Neilson and won the Gold award as best documentary at the festival.
Sichuan, China earthquake donation
edit- In 2008 he donated 30 Million Yuan of Mount Knowledge software to students from the Sichuan, China earthquake area.
Global culture, travel and awareness
editCarrying his ski boots around the world Erwin skied New Zealand’s Mount Cook and Queenstown slopes before going to Australia’s Mt. Kosciuszko Thredbo Alps. Later, he travelled to Nepal to ski Mount Everest and was told, when he went to rent skis, that the snow line started around 18,000 feet. Little did he know that 14 years later he would be back to climb Mount Everest. Next he headed to Kashmir’s Gulmarg to ski Mt. Apharwat 13,530-foot slopes. Skiing in Pakistan was quickly stopped with the civil disturbance and arrest of the Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. A hasty exit on the next train to Afghanistan prevented the experience of skiing at Malam Jabba Ski Resort. The facilities at Salang Pass north of Kabul was not enough to get a few runs in before continuing the journey to Bamyan Valley and a good night sleep on top of the 180 foot Vairocana Buddha statue. The last stops were Iran and then Turkey. Over the years more than 54 countries have been visited and their culture enjoyed.
Publications
edit“Who’s Who in Toronto: A Celebration of this City”
edit- “Who’s Who in Toronto: A Celebration of this City” (1984) (ISBN 0-9691697-0-1)that is an historical snap shot of what people thought, did and said about Toronto. The book was a best seller selling more than 5000 copies at $49 each within a few months. All the funds were donated to charity
“UCANDU Syntality Accelerated Learning Training Program!”
edit- “UCANDU Syntality Accelerated Learning Training Program!” (1997) (ISBN 1-894534-01-8) that is a complete learning and training methodology that utilizes and synchronizes the learner’s “senses” to help people learn faster and with greater confidence that they know that they know the information that they studied;
“Jaws of Love” - The Best Poems and Poets of 2003
edit- “Jaws of Love” - The Best Poems and Poets of 2003(ISBN 0-7951-5245-0) Depicts the myriads of emotions that grip us when love beckons.
“New Meanings” -The International Who’s Who in Poetry
edit- “New Meanings” -The International Who’s Who in Poetry (2004) as seasoned travelers we encounter may people that you want to embrace and share deeper moments then just conversation.
The “Real Time Self Learning System and Method (RTSL)" 2006)
edit- The “RTSL” - (2008) (2006) (ISSN 1920-0277) A US patent pending application number was grant in 2006 for this interactive Real Time Self Learning Application System that enables learners to learn up to 300% faster in real time than traditional rote learning.
The “Knowledge Generator” (2009)
edit- The “Knowledge Generator” (2009) (ISBN 1-894534) ‘Information into Knowledge’ [iiK] Intelligent educational application system
“The Poems of Mao Zedong” - 2011
edit- “The Poems of Mao Zedong” - 2011(ISBN 978-1-894534-888) Erwin published the Chinese to English translated works by Dr. Li Zhengshuan of selected poems of Chairman Mao Zedong during the period of 1921 to 1965 to help in creating a better understanding and communications between countries and cultures.