La version fran莽aise suit la version anglaise.

The entrepreneurially driven initiative teaches non-business participants the foundational skills for identifying opportunities and developing innovative solutions to start a new business.

Gabrielle Cooper-Saint-Cyr had already finished her BA in international studies at 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon College and was part way into a degree in translation services when she saw a poster for Glendon ENtrepreneuriat et Innovation A L鈥檌nternational (GENIAL) initiative on the hallway wall opposite her class.

鈥淚 thought this seems like the exact thing that I'm looking for. And it was already ongoing on campus, which was easily accessible,鈥� she says.

At the time, Cooper-Saint-Cyr was trying to figure out how as a non-business student she could get the entrepreneurial skills and guidance needed to propel her work as a freelance translator forward. The GENIAL initiative did so much more. It gave her the confidence and know how to start her own translation business, not just do it off the side of her desk.

GENIAL, a bilingual initiative, offers Glendon students, Faculties and Ontario francophones training, extracurricular activities, and a research program in entrepreneurship and innovation. 

The fact that the GENIAL entrepreneurial incubator was open to everyone regardless of their degree and was in Cooper-Saint-Cyr鈥檚 first language, French, as well as English was a huge bonus for her.

鈥淚t鈥檚 especially nice if you鈥檙e working and living in Ontario as there aren鈥檛 always French resources available and not everything is bilingual. It also helps establish a better sense of community,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ranslation is not like a traditional company that you're creating, so it was a bit more complicated, but any questions I had was easily answered.鈥�

Cooper-Saint-Cyr is one of the winners of last year鈥檚 business pitch Student Entrepreneurship Competition presented by Glendon GENIAL and Desjardins Financial Group, which donated more than $775,000 to this initiative and a second initiative, YSpace鈥檚 ELLA for women entrepreneurs, to expand both accelerators. That gift helped not only with infrastructure needs for the GENIAL incubator and its Entrepreneurial Skills Passport program (ESP), but also resources for the experiential education component of the courses, specifically in social enterprise design, as well as the entrepreneurship project course. In addition, it allowed more modules to be added to the ESP program and provides seed funding to the student entrepreneurs.

鈥淚t really helped us get to the next level,鈥� says Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Angelo Dossou-Yovo, who launched the GENIAL initiative in 2017. So far 64 students have gained entrepreneurial knowledge through the ESP program.

This year鈥檚 competition on Sept. 26 will again offer students, interested in developing their entrepreneurial spirit, the opportunity to pitch their venture project and get seed funding. 

Dossou-Yovo joined 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Glendon as a business faculty member in its four-year dual degree program, which offers students the ability to combine two years of studies at Glendon with two additional ones at the Emlyon Business School in France to earn an International Bachelor of Arts (iBA) in International Studies and a Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA).

But when he saw the tremendous interest liberal arts students showed in attaining entrepreneurial skills, he realized there was an opportunity to offer something unique to the francophone and bilingual community.

鈥淚n this initiative we try to create an entrepreneurship mindset by focusing on the early stage of the life cycle of a business. We look at how to identify and develop business opportunities. How to know when something is worth spending time, money and resources on in the long run. The starting point is solving problems, and how to discover and identify opportunities, but also how to test them and make sure that you come up with something with a higher probability of success,鈥� says Dossou-Yovo.

鈥淲e're in the business of helping would-be entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship to develop entrepreneurship skills they can leverage later on either to create a business or to look for a job in organizations where intrapreneurship skills are needed.鈥�

Within the GENIAL initiative is the 15-week Entrepreneurial Skills Passport Program, a series of workshops, entrepreneurial activities, and presentations, where Cooper-Saint-Cyr developed the skills to start her translation business years before she originally intended. Despite not having a business background, she felt she was in the right place.

鈥淚 received a lot of help throughout. There wasn't ever a point where I was like 鈥極h, this is something I should rethink doing鈥� because I kept getting the help I needed, which is great. If you're going to go into a program of that sort you want to feel like you're on par with all the other students and can learn at the same pace.鈥�

The final piece, the pitch competition, teaches students to communicate the value of their business to potential partners and to hopefully attract seed funding to launch and scale their business.

Although Cooper-Saint-Cyr wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect when she started, she says, 鈥渋t definitely went beyond my hopes.鈥� By the end of a few months, including some time off to concentrate on her other studies, she had already registered her company and lined up several contracts.

鈥淭hat was amazing. They know what they're doing for one, but they also know when to push and when to allow you to take a step back. They are great in helping you push forward when you have your doubts.鈥�

She is now looking to expand her business and offer more services.

