Alyson Bruce / en Black Founders Network celebrates a year of Black excellence in entrepreneurship /news/black-founders-network-celebrates-one-year-black-excellence-entrepreneurship <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Black Founders Network celebrates a year of Black excellence in entrepreneurship</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-215-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lZ3nforp 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-215-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zDdbpCvm 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-215-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Dzn4qqN7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-215-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lZ3nforp" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-11-01T16:11:21-04:00" title="Tuesday, November 1, 2022 - 16:11" class="datetime">Tue, 11/01/2022 - 16:11</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Olugbenga Olubanjo, an alumnus and founder of clean energy startup Reeddi, delivers a presentation during a recent event in 茄子直播's Convocation Hall (photo by Alyssa K. Faoro)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">More than 200 entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, students and community supporters gathered at the University of Toronto recently to mark the first anniversary of the Black Founders Network (BFN) and celebrate the achievements of its inaugural BFN Accelerate cohort of entrepreneurs.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲hat brought me to the BFN was the community of like-minded founders all working to build amazing things,鈥 said <b>Olugbenga Olubanjo</b>, <a href="/news/u-t-entrepreneur-s-startup-put-reliable-power-hands-nigeria-s-people">founder of Reeddi</a>, one of eleven&nbsp;startups to complete the BFN Accelerate鈥檚 four-month bootcamp.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he community is designed to help us grow, find solutions to challenges and meet our desired outcomes. What I loved most was learning from the experts who were engaged with us through BFN Accelerate.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt src="/sites/default/files/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-008-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>Members of the BFN Accelerate 2022 cohort pose&nbsp;for a photo outside Convocation Hall (photo by Alyssa K. Faoro)</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Reeddi took home the top Venture Award prize from the event, with funding awards also going to startups Fyyne, HDAX Therapeutics, Woo Your Boo, and Elev.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Part of the <a href="/news/u-t-accepts-all-56-recommendations-anti-black-racism-task-force">response to the recommendations</a> in the final report of 茄子直播鈥檚 Anti-Black Racism Task Force, the BFN works to create an inclusive community for Black entrepreneurs from ideation to scaleup 鈥 and support them as they launch, fund and scale impactful businesses. Since launching, the BFN has hosted and supported more than 30 events, engaged with over 50 mentors and advisers, and received support from more than 20 community and corporate organizations 鈥 including new corporate donor KPMG, which announced at the event that it will be funding grants to early-stage Black founders.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt src="/sites/default/files/BFN-Black-Excellence-Entrepreneurship-Alyssa-K-Faoro-096-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>Efosa Obano is the founder and program manager at the Black Founders Network (photo by Alyssa K. Faoro)</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e are overwhelmed with gratitude for all the community support BFN has received in its first year,鈥 said BFN program manager <b>Efosa Obano</b>. 鈥淓verything we have achieved together in such a short time validates the need for what we are building.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t鈥檚 only year one and I鈥檓 very excited for what is to come.鈥</p> <hr> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><strong>Here are six BFN Accelerate startups to watch:</strong></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>AfterData AI</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Co-founded by 茄子直播 alumnus <b>Anu Oladele, </b><a href="https://www.afterdata.ai/">Afterdata AI</a> enables organizations to understand their own data by helping them access, connect and explore existing datasets in easy and interactive ways. The AI startup recently raised $250,000 in funding from a U.S. based venture capital firm.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>Aworie</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Founded by 茄子直播 alumna and social entrepreneur&nbsp;<strong>Rae Massop</strong>, <a href="https://www.aworie.com/">Aworie</a> provides&nbsp;convenient, affordable and accessible mental health services for marginalized Canadians. With quickly growing revenues, the health-care startup recently crossed the 500-customer mark.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>Blair + Jack</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Dr.&nbsp;<strong>Bimpe Ayeni</strong>, a board-certified plastic surgeon and 茄子直播 lecturer in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, co-founded <a href="https://blairandjack.com/">Blair + Jack</a> to address common skincare problems experienced by men and simplify the process of having physician-formulated skincare delivered without a prescription. The startup recently won the Ella Express Pitch Contest and got onto the shelves of <a href="https://www.blackownedto.com/">Black Owned Toronto</a> at Scarborough Town Centre.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>NobelHub</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Co-founded by 茄子直播 alumni <b>Melisa Ellis</b>, <b>Malcolm Wright</b> and <b>Chevon Riley</b>, <a href="https://nobellum.com/NobelHub/Index">NobelHub</a> connects startups and existing businesses with the most essential services they need to grow and scale their ventures. Initially focused on the Black community, it is a one-stop-shop that offers services such as legal, accounting, marketing, technology development and business planning.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>NORM</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Launched by 茄子直播 alumnus <b>Chevon Riley</b>, <a href="https://www.naturalorganicmatters.ca/">NORM</a> provides natural cosmetics to individuals seeking an alternative to synthetic products with questionable ingredients. The organic skincare startup wants customers to know exactly what they put on their body, so it handcrafts its almond balm with only natural ingredients, tailoring its formula for those with dry or sensitive skin. NORM recently won the UTSC Hub Pitch Competition with a $5,000 Prize.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>Yuko AI</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Founded by Jean Marie Uwabeza, <a href="https://www.yukoai.com/">Yuko AI</a> provides an accurate and efficient AI-powered software solution to help dermatology clinics communicate, triage and manage skin health issues more effectively online. The SaaS startup took home the Next AI Top Startup Award at Startupfest in Montreal this past July.</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/bfn-accelerate-2022-cohort/">Meet the full BFN Accelerate 2022 cohort</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 01 Nov 2022 20:11:21 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 177844 at 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship partners with Desjardins on startup prize /news/u-t-entrepreneurship-partners-desjardins-startup-prize <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship partners with Desjardins on startup prize</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1327494174-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=T9xLFeHf 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1327494174-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YLHGLgCu 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1327494174-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=P5FsL4E1 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1327494174-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=T9xLFeHf" alt="a young asian woman write on a whiteboard in an office while her colleagues look on"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-10-19T10:33:07-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 19, 2022 - 10:33" class="datetime">Wed, 10/19/2022 - 10:33</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by Luis Alvarez/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/industry-partnerships" hreflang="en">Industry Partnerships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>One of the the biggest challenges for a student entrepreneur when building a company is capital 鈥 it costs money to develop a prototype, pay for professional services such as legal support and then market a product or services to customers.