91��ɫ

Innovation 91��ɫ announces that communityBUILD, an ongoing collaboration between 91��ɫ, Seneca College, ventureLAB, United Way Toronto and 91��ɫ Region, has launched a new Social Venture Pipeline initiative to help budding social entrepreneurs in 91��ɫ Region build their social venture ideas into companies.

communityBUILD’s mission is to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by addressing important social issues in 91��ɫ Region and beyond. The new Social Venture Pipeline initiative is now accepting applications to join the program beginning in May 2016.  The program consists of a four and one half month accelerator followed by a three month incubator for social ventures near to launching their solutions to market.

Robert Hache

“communityBUILD finds ways to engage social entrepreneurs who are focused on addressing major social issues, whether on a local or global scale,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “Entrepreneurs who are accepted into the Social Venture Pipeline program will benefit from research expertise and mentorship, as well as opportunities to learn more about social issues important to 91��ɫ Region.”

The Social Venture Pipeline initiative is a program that arose from 91��ɫ’s partnerships with United Way Toronto, 91��ɫ Region and ventureLAB, the 91��ɫ Region’s Regional Innovation Centre and Seneca College. communityBUILD’s unique collaboration connects the strengths of university and college research with entrepreneurship and the lived experiences of members of the 91��ɫ Region community.

David Phipps

“For more than 10 years, 91��ɫ and the United Way have been working together to help to advance social innovation.  Our collaborative expertise in this area helps distinguish the Social Venture Pipeline initiative from other supports for social enterprises in Ontario,” said David Phipps, executive director of research & innovation services at 91��ɫ.

The goal is for entrepreneurs to merge the social impacts with business acumen to turn their social venture ideas into growing and emerging businesses. The Social Venture Pipeline program builds on the programming offered through the communityBUILD Social Innovation Mash-Up competition in 2014.

Innovation 91��ɫ helps bring innovative research and discoveries to market by connecting industry partners and other entrepreneurs with researchers and students. The organization provides access to resources and information, and creating a vibrant and engaged research community for start-ups to be successful and enabling social innovation.

Applications for the Social Venture Pipeline are due on April 15. For more information or to register, visit: .