鈥淚 think that's a success story,鈥� says Dossou-Yovo. 鈥淵ou know, that wouldn't be possible if she did not have access to the GENIAL initiative while being student at Glendon.鈥�

It鈥檚 also another way organizations like Desjardins are stepping up to help 91亚色 create positive change now and into the future.

L鈥檌nitiative GENIAL de Glendon aide la population 茅tudiante et les communaut茅s francophones de l鈥橭ntario 脿 exceller

Cette d茅marche ax茅e sur l鈥檈ntrepreneuriat inculque aux personnes qui d茅butent en affaires les comp茅tences fondamentales qui leur permettront d鈥檌dentifier des occasions et de concevoir des approches in茅dites pour cr茅er leur entreprise.

Ayant d茅j脿 脿 son actif un baccalaur茅at en 茅tudes internationales du Coll猫ge universitaire Glendon de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色, Gabrielle Cooper-Saint-Cyr pr茅parait un dipl么me en traduction lorsqu鈥檈lle a remarqu茅 une affiche GENIAL (Glendon ENtrepreneuriat et Innovation 脌 L鈥檌nternational) sur le mur en face de sa classe.

芦 Je me suis dit que c鈥櫭﹖ait exactement ce que je cherchais. Le projet 茅tait d茅j脿 en cours sur mon campus, alors c鈥櫭﹖ait tr猫s facile d鈥檡 acc茅der. 禄, explique-t-elle.

脌 l鈥櫭﹑oque, Mme Cooper-Saint-Cyr cherchait 脿 d茅velopper ses comp茅tences entrepreneuriales en tant qu鈥櫭﹖udiante non form茅e dans ce domaine afin de mieux g茅rer sa future carri猫re de traductrice autonome. GENIAL a fait beaucoup plus pour elle : en plus de lui fournir les comp茅tences techniques et la confiance n茅cessaires, l鈥檌nitiative l鈥檃 encourag茅e 脿 fonder une entreprise de traduction.

GENIAL est une initiative bilingue qui offre 脿 la population 茅tudiante de Glendon, aux facult茅s et aux francophones de l鈥橭ntario une formation, des activit茅s para-universitaires et un programme de recherche en entrepreneuriat et en innovation. 

Le fait que l鈥檌ncubateur entrepreneurial GENIAL soit ouvert 脿 tout le monde 鈥� peu importe leur dipl么me 鈥�, et qu鈥檌l soit offert en fran莽ais (la langue maternelle de Mme Cooper-Saint-Cyr) ainsi qu鈥檈n anglais 茅tait un 茅norme atout.

芦 C鈥檈st particuli猫rement utile si vous travaillez et vivez en Ontario, car tout n鈥檈st pas bilingue et des ressources ne sont pas toujours offertes en fran莽ais, explique-t-elle. De plus, le programme renforce notre sentiment d鈥檃ppartenance 脿 la communaut茅. Une entreprise de traduction diff猫re beaucoup d鈥檜ne entreprise traditionnelle. Je n鈥檃i toutefois eu aucun mal 脿 obtenir des r茅ponses satisfaisantes 脿 mes questions. 禄

Mme聽Cooper-Saint-Cyr faisait partie des 茅tudiants et 茅tudiantes ayant remport茅 la comp茅tition entrepreneuriale de l鈥檃nn茅e pr茅c茅dente, organis茅e par GENIAL et commandit茅e par le groupe Desjardins, qui avait contribu茅 plus de 775鈥�000聽$ 脿 cette initiative ainsi qu鈥櫭犅爈鈥檌nitiative ELLA de YSpace 鈥� qui est consacr茅e aux femmes entrepreneures 颅鈥�, afin de renforcer ces deux acc茅l茅rateurs. Ce don a permis non seulement de r茅pondre aux besoins en infrastructure de l鈥檌ncubateur GENIAL et de son programme Passeport Comp茅tences entrepreneuriales (PCE), mais aussi de fournir des ressources pour la composante d鈥櫭ヾucation exp茅rientielle des cours, notamment pour la cr茅ation d鈥檈ntreprises 脿 vocation sociale, ainsi que pour le cours sur les projets d鈥檈ntrepreneuriat. De plus, il a permis d鈥檃jouter des modules au programme PCE et de fournir un financement d鈥檃mor莽age aux 茅tudiant飧眅飧眘 entrepreneur飧眅飧眘.