&nbsp;</p> <p>Enter <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/desjardins-startup-prize/">the Desjardins Startup Prize</a>.</p> <p>鈥淭his award will mean the University of Toronto鈥檚 best and brightest innovators will be able to secure funding for their startup without giving up any equity in their business,鈥 said <b>Jon French</b>, director, 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship (UTE). 鈥淢ore than $100,000 in non-dilutive prize money will be awarded.鈥</p> <p>The competition is open to all teams with at least one full-time 茄子直播 student or recent grad and the prize will be awarded during Entrepreneurship Week, which runs from March 6 to March 10, 2023.</p> <p>鈥淓ntrepreneurship Week is the university鈥檚 annual celebration of innovation, featuring events across the three campuses 鈥 and the perfect place for competitors to showcase their startups,鈥 French said.</p> <p>Finalists will be divided into early-stage and late-stage categories based on criteria including funding to date and current revenue. They will each have five minutes to pitch to a panel of investors, entrepreneurs and other business leaders before being asked questions in a format reminicent of CBC鈥檚 <i>Dragons鈥 Den.</i> The prize money will be divided between the two categories, with the top three finishers in the early-stage category sharing $30,000 and those in the late-stage category sharing $70,000. <i>&nbsp;</i><i>&nbsp;</i></p> <p>鈥淭he engagement in entrepreneurial activity at 茄子直播 is increasing rapidly,鈥 French said. 鈥淭here are almost 500 teams annually that are building innovative solutions to the world鈥檚 problems and this support from Desjardins gives them the critical resources they need to grow and succeed.鈥</p> <p>The Desjardins Startup Prize is part of a larger, three-year commitment as a lead partner for UTE that will also feature a financial literacy workshop for founders and the Desjardins Speaker Series 鈥 inspirational thought leadership events covering topics relevant to the UTE community.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淓ntrepreneurs are vital to Canada鈥檚 socioeconomic development. They create jobs and new opportunities, they develop innovative solutions to our challenges while serving the needs of our communities,鈥 said Guy Cormier, president and CEO of Desjardins Group.</p> <p>鈥淪upporting entrepreneurs means investing into the vitality of our communities. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e so proud to partner with the University of Toronto to support entrepreneurs and bring their dream one step closer to reality.鈥</p> <h3><a href="https://bluedoor.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about industry partnerships at 茄子直播&nbsp;</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:33:07 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 177607 at 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship's Jon French on the new RBC Innovation Challenge 鈥 and what students need to know /news/u-t-entrepreneurship-s-jon-french-new-rbc-innovation-challenge-and-what-students-need-know <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship's Jon French on the new RBC Innovation Challenge 鈥 and what students need to know</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/34613172885_ef13f664a6_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7y7c6j3l 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/34613172885_ef13f664a6_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8Fvbnl5d 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/34613172885_ef13f664a6_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JS6-S5O_ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/34613172885_ef13f664a6_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7y7c6j3l" alt="two women in a lab at the University of Toronto working on a printed circuit board "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-09-27T09:25:37-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - 09:25" class="datetime">Tue, 09/27/2022 - 09:25</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">With 鈥淭ech for a Greener Future鈥 as its inaugural theme, the RBC Innovation Challenge asks students to develop new ways to use data and technology to help Canada reach its 2050 net-zero targets (photo by University of Toronto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/onramp" hreflang="en">ONRamp</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The University of Toronto and RBC have partnered to launch the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/rbc-innovation-challenge/">RBC Innovation Challenge</a>, the latest joint initiative to bolster innovation and entrepreneurship efforts on campus and beyond.</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The annual, university-wide competition is open to all 茄子直播 students and invites multi-disciplinary teams to focus on technology projects with the potential for global impact.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><img alt="Jon French" src="/sites/default/files/Jon-French-crop.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 250px; float: left; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;">For its inaugural year, the theme is 鈥淭ech for a Greener Future鈥 and asks students how technology and data can be used to help Canada reach its 2050 net-zero targets<i>.</i> The challenge, <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/rbc-innovation-challenge-launch/">to be officially launched with an event on Oct. 11</a>, will run until Jan. 26 and consists of three phases: 鈥淒iscover,鈥 which gives students an opportunity to get inspired, form teams and register them by the Nov. 13 deadline; 鈥淒evelop,鈥 when they will create an initial version of their product or service; and 鈥淒eliver,鈥 when the teams will present to a panel of expert judges.</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Writer <b>Alyson Bruce</b> recently sat down with <b>Jon French</b>, director, 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship (UTE), to learn more about the challenge and the opportunity it presents for student entrepreneurs.</span></p> <hr> <p><span style="background:white"><b>How did the idea for the challenge come about?</b></span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">We can start with the obvious 鈥 the science is clear. Human activity is having a devastating impact on our planet and many experts say the climate crisis is the single-most important threat facing our society.&nbsp;Plus, 茄子直播 has always been a leader when it comes to creating innovative solutions to global problems, going back to the discovery of insulin in 1921. This is just another opportunity to use our technology and expertise to help generate positive societal and economic impact.</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">At the same time, 茄子直播 is proud to be one of Canada鈥檚 leading public institutions committed to the goal of reaching net zero by 2050. We have robust, collaborative initiatives across our innovation ecosystem, including the <a href="https://www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/">School of Cities</a>, BioZone, the <a href="https://academic.daniels.utoronto.ca/masstimberinstitute/">Mass Timber Institute</a>, the Munk School of Global Studies and Public Policy鈥檚 <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/program/environmental-governance-lab/">Environmental Governance Lab</a>, the <a href="/news/adams-sustainability-celebration-2022-four-key-events-focused-building-sustainable-future-u-t">Adams Sustainability Celebration</a> and one of the university鈥檚 most ambitious strategic initiatives, the <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy</a> strategic initiative, which is a delivery partner for this year鈥檚 challenge.</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship makes an ideal launching pad for the challenge because we see enormous potential for some of the projects created over the next few months to have commercial application. Our vibrant startup ecosystem has produced 107 ventures in cleantech alone and they have raised $496 million in research funding and are advancing research in converting CO2 into renewable fuels and materials, decarbonization technologies, hydrogen, and renewable energy such as solar.</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>What is RBC鈥檚 role?