Abony was born in Toronto to immigrant parents, and was raised by a single mom in subsidized housing. His attitude of a Type A achiever along with hard work have made him one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. Over the course of the years, Abony has acquired some notable claims to fame including being the youngest CEO of a TSX-listed company.

Several of Mood Media’s top people built earlier businesses with Abony-most notably, Andrew Rivkin. Friends since high school, the two have worked together since the mid-’90s, when Abony co-founded online pet supplies retailer Petopia and Rivkin launched Cryptologic, a developer of online gaming software that topped the PROFIT 200 in 2002. They helped each other with those ventures, and when Abony sold Petopia to Petco, he joined Rivkin at Cryptologic. “Whatever our titles, we’re partners,” says Rivkin, who’s officially a consultant to Mood Media but is intimately involved in the business. “Lorne does a better job at the external-facing functions. The numbers-related stuff, I do better.”

Back in 2002, after stepping away from Cryptologic’s management, Abony and Rivkin started a new company developing online card, arcade and other casual games. Five years, five rounds of equity financing and seven acquisitions later, FUN Technologies was the dominant player in the industry, worth almost $500 million when U.S. giant Liberty Media acquired it in 2007.

Throughout the years both Abony and Rivkin have partnered to create multiple successful enterprises.

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Bell Canada president and CEO George Cope, left, MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum, centre, and Rogers Communications president and CEO Nadir Mohamed

Andrew Rivkin is impressed with the purchase price of $1.32 billion for the 75 percent stake. MLSE owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and Toronto FC (Major League Soccer). While these teams might not have the most wins, Rivkin notes that they have immense economical value. With the Toronto Maple Leafs being the highest valued franchise in the National Hockey League along with having the largest operating profits of any team since the lockout, both media giants have good reason to purchase MLSE.

When Andrew Rivkin first heard of the deal, he was surprised that two media corporations who both have rights to broadcast various games in Toronto could come together to form an agreement. Rivkin was put to ease when he heard that Bell and Rogers had agreed on a deal to take all the content – four teams, with radio, television, broadband and mobile – and split it right down the middle.

It will be interesting to see if any action is taken regarding Bell Canada’s minority interest in the Montreal Canadiens. The minority interest raises questions about conflict of interest, which is an ownership rule in the NHL. As of now no official action has been taken, but sources say that there is a waiver that can be granted by the NHL’s board of governors to approve the ownership.

In any case, Andrew Rivkin does not think that the new ownership will have any effect on the Maple Leafs or Raptors performance, but is a welcome change nonetheless.

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Toronto be the main site for the 2015 Pan Am Games

As a passionate follower of sports, and a lover of competition, Andrew Rivkin embraces international events where amateur athletes represent their countries and vie for gold. While the Olympics will often gain all the attention, Rivkin is a fan of another international event, one that is in fact bigger than the Winter Olympics, and that’s the Pan-Am Games. In the summer of 2015, the Pan-Am Games will descend on Toronto in one of the most anticipated event’s in the city’s history.

The Pan American Games is a multi-sport event between competitors from all nations in Americas, held every four years in the year before the summer Olympic Games. The idea of holding a Pan American Games grew from the Central American Games which were first organized in the 1920s. In 1932, a first proposal was made for Pan American Games, and the Pan American Sports Organization was established. The first games were scheduled to be staged in Buenos Aires in 1943, and since then, the Games have been held every four years, with participation at the most recent event at over 5,000 athletes from 42 countries.

Toronto will display it's athletics and culture in 2015.

Andrew, however, is particularly exciting for the upcoming games in 2015. The 2015 Pan American Games, officially the XVII Pan American Games, will be a major international multi-sport event that will be held from July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario. The city has already begun to get ready for the exciting event, with construction and re-development projects sprouting up around the city, offering new sports facilities, housing, and public places.

While some events will be held in the suburbs of Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Hamilton, and manyothers, Toronto will be the centre and the face of the event.. Approximately 8,000 athletes from 41 nations are expected to participate in 48 sports.Both the Pan American and Parapan American Games are being organized by the Toronto 2015 Organizing Committee (TO2015OC). The 2015 Pan American Games will become the third Pan American Games hosted by Canada and the first by the province of Ontario. Previously, Canada hosted the 1967 Pan American Games and the 1999 Pan American Games both in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 2015 Parapan American Games will be held 10 days after the Pan American Games.

Toronto will become one of the most populous cities to ever hold the Pan American Games. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at Rogers Centre, which will be upgraded for the games. Some of the competition venues in the Toronto area included the Air Canada Centre, BMO Field, the Pan American Field Hockey Centre, the Direct Energy Centre and Roy Thomson Hall.

When the city was selected, it was a proud day for Torontonians and truly all Canadians. Andrew Rivkin looks forward to cheering on his country’s athletes in person as they represent Canada on home soil, and looks to enjoy the attention and growth Toronto will experience across the summer of 2015.

An outside view of the new terminal at James Armstrong International Airport

In terms of physical design, the building is long and low with a floating silver roof. Skylights, an atrium, and windows fill the terminal with light. Passengers can see through the building, across the prairie and to downtown Winnipeg. These views create a strong sense of place, while views of the airfield make it easy for passengers to find their planes. Glass boarding bridges also help to orient passengers, giving them an immediate glimpse into the terminal upon arrival. Being an aviation enthusiast, Andrew Rivkin likes the added design of glass boarding bridges, a design not commonly found in airports.

As an innovator, Andrew Rivkin is pleased that the airport does not have set check-in stations. This allows for any airline operating out of the airport to use any check-in station. Andrew Rivkin believes that this updated check-in process will catch-on at other airports around the world making for a more pleasurable traveling experience.

Andrew Rivkin is looking forward to the next time his travels take him to the heart of the Canadian Prairies.

For further information regarding the new terminal please check the airport’s website:
Winnipeg James Armstrong International Airport 

Andrew Rivkin made online gaming easier and safer with Cryptologic

Cryptologic Inc. was Andrew Rivkin’s first triumph foray into the realm of online gaming. Since the inception of Cryptologic in 1995, it has been one of the most prominent companies in the field of online gaming. Alongside his brother Mark, Andrew found a huge market for playing games and puzzles online, and marketed a variety of games for people to play and win prizes.

His endeavour has lead to several others, including FUN Technologies, another company that allowed for safe, fun, and varied online gaming for everyone in the virtual world. In keeping with the earlier theme of gaming, FUN Technologies would go on to become one of the world’s leading providers of online, interactive games, as well as fantasy sports and sport information.

Cryptologic by Andrew Rivkin offered a variety of fun games and prizes

FUN offers a wide range of skill games, which are offered over the Internet, as well as through wireless applications (mobile) and iTV (interactive television), and on stand-alone kiosks. Andrew created a world of games that offers something to everyone. There are skill games in which the winner is determined based on the skill of the participants,. There are also plenty of free games for beginners and casual gamers to play. Moreover, for experts, there are lots of cash games and competitive tournaments available to win prizes. The site featured a wide range of engaging and addictive games such as chess, solitaire, Bejeweled, and Sudoko.

The company was successful almost immediately, and was publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange in 2003, and the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2004. It was one of the fastest growing companies in the history of the Toronto Stock Exchange. In less than three years, the company raised over $160 million in five rounds of equity financings, including its IPO. Later, FUN completed eight strategic acquisitions for a total consideration of $128 million. In March 2006, American media giant Liberty Media acquired FUN in a transaction valuing the company at $484 million.

Andrew Rivkin has proven both his business acumen and his cultural foresight, keeping his finger on the pulse of what our changing culture is interested in and looking for in the online world.