芦聽Nous avons pu passer 脿 la vitesse sup茅rieure聽禄, d茅clare Angelo Dossou-Yovo, professeur agr茅g茅 de gestion et d鈥檈ntrepreneuriat et fondateur de l鈥檌nitiative GENIAL en 2017. 脌 ce jour, 64聽茅tudiantes et 茅tudiants ont acquis des connaissances en entrepreneuriat gr芒ce au programme PCE.

Cette ann茅e encore, la comp茅tition du 26 septembre offrira aux 茅tudiantes et 茅tudiants d茅sireux de d茅velopper leur esprit d鈥檈ntrepreneuriat la possibilit茅 de pr茅senter leur projet et d鈥檕btenir un financement d鈥檃mor莽age. 

脌 son arriv茅e 脿 Glendon, M. Dossou-Yovo enseignait le commerce dans le cadre du programme de double dipl么me en quatre ans du coll猫ge universitaire, qui donne aux 茅tudiant飧眅飧眘 la possibilit茅 de combiner deux ann茅es d鈥櫭﹖udes 脿 Glendon avec deux ann茅es 脿 l鈥櫭塩ole de commerce emlyon en France afin d鈥檕btenir un baccalaur茅at international 猫s arts (i.B.A.) en 茅tudes internationales et un baccalaur茅at en administration des affaires (B.A.A.).

Cependant, quand il a r茅alis茅 l鈥檈ngouement des jeunes universitaires pour le d茅veloppement de comp茅tences entrepreneuriales, il a souhait茅 lancer un projet unique en son genre pour la population francophone et bilingue.

芦 Dans le cadre de cette initiative, nous tentons de d茅velopper un esprit d鈥檈ntreprise en nous concentrant sur les premi猫res 茅tapes du cycle de vie d鈥檜ne entreprise. Nous examinons les moyens de d茅finir et de d茅velopper des occasions d鈥檃ffaires, c鈥檈st-脿-dire savoir si un projet vaut la peine qu鈥檕n y consacre du temps, de l鈥檃rgent et des ressources 脿 long terme. Tout commence par la r茅solution de probl猫mes, la recherche, l鈥櫭﹙aluation et la validation de possibilit茅s commerciales pour maximiser les chances de r茅ussite 禄, explique M. Dossou-Yovo.

芦 Nous aidons les entrepreneur飧眅飧眘 en herbe et les personnes int茅ress茅es par l鈥檈ntrepreneuriat 脿 d茅velopper des comp茅tences entrepreneuriales qu鈥檈lles pourront exploiter plus tard, soit pour cr茅er une entreprise, soit pour chercher un emploi dans des organisations o霉 les comp茅tences entrepreneuriales sont n茅cessaires. 禄

Gr芒ce au programme Passeport Comp茅tences entrepreneuriales de 15 semaines propos茅es dans le cadre du projet GENIAL, Mme Cooper-Saint-Cyr a pu d茅velopper les comp茅tences n茅cessaires pour cr茅er sa propre entreprise de traduction. Cela s鈥檈st fait bien bien plus t么t que pr茅vu. Bien qu鈥檈lle n鈥檃it pas de formation commerciale, elle s鈥檈st sentie au bon endroit.

芦 J鈥檃i re莽u beaucoup d鈥檃ide tout au long du processus. Je n鈥檃i jamais remis mon choix en question parce que j鈥檃i continu茅 脿 recevoir le support n茅cessaire, ce qui 茅tait formidable. Quand on s鈥檈ngage dans un tel programme, on veut avoir l鈥檌mpression d鈥櫭猼re sur un pied d鈥櫭ゞalit茅 et d鈥檃pprendre au m锚me rythme que tout le monde. 禄

La derni猫re 茅tape, la comp茅tition 芦 pitch publique 禄, permet aux jeunes entrepreneurs et entrepreneures d鈥檃pprendre 脿 pr茅senter les atouts de leur entreprise aupr猫s de futurs partenaires, dans l鈥檈spoir d鈥檕btenir un financement pour en acc茅l茅rer le d茅veloppement.

M锚me si Mme Cooper-Saint-Cyr ne savait pas trop 脿 quoi s鈥檃ttendre lorsqu鈥檈lle a commenc茅, elle affirme que les r茅sultats ont d茅pass茅 toutes ses esp茅rances. Au bout de quelques mois seulement 鈥� avec quelques interruptions pour se consacrer 脿 ses 茅tudes 鈥�, elle a fond茅 son entreprise et obtenu plusieurs contrats.