</b></span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">An initiative like this needs a committed partner and we are lucky to be working with RBC who have been a long-time supporter of 茄子直播鈥檚 innovation ecosystem. This is the latest in a series of RBC-supported activities, ranging from startup pitch competitions, research fellowships, and <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/about/our-space/">ONRamp our co-working and collaboration space on the St. George campus</a>. As one of the world鈥檚 largest banks by market capitalization, RBC has an important role to play in the journey to net-zero and have demonstrated a commitment to action through <a href="https://www.rbc.com/community-social-impact/environment/our-strategy.html">the RBC Climate Blueprint.</a>&nbsp; With more than 10,000 employees working across different technical roles, they are also keenly interested in how tech can be used for positive societal and economic impact.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Ultimately, this is about learning, networking and developing entrepreneurial / intrapreneurial skills while having fun in a way that could make a big difference.</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>&nbsp;</b></span></p> <p><span style="background:white"><b>How will the challenge work?</b></span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">Any current 茄子直播 student at any level, in any academic discipline, is eligible to participate. The projects created during the challenge will either be brand new or less than six months old 鈥 meaning this is not for startups that are already well established. Teams of three to six students can be formed in myriad ways 鈥 through curricular or co-curricular initiatives (including course work, capstones, etc.), via the 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship accelerator network and also out of facilitated meetups and ideation clinics.&nbsp;Once established, teams will have roughly two months to develop their projects, with support along the way from RBC domain experts, faculty advisers, targeted workshops 鈥 all culminating in a pitch competition for prizes on Jan. 26.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline">The strongest teams will likely be multi-disciplinary and representative of our diverse student body because multiple perspectives lead to more effective and inclusive solutions to the world鈥檚 greatest problems. Teams are encouraged to focus on&nbsp;tech-enabled&nbsp;projects that are relevant to individual Canadians, small and medium businesses or large companies and government. We are hoping to see a broad range of projects in areas such as: measuring, reporting and lowering carbon emissions; clean and renewable energy; food security; responsible investment; transportation; clean water, sustainable manufacturing materials and planetary health, to name a few.&nbsp;</span><span style="background:white"><b>&nbsp;</b></span></p> <p><span style="background:white"><b>Why should students participate?</b></span></p> <p>It鈥檚 a great opportunity for students to work on an impactful project over an extended period of time and not only learn from some of the top innovators, researchers and climate experts in the world, but also build a network of peers who are passionate about similar pursuits.</p> <p>There is also $100,000 in prizes for the top teams, including a $35,000 first-place prize and a $10,000 People鈥檚 Choice Award. The top team will also get to present their project 鈥 and represent 茄子直播 鈥 at an upcoming global climate conference or summit, with consideration given to carbon offsets.</p> <p>We anticipate that some of these projects will also be turned into startups that are supported by the 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship community, which consists of <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/u-of-t-accelerators/">more than 10 accelerators</a> across the three campuses. For finalist project teams that incorporate and pursue venture creation, there is another $10,000 available in the form of startup service vouchers to offset the cost of professional services such as legal and intellectual property protection, marketing, financial/accounting and more.&nbsp;</p> <p>The university鈥檚 Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office (IPO) is also committed to working with eligible teams hoping to commercialize their project output, while RBC is also exploring ways to support 茄子直播 talent and the team members and projects that emerge from the challenge.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>&nbsp;</b></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:25:37 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 176954 at First 11 startups in Black Founders Network program introduced at 茄子直播 event /news/first-11-startups-black-founders-network-program-introduced-u-t-event <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">First 11 startups in Black Founders Network program introduced at 茄子直播 event</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/_DJC7062-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=G1btdDWd 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/_DJC7062-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OyzxCPe0 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/_DJC7062-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0akxUBF9 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/_DJC7062-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=G1btdDWd" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-06-24T10:35:55-04:00" title="Friday, June 24, 2022 - 10:35" class="datetime">Fri, 06/24/2022 - 10:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Professor Rhonda McEwen, a member of the Black Founders Network leadership council, speaks during a recent kick-off event at ONRamp for the BFN Accelerate program (photo by Duane Cole)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The inaugural cohort of a University of Toronto program to support Black entrepreneurs was introduced last week at an in-person event on the St. George campus.</p> <p>The kick-off event 鈥 hosted by the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a> (BFN) and <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/"><span style="text-decoration-line:none">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship </span></a>鈥 welcomed 11 early-stage startups to <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/bfn-accelerate/#:~:text=BFN%20Accelerate's%20structured%20program%20delivers,generation%20and%20product%2Dmarket%20fit.">BFN Accelerate</a>, a three-month, cohort-based accelerator that鈥檚 open to companies from the 茄子直播 community with at least one Black-identifying founder.</p> <p>It was the first large scale event in more than two years to be hosted at ONRamp, the university鈥檚 co-working and collaboration space for startups.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淪electing the cohort was difficult, with many exciting startups being built in our community,鈥 said <b>Efosa Obano</b>, program manager of the Black Founders Network.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t will hopefully be the first of many, and we are really inspired by this special group. We are also grateful to the BFN community of mentors, advisers and investors who will be helping us take them to the next level.鈥</p> <p>The Black Founders Network, <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/black-founders-network-launches-to-support-entrepreneurs-and-create-more-black-led-businesses/">introduced by&nbsp;茄子直播 Entrepreneurship last fall</a>, aims to celebrate Black excellence in entrepreneurship and is built on a foundation of community support and allyship. Its mission is to create a community of Black entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey 鈥 from ideation to scaleup 鈥 and support them as they launch, fund and scale impactful businesses.</p> <p>BFN Accelerate is the first of the network鈥檚 three main pillars (Core, Accelerate and Scale) to be set in motion.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Anu-Rae-Bimpe-Group.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>From left to right: Anu Oladele, Rae Massop and Bimpe Ayeni (photos by Duane Cole)</em></p> <p class="x">鈥淭his is a major step forward in our execution of the Black Founders Network 鈥 part of <a href="/news/u-t-accepts-all-56-recommendations-anti-black-racism-task-force">a larger institutional response</a> to the recommendations in the Anti-Black Racism Taskforce鈥檚 final report,鈥 said <b>Jon French</b>, director of 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship.</p> <p>The inaugural 2022 BFN Accelerate cohort comprises a variety of early-stage companies bringing innovative solutions to industries ranging from clean tech and drug discovery to beauty and wellness.</p> <p>Led by 茄子直播 alumnus <b>Anu Oladele</b>, AfterData AI enables organizations to better understand their own data by helping them to access, connect and explore existing data sets in easy and interactive ways. Oladele, who completed his master's degree in information systems at 茄子直播, worked in data architecture and enterprise information management for a decade before launching his company.