Win This Space 2018 Grand Prize Winner Ritual Apothecary Opens On Charlotte Street

Nadine McCallen (pictured below), this year’s winner of Win This Space entrepreneurial competition, has opened the doors to her new shop Ritual Apothecary on Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough. As part of the grand prize, McCallen has received one year of free rent in a downtown storefront.

Photo courtesy DBIA

McCallen describes the store this way: “It will be the home of The Willow’s Bark studio, which creates wildcrafted skincare and herbal remedies from locally foraged plants, as well as other like-minded companies producing all-natural, small-batch, sustainable beauty products, herbal remedies, and artisan goods with care and attention to protecting our natural habitat."

Visit Ritual Apothecary at 196 Charlotte Street.

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FastStart Launches Camp Startup For Young Entrepreneurs

Based on the Kawartha Backcountry Entrepreneurship Experience, FastStart Peterborough is launching a new and improved experience for young entrepreneurs called Camp Startup.

Camp Startup has been created to inspire youth entrepreneurs and take them out of their comfort zone. It takes place between September 14th to Septemer 16th at Camp Kawartha, through FastStart Peterborough (a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College and the Innovation Cluster).

Photo courtesy Innovation Cluster

The group of 20 successful entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 - 29 will get to pack a bag and head out to Camp Kawartha for a full weekend of teamwork exercises—helping to increase the skills of those of entering the world of entrepreneurship. In order to reduce barriers to entry, the bootcamp will be free for the 20 successful applicants.

Photo courtesy Innovation Cluster

“Our unique entrepreneurship programming allows for young entrepreneurs to get out of their comfort zone and learn in a different environment,” says Rosalea Terry, Marketing Manager and Senior Innovation Specialist of the Innovation Cluster. “They will gain new business skills while building relationships with like-minded people.”

The weekend event will start out with participants arriving at Camp Kawartha Friday evening and spend time getting to know their fellow entrepreneurs. Saturday and Sunday will consist of various workshops and activities that will be sure to push entrepreneurial limits, including pitching, canoeing, a high ropes course, and a traditional event of the program, the "creative campfire rap battle".

Photo courtesy Innovation Cluster

The young entrepreneurs will also be able to take advantage of multiple skill-gaining activities to help build their entrepreneurship knowledge—including pitching, finances, grant applications and more that will be beneficial to their future business ventures.

The weekend will wrap up with a final pitching challenge that the participants will be working towards throughout the trip. The winning team will receive a $500 cash prize.

Applications for the adventure closes on July 26th at midnight. To apply, click here.

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Incubated Startup Space For Hired Fleming & Trent Students Will Now Be Free Through New Graduate Program Partnership

Peterborough's Innovation Cluster is launching a Graduate Program for alumni of Fleming College and Trent University. Graduates hired by Innovation Cluster startups will now be provided free office space in order to further employment opportunities.

The Graduate Program was created in partnership between the Innovation Cluster, Fleming College and Trent University as an incentive that promotes the growth of entrepreneurship, employment and student opportunities in Peterborough.

Photo courtesy Innovation Cluster

“Fleming College and Trent University does a great job at bringing in National and International students,” says Michael Skinner, President & CEO of the Innovation Cluster. “We hope this program will retain this talent in our region.”

The launched program promotes startup companies located in The Cube incubator to hire locally through Fleming College and Trent University alumni, to increase both employment rates for Peterborough’s educational institutions as well as reduce cost for incubated startups.

Currently, startup founders pay a monthly fee of $100 per desk space per employee. This is still the case, however those with current employees who are Trent and Fleming graduates will not incur a fee for desk space, along with future alumni employees hired. Founders accepted into the program through the application process receive complimentary space to ensure that money is put to good use.

Multiple companies within the Cluster who have grown their team by hiring local graduates have been able to reach new milestones with the aid from their employees.

Andrew Revoy, based out of the Innovation Cluster, is a Trent University graduate and Senior Project Manager of startup company Kavtek

Andrew Revoy is a Trent University graduate and Senior Project Manager of startup company Kavtek, a client of the Innovation Cluster. Within four months of launching, Kavtek rapidly grew their team to keep up with the growth of their company, hiring software and project positions including Revoy, who says Trent University helped prepare for his employment.

“I'm really glad to be working at the exciting tech startup Kavtek here in Peterborough!” says Revoy. “I've always been interested in technology and business, which is why I studied Computer Science and Marketing & Entrepreneurship at Trent University. My degree in Computer Science gave me valuable skills which helped me stand out and the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Post Grad Certificate gave me the tools and an internship which allowed me to get started in my new career.”

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Lab Improvements & Loch Win 2017 Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition

The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition had its Grand Finale at The Venue on Tuesday evening (April 25th) in front a great crowd. Six up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a panel of judges with the goal of winning more than $55,000 in cash and business support services.

The winners: Loch (Tim and Dan Waggoner) and Lab Improvements (Alex Bushell and Steve Wright at right)

The 6 finalists were split into the Innovation Stream and the Goods & Services Stream based on their type of business. The winner of the Innovation Stream was Alex Bushell of Lab Improvements, the manufacturer of CapTrack, a portable, benchtop-sized device that manages refrigerated inventory and recaps specimen tubes for medical laboratories.