芦 C鈥櫭﹖ait incroyable. Ils s鈥檡 prennent tr猫s bien et ils savent quand il faut pousser et quand on peut prendre un peu de recul. Ils nous aident 脿 continuer d鈥檃vancer quand on a des doutes. 禄

Mme Cooper-Saint-Cyr cherche maintenant 脿 d茅velopper son entreprise et 脿 bonifier son offre de services.

芦 Je pense, d茅clare M. Dossou-Yovo, que c鈥檈st un bel exemple de r茅ussite qui n鈥檃urait pas 茅t茅 possible sans l鈥檃cc猫s 脿 l鈥檌nitiative GENIAL durant ses 茅tudes 脿 Glendon. 禄

C鈥檈st aussi une autre fa莽on pour des organisations comme Desjardins d鈥檃ider 91亚色 脿 susciter des changements positifs aujourd鈥檋ui et 脿 l鈥檃venir.

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Women continue to face barriers in entrepreneurship, with .

To address this issue, the Canadian government has introduced the . This strategy seeks to address the gender gap and biases in the Canadian venture capital system.

However, our understanding of the challenges women face in the startup ecosystem is limited. Past research has focused on overt .

This view overlooks the existence of more subtle, yet pervasive and socially acceptable, sexist attitudes that often go unnoticed. , from investors to suppliers to job applicants, the effects of these subtle forms of sexism can accumulate across a large and diverse group of decision-makers.

For initiatives tackling gender inequality in entrepreneurship to be effective, we must gain a deeper understanding of the effects of these subtle biases faced by women entrepreneurs.

Benevolent sexism in entrepreneurship

 is a form of bias that, on the surface, appears to be positive toward women, but ultimately reinforces gender roles and entrenches inequality.

Unlike overtly hostile forms of discrimination, benevolent sexism manifests in seemingly harmless beliefs. This type of sexism often portrays women as delicate or in need of protection, while men are positioned as the providers and protectors.

Because benevolent sexism is often expressed in ways that seem positive, it is rarely challenged by either men or women. It can serve to maintain traditional gender dynamics by creating the illusion of support for women while still restricting their autonomy.

In particular, research shows that benevolent sexism . The startup ecosystem is particularly fertile ground for this kind of sexism to manifest and worsen over time.

Since , startup evaluators are careful not to act on overt sexist attitudes. This, in turn, gives room for more subtle forms of bias to emerge.

Benevolent sexism advantages men

Our  examined how benevolent sexism affects how evaluators judge woman- and man-led startups.

Initially, we theorized that startup evaluators with benevolent sexist views would more likely to rate women-led startups as less viable (i.e., more likely to fail). We did not expect their evaluation of men鈥檚 startups to be affected at all.

To test this hypothesis, we conducted three studies where participants were tasked with evaluating a hypothetical early-stage startup founded by either a man or a woman. Both entrepreneurs in our scenarios had identical qualifications and startup ideas.

The results from all three studies found that the more evaluators endorsed benevolent sexist beliefs, the more positively they judged men-led startups. There was no impact on the evaluation of women-led startups. This finding was the same, regardless of whether the evaluators themselves were men or women, in two out of the three studies.

Addressing unwarranted advantages

Our findings call for a fundamental rethinking of what attaining true equity entails. It is not enough to remove the unfair barriers holding women back; we also need to confront the unfair privileges propelling men forward.

This suggests that common solutions for addressing gender inequities are not sufficient. They mostly focus on barriers that women face, while ignoring the unwarranted advantages afforded to men. Such common solutions include focus on .

To effectively address the gender gap in entrepreneurship, we need to raise awareness about the hidden effects of benevolent sexism. This could be done through education and training of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. Such interventions could communicate to these stakeholders that while benevolent sexism seems positive it is actually harmful.

Further, we need to redesign the startup evaluation process. The current ambiguous and unstructured conditions of startups allow subtle biases to emerge.

To address this issue, we need clearly defined and transparent criteria for evaluating startups. Indeed, past research shows that creating  are critical for reducing biased decision-making.

Fix the system, not women

Our research challenges traditional interventions that solely address overt sexist attitudes towards women. Many interventions suggest that women need to change.

For example, women are advised to . They are also advised to venture into more .

Such advice overlooks the advantages men receive. As our research demonstrates, even when women have identical qualifications and ideas, men-led startups are seen as more promising. Moreover, well-intended initiatives designed to address gender gaps in entrepreneurship may .

This calls . We need to address gender inequity by examining and changing evaluators鈥� attitudes and behaviours, as opposed to encouraging women to change.