</p> <p>Another startup in the cohort, Aworie Health, was founded by 茄子直播 alumna and social entrepreneur <b>Rae Massop</b>, who holds a master鈥檚 degree in social work from the university. Her company provides<span style="background:white"> convenient, affordable, and accessible mental health services for marginalized Canadians.</span></p> <p>Dr. <b>Bimpe Ayeni</b>, a board-certified plastic surgeon and 茄子直播 lecturer in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, founded Blair + Jack with her husband Ade Ajayi. The skincare startup, which formulates its products to address common skincare problems experienced by men, aims to simplify the process of having physician-formulated skincare delivered without a prescription.</p> <p>"I didn't understand the magnitude of this program until seeing everything that happened at last week's launch event: brilliant people, solid networks, generous humans. I'm thankful to the BFN community for making all of this happen,鈥 said Ayeni.</p> <p>Over the next three months, Oladele, Massop, Ayeni and their eight fellow cohort members will undergo a first-of-its-kind program that is tailored to the lived experience of the most successful Black entrepreneurs. The key outcomes of which include increased effectiveness of each startup in meeting their customers鈥 needs, a boost in user growth, more revenue generation and new key-value chain partnerships.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Selection%20Committee%20-%20June%202.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 387px;"></p> <p><em>The BFN Accelerate Selection Committee from left to right: Jon French, Elsie Amoako, Craig Wellington,&nbsp;Efosa Obano, Gwyn Chapman and&nbsp;Ruth Mengitsu&nbsp;(photo courtesy of Efosa&nbsp;Obano)</em></p> <p class="x">Designed to complement other accelerator programs and opportunities within the 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship community across the three campuses, BFN Accelerate provides Black-led startups with access to a network of peers and mentors, resources, education and support with venture funding.</p> <p>More than 70 Black-led startups were part of the initial applicant pool, which included a competitive selection process featuring in-person presentation and interviews led by the BFN selection committee.&nbsp; In the end, 11 successful applicants were chosen to join the inaugural cohort with a commitment from the larger BFN community to support all applicants however possible.</p> <p>The launch event, which doubled as the orientation session for the cohort, concluded when founders presented their business pitches to an audience of BFN supporters, investors, community partners and mentors.</p> <p>The three-month program will culminate with a Venture Demo Day in the fall when the 11 startups will share their progress and pitch once again to an audience of investors, business leaders and university leaders.</p> <p><b>Rhonda McEwen</b>, the outgoing 茄子直播 Mississauga vice-principal, academic and dean <a href="/news/u-t-mississauga-s-rhonda-mcewen-appointed-president-and-vice-chancellor-victoria-university">who was recently appointed president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto</a>, is a member of the leadership council which governs the BFN.</p> <p>She shared words of encouragement and support to the cohort after they showcased their businesses.</p> <p>鈥淚t is an honour to serve on the inaugural BFN Leadership Council, along with UTSC Principal Wisdom Tettey,鈥 McEwen said at the event. 鈥淎s you begin your journeys through BFN Accelerate, you will have the highest levels of leadership at the university doing our best to support you.鈥</p> <h3><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/bfn-accelerate-2022-cohort/">View the 2022 BFN Accelerate cohort</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:35:55 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 175365 at Seven takeaways from 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week 2022 /news/seven-takeaways-u-t-entrepreneurship-week-2022 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Seven takeaways from 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week 2022</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gjXCOECU 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fkBpbWgi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2LY-L74p 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gjXCOECU" alt="Sign reads 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Community "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-14T11:46:24-04:00" title="Monday, March 14, 2022 - 11:46" class="datetime">Mon, 03/14/2022 - 11:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Jeff Beardall)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-dentistry" hreflang="en">Faculty of Dentistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mental-health" hreflang="en">Mental Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The University of Toronto recently hosted its sixth annual <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/events/entrepreneurship-week/">Entrepreneurship Week</a>, a four-day showcase of the university鈥檚 vast and vibrant entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Featuring over 15 sessions 鈥 startup showcases, pitch competitions, keynote speakers, workshops, panel discussions and more 鈥 the event shone a bright light on the breadth and depth of the university鈥檚 entrepreneurship community.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Here are some of the top insights for current and prospective entrepreneurs from this year鈥檚 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week:</p> <hr> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Get rich quick? Not likely</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In one of the standout moments of the week, <a href="/news/focus-what-you-ve-got-do-donovan-bailey-shares-his-tips-success-ahead-entrepreneurship-week">sprinting legend and business leader Donovan Bailey</a> shared his insights on the parallels between sport and business.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚 think the greatest misnomer is that you can get rich overnight. You can鈥檛. You also can鈥檛 become an Olympic sprinter overnight. The first thing I tell entrepreneurs is the same thing I tell CEOs and young athletes: if you don鈥檛 put the work in, you鈥檙e not going to get the results.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Hard work, passion, discipline&nbsp;and focus were among the characteristics that Bailey credits for his success as both an athlete and a businessperson.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In a candid fireside chat with Rita Trichur, a senior business writer for the <i>Globe and Mail</i>, Bailey shared his lessons in overcoming adversity&nbsp;鈥 鈥渨in or learn鈥 鈥 and said that failing isn鈥檛 a word he likes to use.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Reinforcing the principle of community, Bailey encouraged young entrepreneurs not to be shy&nbsp;and to seek out successful people in their industry to provide mentorship.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭here are such incredible successful people out there who are willing to share the knowledge.鈥<br> &nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Toronto is a hotbed for startups</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 was named the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/from-driveways-to-mrna-startup-founders-bolster-u-of-ts-rapid-rise-in-entrepreneurship-space%ef%bf%bc%ef%bf%bc/">fastest-rising global institution for startup founders</a> in the 2021 PitchBook rankings 鈥 jumping six places. And the university remains the number one university in Canada for research-based startups and is among the top 10 university-managed incubators globally.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚 like to think that the 茄子直播 and the City of Toronto embody some of Donovan Bailey鈥檚 commitment to excellence and, to use a technical term, swagger,鈥 said 茄子直播 President <strong>Meric Gertler </strong>during&nbsp;his introduction of Bailey at the UTE Speaker Series.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In total, entrepreneurs associated with 茄子直播 have launched more than 600 venture-backed companies, raised funding in surplus of $2 billion and created more than 9,000 jobs in the last decade.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭he 茄子直播 is an anchor of the city鈥檚 achievement in creating an innovation ecosystem with 10-plus&nbsp;accelerators and entrepreneurial hubs across the 茄子直播鈥檚 three campuses,鈥 said <strong>John Tory</strong>, Toronto鈥檚 mayor, in his opening remarks at the speaker series.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭hese talented entrepreneurs are fostering meaningful economic and social impact, and this is one of the reasons why global investors are flocking to Toronto and international conferences like Collision want to be hosted by our inclusive and innovative ecosystem.