“We see an innovative idea that solves a problem their customers see relevant,” explained Warren Faleiro, Chief Technology Officer of FreshBooks and one of three 2017 Bears’ Lair judges.

Left to right: Warren Faleiro, Chief Technology Officer, FreshBooks (Judge); Alex Bushell and Steve Wright, Co-Founders of Lab Improvements

Tim and Dan Waggoner of Loch were the winners of the Goods & Services Stream. “We’re really grateful that Bears’ Lair exists and that there is such a supportive community for start-ups and entrepreneurs,” says Tim. “The prize package is going to push our business forward even further and faster.” Loch is the producer of sunglasses that are crafted exclusively from 500-year-old, water-recovered timber reclaimed from the Great Lakes and crafted in the Peterborough area.

Left to right: James Sculthorpe, President, Yorkshire Valley Farms (Judge), Tim and Dan Waggoner of Loch.

Alex Bushell from Lab Improvements and Tim and Dan Waggoner from Loch won $5,000 in cash and over $20,000 in business support services each. The cash and business support services—including marketing and advertising, public relations services, accounting services, strategic planning and consulting services, computers, office equipment and more—were donated by the 2017 Bears’ Lair sponsors.

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Peterborough Microgreenery Startup Tiny Greens Reveals Downtown Location

Tina Bromley, owner of Tiny Greens and winner of Win This Space, revealed her storefront location in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday, April 5th. Tina has been busy getting her space ready at 431 George Street North.
 
“I am really excited to take my business to the next level and show Peterborough what I can create in downtown,” says Bromley. “I am looking forward to seeing customers enjoy healthy, local and sustainable products all year round.”

Tiny Bromley, owner of Tiny Greens, gives a tour of her new location at 431 George Street North.

After winning the Win This Space competition in February, Tiny Greens is receiving a lease to a downtown storefront free for 12-months, plus additional prizes from locals businesses that will assist Tiny Greens.
 
“It is great to see someone like Tina who brings such positive energy and enthusiasm to our downtown and be a part of our family,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the DBIA. “We are thrilled to see the success of Win This Space and grateful to our partners and sponsors.”

tina pictured with her husband, children and father after winning Win This Space

The Win This Space program is possible thanks to many sponsors, including 12 business and community organizations that are each sponsoring a month of the lease. April is provided by Peterborough Distribution Inc. and Save On Energy, who will work with Tina to renovate the space with the latest energy-saving initiatives.
 
Tiny Greens is a microgreenery which plans to create a healthy hub in downtown Peterborough. It is a space to sell local ready-grown year-round microgreens, vegetables, herbs as well as other foods from local farmers in the grocery aisle. Tiny Greens has been in business for two years and has earned a reputation for having high-quality products for a growing market.

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Watch This Awesome New Video Promoting Young Entrepreneurs In Peterborough

Peterborough Economic Development just released a fantastic new video from Patrick Stephen promoting the vast array of programs available to young entrepreneurs in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

Amusé Coffee

The video features Lindsay Brock from Amusé Coffee, and shows how the wealth of programs, resources and networks available in Peterborough offer a world of opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to launch their business in this supportive community.

Watch the video below...

Check out PED's Summer Company program for entrepreneurs!

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Here Are The Entrepreneurs Selected As The 2017 Bears' Lair Finalists

The Top 6 businesses were selected from a group of 21 Bears’ Lair semi-finalists on Tuesday (March 21st) by local business community judges. Chair Diane Richard announced the finalists on stage at the Showcase event at The Venue, where contestants had that opportunity to display the best of their businesses. Three of the finalists are innovation based businesses, and the other three finalists have a focus on Goods and Services.

The 2017 Innovation Stream finalists are: Dock HitchHinge, Lab Improvements and Mont Pellier for the Innovation Stream. The finalists for the Goods & Services Stream include That Dam Tea (TreeWell Limited), Loch, and Ship Shape Service.  

Since the inception of the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition, $120,000 in cash and business support services has been made available to contestants. This year, finalists are competing for more than $45,000 in cash and business support services.

2017 Bears Lair Finalists on stage at the Bear' Lair Semi-Finalist Showcase at The Venue on March 21st, 2017. From left to right: That Dam Tea (TreeWell Limited), Loch, Ship Shape Service, Mont Pellier, Lab Improvements and Dock HitchHinge.

“We had such a strong and talented group of entrepreneurs this year—regardless of tonight’s outcome, everyone here is a winner,” says Chair Diane Richard. “Every Bears’ Lair contestant has used the entrepreneurial competition to take their business to the next level."

Bears’ Lair invites everyone to come to the finale event on April 25th at The Venue. The finale event will expose the finalists to a cross-examination, challenging questions and feedback by the judges before a live audience at The Venue. The selected finalists’ presentations will be scored based on innovation, commercialization, diversification, business plan quality and the benefit to the local economy, and two final 2017 winners will be selected.

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