Summer Company is an exciting opportunity for enterprising students, 15 to 29 years old, to start and run their own summer businesses. Now in its ninth year, the province-wide program will help over 500 young entrepreneurs launch and manage successful summer businesses across Ontario. Participation in Ottawa increased by more than 75 per cent last year and the program continues to get more and more popular each year. Summer Company, delivered through OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre, is an initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade designed to help young entrepreneurs develop, plan and execute a successful business venture.

As a Summer Company entrepreneur, students will receive hands-on business coaching and mentoring from business leaders in the community. It could be the start of something big!

Participants are eligible for up to $3,000 to ease start-up expenses including $1,500 awarded upon the successful completion of the program and return to school. Students are selected based on the quality of their business plan and their personal commitment to their vision. In addition to the funding, these young entrepreneurs will receive strategic business assistance as well as one-on-one support and advice from mentors as part of the Summer Company Program. Carefully selected mentors work closely with each student and share their unique insight and expertise. This year’s list of mentors includes a banker, accountant, lawyer, sales professional, marketer, strategist, etiquette advisor, former summer company participant, and successful local entrepreneur.

Click here for more information about the Summer Company Program or contact Diana Martinez, Youth Business Advisory at OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre by phone at 613 580 2424 ext 22704 or via email at dmartinez@ocri.ca.

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IPeak is a great Ottawa example of a company that started with a good technical idea and a desire to learn how to turn that idea into a successful enterprise.  Not only did Matt Williams, founder of IPeak, help develop the company’s core technology but Matt was very open to learning from others who had built companies before.  He was able to gather the best people around him early on to move the business forward.

IPeak was a two-man operation when OCRI’s Investment and Commercialization team began working with them three years ago. When they graduated from the OCRI Business Accelerator they had expanded to seven employees, had secured their first sale, and raised over $1M in angel financing. They also were selected as a winner of the Canada’s Top 10 Competition which gave them exposure to a broad range of investors in Canada and the U.S. at an early stage.

Pulling together the right team has been one of Matt’s key strengths as a founder. He was not afraid to let go of the reigns as CEO and focus on his strengths on the technology side of the business as CTO. Couple that with his passion for the IPeak product and validation from key markets that his company met a market need and he was able to attract a high caliber CEO in Martin Horne to help grow the company to the next stage.

IPeak is just one example of how founders in our portfolio are working to build success in their own verticles and businesses through working with our team. It is an approach we think will result in the growth of more leaders like Matt and more growing, competitive companies like IPeak.

That’s the type of development that OCRI is working towards for Ottawa companies and entrepreneurs.

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It’s easy and tons of fun – register your team online (you can make up your own team – ringers, good skaters, bad skaters, top scorers, no scrappers please). 22 hand picked teams  get to play a minimum of three games and more if you actually can function as a team!  You will also get: certificates for Stanley’s Restaurant & Bar to ensure your team has a good time after the on-ice action is over; a tournament souvenir; and entry into the Wednesday night tournament banquet.

This event is held at THE best facility in the nation’s capital, and put on professionally by a group with an incredible reputation for THE best hockey tournaments anywhere! The Bell Sensplex has 4 arenas (3 NHL, 1 International), a sports bar & restaurant and wireless high speed internet throughout the building! 

Everyone is encouraged to come – bring family, friends and co-workers to cheer your team on. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.

Hard to think of a better reason to re-work your day to fit in a hockey game or two….If you’ve played in this tournament before – post details of your favourite play, winning game, most hilarious moment…

More information here: http://www.bellsensplex.ca/tournament-adult-details.php?tID=316

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