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In fact, Toronto-based and 茄子直播-affiliated startups Waabi, Ada, Deep Genomics, Xanadu and Cohere each raised over $100 million in funding from investors last year.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>&nbsp;</b></p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Lifting communities through entrepreneurship</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Entrepreneurship is often thought of as a solo journey. But several of last week鈥檚 sessions made it clear that community, support systems and networks are the differentiating factor in the success story for many entrepreneurs. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">For Jonathon Redbird, entrepreneurship is all about providing solutions that benefit your entire community&nbsp;鈥 not just the bottom line.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Speaking at the session <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/two-eyed-seeing-entrepreneurship"><i>Two-Eyed Seeing in Entrepreneurship</i></a>, Redbird and Christina Tachtampa of Redbird Circle Inc. focused on how Indigenous Knowledge applies to the fields of entrepreneurship and business education given the Indigenous Peoples鈥 long history as innovators and entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Slowing down, adding value to your community&nbsp;and thinking about entrepreneurship in a way that considers the self, community and our connection to the spirit of the land, were some of the key takeaways from this session which provided a refreshing perspective on startup culture.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Support&nbsp;for Black entrepreneurs grows</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Community was a topic raised throughout the week 鈥 most notably in relation to the two new programs launched to support Black entrepreneurs, the <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/nobellum-innovator-program">Nobellum Innovator Program</a> and the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/bfn-accelerate/">Black Founders Network (BFN) Accelerate</a> program.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Built by and for the Black community, BFN was launched in the fall of 2021 to support Black founders, create more Black-led business and celebrate Black Excellence.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">At the UTE Speaker Series, <strong>Efosa Obano</strong>, program manager of the Black Founders Network, announced that <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/bfn-accelerate/">applications are now open</a> for the first BFN Accelerate cohort, which will accept eight to 10 Black-led startups to participate in its three-month program this summer.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Following a classic cohort-based model, BFN Accelerate will help Black-led startups from the 茄子直播 community develop solutions to meet customers鈥 needs, launch a minimum-viable product, generate revenue, secure funding&nbsp;and explore value chain and distribution partnerships.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Moving the needle on gender diversity</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">More than half the winners of the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/resource/ute-startup-prize/">University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE) Startup Prize</a> pitch competition that took place at Entrepreneurship Week were startups led and co-founded by women entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In recent years, there鈥檚 been a perceivable shift in the startup playing field, which has historically&nbsp;been dominated by men. In part, this can be attributed to the greater emphasis placed on creating new opportunities for women-identifying entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://icubeutm.ca/">ICUBE at 茄子直播 Mississauga</a> and the <a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/">Health Innovation Hub</a> (H2i) are two <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/u-of-t-accelerators/">茄子直播鈥檚 accelerators</a> dedicating space to women-identifying entrepreneurs with inspiring speaker series such as Fireside at FemSTEM and a stage to showcase ventures at the <a href="https://icubeutm.ca/pitch22/">Pitch with a Twist</a> business competition and <a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/event/femstem-2022-pitch-competition/">FemSTEM Pitch Competition</a>, which is taking place on March 24.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:28px"><span style="background:white">In celebration of International Women鈥檚 Day, Pitch with a Twist (part of Entrepreneurship Week), provides a community of strong female founders with a platform to showcase their ventures, network with top companies&nbsp;and win cash prizes.<br> <br> For, <strong>Justine Abigail Yu</strong>, the founder of Living Hyphen 鈥 taking up space meant creating one.<br> <br> During the panel discussion at Pitch with a Twist, Yu shared her motivation behind launching her startup. 鈥淚n 2015, there wasn鈥檛 a lot of representation across media including the arts and literature space in Canada,鈥 she said.<br> <br> Recognizing this, she set out to create a space by and for bi-racialized writers and artists to share their stories and work by launching a magazine and podcast with a mission to 鈥渞eshape the mainstream.鈥<br> <br> In a fireside conversation hosted by H2i, <strong>Sandy Skotnicki,</strong> a 茄子直播 alumna and the founding director of Bay Dermatology Centre, spoke about opportunities to innovate in the field of dermatology and reflected on her successful 20-plus&nbsp;year career advocating for changes to patient care and diagnosis.<br> <br> Skotnicki鈥檚 advice to women entrepreneurs? 鈥淚f you have something you鈥檙e strongly passionate about, think big, start bigger, don鈥檛 be afraid to do that.鈥</span></p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Innovation in the arts</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">What does entrepreneurship look like in the arts?</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Similar to the approach taken by the creators of RedBird Circle, entrepreneurship in the arts is about more than generating revenue and raising venture capital.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">茄子直播 artist and researcher&nbsp;<strong>Adrian Berry </strong>explained the approach as follows:&nbsp;鈥淩ecognizing a challenge and figuring out how to respond in an innovative way 鈥 but also in a thoughtful way. We try to innovate in a way in which we can improve our lives and thrive and keep making art.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Berry and <strong>Hayley Janes</strong> took the stage at Entrepreneurship Week in a new session hosted by the Toronto Music Entrepreneurship Exchange. The research duo spoke to their individual research projects&nbsp;鈥 both of which address the same challenge: precariousness in the arts sector.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭oronto art workers and art organizations were vulnerable prior to the pandemic, during the pandemic, and after 鈥 in this post-pandemic world 鈥 due to limited resources, years of sector-wide financial precarity, societal inequalities, the list goes on and on,鈥 Berry said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The panel discussion was moderated by Ely Lyonblum, strategic research development officer in the Faculty of Music at 茄子直播. In addition to Berry and Janes, the session featured Faculty of Music alumni&nbsp;<strong>Adam Fainman</strong> and <strong>Renee Fajardo</strong>, who shared their unique perspectives on entrepreneurship and innovation in art and its role in cultural design.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Fainman, whose innovation in beatboxing technology led to new collaborative opportunities across music genres, and Fajardo, whose project aims to cater opera to a 21<sup>st</sup>-century audience, exemplify how innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset can make an impact in the arts.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Making time for mental wellness</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Mental health is health. And entrepreneurs, like everyone, can benefit from prioritizing self-care and mindfulness to cope with the stress of work and life.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Beginning with a guided meditation led by registered psychotherapist <strong>Soroosh Vafapoor</strong>, H2i hosted a stress management and mental health session to close of Entrepreneurship Week on a more relaxed note.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The session provided advice for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, featuring a panel of 茄子直播 alumni that included:&nbsp;<strong>Harold Wodlinger</strong>, chief technology officer at ViTAA Medical;&nbsp;<strong>Michael Floros</strong>, founder and CEO at Cohesys;&nbsp;and <strong>Wendy Naimark</strong>, chief technology officer at Ripple Therapeutics.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Moderated by Professor&nbsp;<strong>Paul Santerre</strong>, director of H2i, the intimate session also provided professional insights on mental health best practices from Vafapoor. Entrepreneur or not, the tips offered by the panelists provided actionable tactics to mitigate stress and make time for mental health.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Wodlinger touted mastering the art of delegation to 鈥渟pread the stress,鈥 rather than carrying it all on our own.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Creating balance between work and home is also key.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淢ake rules for yourself, define barriers&nbsp;and stick to them,鈥 said Wodlinger.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One way to do this: add appointments to your calendar. Whether it鈥檚 penciling in time to focus on a project distraction-free or reserving a block of time for daily meditation, scheduling appointments with yourself can help you take back control of your day.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Vafapoor, meanwhile, recommends leaning toward self-compassion and kindness to cope with stress. 鈥淏e aware of what narratives arrive at your mental doorstep and challenge their authenticity and reality,鈥 he said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He also suggested that movement could help to decompress the mind 鈥 not necessarily 鈥渨orking out鈥 but moving the body in the ways that feel good, whether that鈥檚 dancing, yoga or another form of mindful movement.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:46:24 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173509 at Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2022 /news/five-things-look-forward-entrepreneurship-week-2022 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2022</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-24T17:02:45-05:00" title="Thursday, February 24, 2022 - 17:02" class="datetime">Thu, 02/24/2022 - 17:02</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-youtube field--type-youtube field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="youtube-container"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ztonucWfwXg?wmode=opaque" width="450" height="315" id="youtube-field-player" class="youtube-field-player" title="Embedded video for Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2022" aria-label="Embedded video for Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2022: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ztonucWfwXg?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </figure> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/icube" hreflang="en">ICUBE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black" hreflang="en">Black</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mental-health" hreflang="en">Mental Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trinity-college" hreflang="en">Trinity College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The University of Toronto is preparing for its sixth annual Entrepreneurship Week, a four-day showcase of 茄子直播鈥檚 diverse and extensive entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Taking place from March 7 to 10, <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/events/entrepreneurship-week/">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week</a> features 15-plus events 鈥 startup showcases, pitch competitions, keynote speakers, workshops, panel discussions and more 鈥 delivered through an&nbsp;easily accessible virtual platform.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Events are free and open to all: students, entrepreneurs, alumni, mentors, business leaders, investors and anyone else who is looking to be inspired by startups, their founders and one of the most dynamic research-based startup ecosystems in the world.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Here are some of the key events and themes for the upcoming edition of 茄子直播鈥檚 annual celebration of all things entrepreneurial.<b>&nbsp;</b></p> <hr> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">A fireside chat with an Olympic legend</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Donovan-Bailey_Headshot-crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 300px;">Among this year鈥檚 most anticipated events is a fireside conversation with Canadian Olympic icon and entrepreneur Donovan Bailey.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One of the greatest sprinters of all time, Bailey has secured a place in Canada鈥檚 Sports Hall of Fame as a track and field legend, held three world records (currently holder of the 50-metre record), two Olympic gold medals and was named <i>Track &amp; Field News</i> sprinter of the decade for his stellar 10-year career.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Bailey has since shifted his competitive focus from sport to business as the CEO of Bailey Inc. He has spent more than 25 years building successful business ventures across the globe in real estate, restaurant, and health and wellness industries.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">On March 9 at 12 p.m., attendees can tune in for the keynote event <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/ute-speaker-series-entrepreneurship-week-keynote-speaker/"><i>From the Track to the Boardroom</i></a><i>,</i> a fireside conversation with Bailey that will be moderated by Rita Trichur, business writer for <i>The Globe and Mail</i>. The talk will focus on the parallels between competing in sports and business.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Student startups compete for funding and prizes</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">With over $60,000 in prizes up for grabs, 11 student startup teams in two categories 鈥 early-stage and later-stage 鈥 prepare to compete in the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/resource/ute-startup-prize/">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship (UTE) Startup Prize</a> pitch competition. The pitches will be judged by a panel of investors and successful founders.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">This year鈥檚 competition includes finalists from a range of fields 鈥 health and wellness, biotech, AI, consumer packaged goods, information and communications technology and cleantech. Kicking off day one of Entrepreneurship Week on March 7 at 2 p.m., the business pitch competition will recognize, reward and accelerate 茄子直播鈥檚 most innovative startups.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Back for its third year, <a href="https://icubeutm.ca/pitch22/">Pitch with a Twist</a> features an all-women lineup of contestants and judges to celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day on March 8. The annual event hosted by 茄子直播 Mississauga accelerator <a href="https://icubeutm.ca/">ICUBE</a> focuses on early-stage ventures from a variety of sectors pitching their business ideas for cash prizes and in-kind support.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://icubeutm.ca/our-winners-from-pitch-with-a-twist-celebrating-international-womens-day/">Last year鈥檚 Pitch with a Twist winners</a> included <b>Elsie Amoako</b>, founder of Mommy Monitor, <b>Joella Almeida</b>, co-founder of MedEssist and <b>Nancy Hamdy</b> and <b>Linta Mustafa</b>, co-founders of Axonaly.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Tune in at 5:30 p.m. to watch founders of 茄子直播 startups pitch for top prizes and to show your support for women-identifying entrepreneurs.</p> <div class="story_sidebar_wrapper" style="float: right; background-color: grey; padding: 25px 15px 25px 15px; color: white; margin-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 1.5rem;"><strong>Entrepreneurship Week by the numbers</strong> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>0 </b>鈥 Cost, in dollars, to attend 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>1</b> 鈥 茄子直播鈥檚 rank in research-based startups among Canadian universities</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>6</b> 鈥 Positions 茄子直播 has moved up in PitchBook鈥檚 annual rankings of global universities for startup founders</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>11</b> 鈥 Startups vying for the UTE Startup Prize at the annual pitch competition</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>16</b> 鈥 Events featured during Entrepreneurship Week</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>60</b> 鈥 Startups, accelerators and partners participating in the True Blue Expo</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>200 </b>鈥 Entrepreneurship-related courses offered at 茄子直播</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>600 </b>鈥 Startups created by 茄子直播 entrepreneurs over the past decade</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>9,000 鈥 </b>Jobs created by 茄子直播 startups</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>15,000</b> 鈥 Size, in square feet, of ONRamp, 茄子直播鈥檚 collaboration and co-working space for startups</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>20,000</b> 鈥 Total prizes, in dollars, at Pitch with a Twist to celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day on March 8</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>60,000</b> 鈥 Total prizes, in dollars, at the UTE Startup Prize pitch competition</p> <p style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;margin-bottom:11px"><b>2 billion</b> 鈥 Investment, in dollars, raised by 茄子直播 startups over the past decade</p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">EDI in entrepreneurship: Supporting underrepresented founders</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Following the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/black-founders-network-launches-to-support-entrepreneurs-and-create-more-black-led-businesses/">launch of the Black Founders Network</a> and the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/you-can-become-the-unicorn-in-the-room-meet-the-u-of-t-scarborough-alumni-advancing-black-excellence-in-entrepreneurship-and-tech/">Nobellum Innovator Program in partnership with 茄子直播,</a> several events on this year鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Week roster will prioritize the need for equity, diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Nobellum, a non-profit social and technology venture founded by 茄子直播 alumna <b>Melisa Ellis</b> is joining forces with 茄子直播 to help launch at least 100 Black-owned startups by 2025. The <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/nobellum-innovation-program-overview/">Nobellum Innovator Program</a> open house at Entrepreneurship Week will provide a forum to discuss the program鈥檚 initiatives and invite innovators to join, while Nobellum鈥檚 <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/nobellum-meet-the-founders/">Meet the Founders</a> session will introduce prospective entrepreneurs to the founders behind its vision.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In addition, <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/indigenous-perspectives-in-entrepreneurship/">Two-eyed Seeing in Entrepreneurship</a> with Jonathon Redbird and Christina Tachtampa will focus on how Indigenous Knowledge applies to the fields of entrepreneurship and business education. Presented by ICUBE and <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/welcome-bridge">The BRIDGE</a> in partnership with RedBird Circle Inc., this session will introduce students to duality in entrepreneurship and education and invite them to shift their perspectives about the concepts of self, community and connection to the spirit of the land.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Returning to Entrepreneurship Week, the highly attended conversation series, <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/fireside-at-femstem-with-dr-sandy-skotnicki/">Fireside at FemSTEM</a> invites special guest speaker, <b>Sandy Skotnicki</b> to share her experience as a distinguished entrepreneur in the health-care space. Skotnicki is the founding director of the Bay Dermatology Centre, an assistant professor in the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the author of <i>Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow.</i> Widely regarded as the 鈥済o-to鈥 dermatologist in Canada for ingredient reactions and safety, she regularly provides commentary and contributes to medical journals, media outlets and speaks on reactions to chemicals in the skincare industry.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>&nbsp;</b></p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">The convergence of arts and entrepreneurship</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">New this year, Toronto Music Entrepreneurship Exchange (ToMEE) is hosting a dynamic panel discussion about innovation in music performance and research.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">An all-alumni panel from the Faculty of Music, including <b>Adrian Berry</b>, <b>Hayley Janes</b>, <b>Adam Fainman</b> and <b>Renee Fajardo,</b> will discuss<b> </b>topics such as collaboration and reciprocity in creative cities, beatboxing research and technology, and opera for a 21<sup>st</sup>-century audience.<i></i></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/innovations-in-music-performance-and-research/">Innovations in Music Performance and Research</a> is the inaugural Faculty of Music event to take place during Entrepreneurship Week and is scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 8.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Finding balance: Mental health session for entrepreneurs</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Back by popular demand, <a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/">H2i</a>鈥檚 <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/stress-management-and-mental-wellness-session/">Stress Management and Mental Wellness Session</a> for entrepreneurs will close off Entrepreneurship Week with an address by keynote speaker <b>Soroosh Vafapoor</b>, community wellness co-ordinator for Trinity College and a registered psychotherapist.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">This keynote presentation will be followed by a candid panel discussion with entrepreneurs 鈥 including <b>Harold Wodlinger</b>, CTO of ViTAA Medical, <b>Michael Floros</b>, COO of Cohesys and <b>Wendy Naimark</b>, CTO of Ripple Therapeutics 鈥 who will discuss their experience managing stress and maintaining work-life balance.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Entrepreneur or not, the event promises to deliver helpful tips and tricks to disconnect, find balance, manage stress and seek out support in a safe and welcoming space.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 24 Feb 2022 22:02:45 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 172988 at Six takeaways from 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week 2021 /news/six-takeaways-u-t-entrepreneurship-week-2021 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Six takeaways from 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week 2021</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/6-takeaways.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jqinZ6lD 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/6-takeaways.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Nk8XMkEw 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/6-takeaways.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dO67rSQy 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/6-takeaways.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jqinZ6lD" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-03-19T11:40:02-04:00" title="Friday, March 19, 2021 - 11:40" class="datetime">Fri, 03/19/2021 - 11:40</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship week was held virtually this year, with events scheduled from March 8 to 11 (image by David Lee) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/icube" hreflang="en">ICUBE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hub" hreflang="en">The Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto recently hosted its fifth annual&nbsp;Entrepreneurship Week&nbsp;鈥 a four-day online event that showcased the talent and innovations sprouting from the university鈥檚 vast startup ecosystem.</p> <p>Mindful of 鈥淶oom fatigue鈥 following a full year of online meetings and events, this year鈥檚 program intentionally included fewer and shorter sessions <a href="/news/culture-discovery-u-t-entrepreneurship-week-spotlights-innovation-and-inclusion">that focused on a range of topics from representation to skill-building and mental health</a>.</p> <p>Here are some of the top takeaways for prospective entrepreneurs from this year鈥檚 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week:</p> <hr> <h3>Being an entrepreneur is hard, but being a woman entrepreneur can be harder</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/vlcsnap-2021-03-18-16h43m12s387.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>茄子直播 Mississauga鈥檚 ICUBR accelerator hosted a pitch competition focused on women-led startups that coincided with International Women鈥檚 Day.</em></p> <p>To kick off the event and in celebration of International Women鈥檚 Day, <a href="/news/u-t-pitch-competition-aims-overcome-barriers-facing-women-entrepreneurs">the Pitch with a Twist competition</a>&nbsp;provided a community of strong female founders with a platform to showcase their ventures, network with top companies&nbsp;and win cash prizes.</p> <p>Funding is one of the biggest barriers to women in the startup journey. 鈥淭he industries where we see a higher representation of women, such as culture-making, education and health care, tend to be devalued,鈥&nbsp;said <strong>Kasey Dunn</strong>, a program co-ordinator at the 茄子直播 Mississauga entrepreneurial hub ICUBE. 鈥淎s a result, women pitching innovations in these sectors are often overlooked in favour of high-tech innovations,&nbsp;which, in parallel with the industry itself, are more commonly presented by men. We want to level the playing field.鈥</p> <p>With one-third of the event鈥檚 programming focused on supporting and showcasing women entrepreneurs, other sessions explored such topics as barriers for women in business, Black leadership and resilience strategies.</p> <h3>Startups need to protect their intangible assets</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/vlcsnap-2021-03-19-12h11m47s358-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Michael Helander, co-founder of&nbsp;OTI Lumionics, said it鈥檚 important to secure the IP behind a startup.</em></p> <p>We are moving into a knowledge&nbsp;economy, where intellectual property is becoming an increasingly important driver of economic prosperity. In his opening remarks at the&nbsp;RBC Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ross Romano, Ontario鈥檚 minister of colleges and universities, stressed the need for IP protection for local startups.</p> <p>鈥淲e know that the intangible assets that are coming out of our research are changing everyday lives 鈥 these are discoveries that are so invaluable, these are assets that are growing our economy and it鈥檚 important that they translate into positive impacts for our province,鈥 Romano said.</p> <p>Real-world examples of the positive impact of IP protection were front and centre in the stories from founders of 茄子直播鈥檚 fastest-growing companies in the inaugural Scaleup Showcase.</p> <p>For instance, <strong>Michael Helander</strong>, the co-founder of&nbsp;OTI Lumionics, emphasized the importance of being proactive about protecting IP. He said securing the intangible assets of OTI Lumionics, which develops advanced materials for next-generation organic LED displays using quantum simulations, machine learning and pilot production testing, has helped keep the venture competitive.</p> <h3>Entrepreneurs shouldn鈥檛 shrug off self-care</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/liam-oleary.jpg" alt>Balance in life is incredibly important 鈥 a fact that is frequently overlooked by entrepreneurs who often pour themeselves into their startups.</p> <p>In a session hosted by 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Health Innovation Hub (H2i),&nbsp;Liam O鈥橪eary, professional development coach and graduate program co-ordinator at the School of Graduate Studies,&nbsp;spoke to the significance of mental health awareness for entrepreneurs. O鈥橪eary suggested the creation of: temporal boundaries, such as a day or time you will sign off from work; physical boundaries, such as a dedicated space for work that鈥檚 away from other activities to avoid spilling over into your downtime; and cognitive boundaries, such as keeping work thoughts at bay by writing them down as they pop into your mind.&nbsp;</p> <p>Session panelist Yasaman Soudagar, co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;Neurescence, stressed the need for leadership to engage in honest, vulnerable conversations with staff to build a culture of awareness and empathy in the workplace. This practice leads to greater trust, morale and better mental health outcomes for the entire team, Soudagar said.</p> <p>Finally, Linnea Aasen-Johnston, a clinical business consultant for&nbsp;BESPOKE Business Solutions, noted that&nbsp;entrepreneurs are busy people, and that prioritization is key. That&nbsp;means getting comfortable with letting go of lower-priority items, she said.</p> <h3>Your career doesn鈥檛 have to be linear</h3> <p><strong><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/derrick%20rossi-crop.jpg" alt></strong></p> <p><em>Derrick Rossi, a 茄子直播 alumnus and co-founder of COVID-19 vaccine-maker Moderna, started three different PhDs before he completed his first one.</em></p> <p>A central theme throughout the week was the notion that a non-linear career trajectory is not only realistic, but will create better entrepreneurs.</p> <p>In one of the standout moments from the week, serial entrepreneur, 茄子直播 alumnus and co-founder of the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna Therapeutics&nbsp;<strong>Derrick Rossi</strong>&nbsp;gave his take on building less traditional career paths. Rossi, who started three different PhDs before completing his first, travelled the world to research at world-class universities including Stanford University and Harvard University, as well as co-founding five therapeutic companies.</p> <p>鈥淭ravel the world. Do cool science. Work with smart people. Maybe start a family. Non-linear is OK,鈥 Rossi said.</p> <p><strong>Mike Murchison</strong>,&nbsp;co-founder of AI customer support firm Ada, shared his experience studying in four different departments at 茄子直播 before landing on the right one. After studying cognitive science and psychology and gaining real-world experience working in a call centre, Murchison co-founded Ada to provide companies with a new front-line technology for customer experience, allowing businesses to provide personalized experiences at scale. Ada now has almost 200 employees and several large-scale companies such as Zoom, Shopify and Telus as customers.</p> <h3>Representation matters</h3> <p><strong><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/wisdom-tettey.jpg" alt></strong></p> <p><em>Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of 茄子直播 Scarborough, highlighted a new&nbsp;Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program, which aims to build career pathways for Indigenous youth.</em></p> <p>Stressing the need to nurture participation from under-represented communities in entrepreneurial programming, senior 茄子直播 leaders spoke about the importance of representation in business. <strong>Christine Allen</strong>, associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives, emphasized 茄子直播鈥檚 commitment to identifying these barriers and providing access to resources so that everyone with a business idea has access to the supports needed to move forward.</p> <p><strong>Wisdom Tettey</strong>, vice-president and principal of 茄子直播 Scarborough, highlighted&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-mississauga-launches-indigenous-entrepreneurship-program">茄子直播 Mississauga鈥檚 new&nbsp;Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program</a>, which aims to build career pathways for Indigenous youth by working to eliminate barriers, facilitate partnerships and mentorships. Applications to the program are open to self-identifying Indigenous startups and will close on March 16.</p> <p>At&nbsp;The Hub鈥檚 Celebrating Leaders event, Naki&nbsp;Osutei, <strong>Fennella Bruce</strong> and Daphne Magna discussed&nbsp;journeys that sparked transformational change within the ventures they lead.&nbsp;Their key advice to racialized entrepreneurs is that who they are equates to the strength that they bring to their venture.&nbsp;They highlighted the need to commit to lifelong learning by taking advantage of workshops and resources from the library and city resources 鈥 and to believe in one鈥檚 own&nbsp;ideas.</p> <h3>The future looks bright for Toronto鈥檚 next generation of entrepreneurs</h3> <p><strong><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/2019-03-25-c03-lead_0.jpg" alt></strong></p> <p><em>The soon-to-be-built Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre will accelerate innovation in Toronto and Canada by creating the country鈥檚 largest university-based innovation node (rendering by WEISS/MANFREDI)</em></p> <p>Building on a long history of innovation, which is being celebrated this year with&nbsp;of the&nbsp;100th&nbsp;anniversary of the discovery of insulin at 茄子直播, the university has acted as the launhpad for more than 500 new ventures launched over the past decade that&nbsp;have secured upwards of $1.5 billion in investment.</p> <p>There is much more to come. Construction is underway for 茄子直播鈥檚 Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, <a href="/news/landmark-100-million-gift-university-toronto-gerald-schwartz-and-heather-reisman-will-power">a&nbsp;750,000-square-foot innovation complex in the heart of downtown Toronto</a>.</p> <p><em>This story <a href="https://startupheretoronto.com/partners/uoft/6-things-every-young-entrepreneur-can-learn-from-the-latest-university-of-toronto-entrepreneurship-week/">was originally published at StartUp Here Toronto</a></em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:40:02 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 168812 at