Co-written by Ivona Hideg, associate professor and Ann Brown Chair in organization studies, 91亚色 University, Nhu Nguyen, PhD candidate, McGill University, Frederic Godart, associate professor INSEAD, and Yuval Engel, associate professor of entrepreunership, University of Amsterdam.

This article is republished from .

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TORONTO, Feb. 15, 2024 鈥� 91亚色 and the Treefrog Accelerator have partnered with (91亚色 Region) to give businesses led by international talent and women entrepreneurs a JumpSTART in 91亚色 Region with .

91亚色 Regional Council has committed $1.08 million in funding from the 91亚色 Region Innovation Investment Fund over three years for Project JumpSTART to continue strengthening 91亚色 Region鈥檚 business economy through fostering innovation with a focus on international and women-led tech entrepreneurs.

"Economic vitality remains a  for 91亚色 Regional Council and it is integral our local businesses have resources to help them succeed,鈥� said 91亚色 Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. "Additional funding provided through 91亚色 Region鈥檚 Innovation Fund will empower growing businesses, attract international entrepreneurs and support foreign direct investment, strengthening 91亚色 Region as a thriving hub for talent and opportunity.鈥�

Project JumpSTART is a partnership between 91亚色鈥檚 YSpace, the and the . The Towns of East Gwillimbury, Georgina and Newmarket are also collaborators in this initiative.

鈥淭his initiative builds on 91亚色鈥檚 long-standing partnership with 91亚色 Region to combine skills, knowledge and resources to support and bring new small businesses, innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers as well as economic prosperity to the region,鈥� says 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. 鈥淲ith just over 17 per cent of Canadian businesses owned by women in the private sector, JumpSTART will bring much needed support for women entrepreneurs, help reduce the notable gender disparities in Canada鈥檚 entrepreneurial ecosystem and help to attract international entrepreneurs to choose 91亚色 Region.鈥�

Project JumpSTART will leverage the funding to expand 91亚色鈥檚 YSpace ELLA Program and Treefrog Inc.鈥檚 , to achieve the following:

• Increase local employment and economic growth by attracting new innovation and tech-centric businesses to establish operations in 91亚色 Region
• Promote equity and diversity in entrepreneurship by supporting international and female-founders to settle locally
• Expand business and entrepreneurship guidance, resources and increase innovation support capacity for the northern six municipalities, a historically underserved area of 91亚色 Region, operating out of hubs at the Treefrog Accelerator, YSpace Georgina and YSpace Markham
• Continued focus on foreign direct investment and soft-landing for technology businesses and entrepreneurs

Participants will have access to workshops and mentorship opportunities as well as the potential for specialized training through the , in addition to insights from Schulich-prepared market readiness reports that will help ease the transition into the region. Women in particular can tap into networking and collaboration opportunities.

YSpace is a pan-91亚色 innovation hub that supports startups and entrepreneurs with some 784 technology, food and beverage, women-led and Black-led ventures supported. YSpace businesses have generated $205 million in revenue, created 1,302 jobs and 1,092 work integrated opportunities since 2018.

Accelerate Newmarket is a consortium of the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce, Schulich School of Business, YSpace and Treefrog Inc. Through this partnership from 2021 to 2023, the Treefrog Accelerator, through Accelerate Newmarket has supported 370 ventures which have collectively raised more than $30 million.

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91亚色 program helps local businesses scale up into mass retail chains

TORONTO, August 21, 2020 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 food accelerator program is the first of its kind in Ontario to help Canadian business owners with products in market scale up rapidly, giving them a much-needed jumpstart in a food industry challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Isabelle Lam and Jamie Lee are co-founders of Remix, one of eight companies in 91亚色's food accelerator program.

The kicks off this month with eight companies 鈥� six of them led by women. Participation in the program is also diverse, with six of the companies led by visible minorities.

The program is led by 91亚色鈥檚 , a Markham-based community innovation hub designed to bring together entrepreneurs and community builders, and is a partnership with The Regional Municipality of 91亚色 and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The accelerator program is funded through a $106,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, along with funding from 91亚色 Region, the 91亚色 Region Entrepreneur and Innovation Fund, through ventureLAB, and the cities of Vaughan and Markham.

鈥淭he need for our Food and Beverage Accelerator Program is greater than ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� says David Kwok, associate director of entrepreneurship at Innovation 91亚色 and YSpace. 鈥淏usiness owners are concerned about smaller retailers closing their doors for good, supply chain delays and the increasing cost of operating production facilities and research development labs because of requirements like personal protective equipment and redesigned workstations.鈥�

The five-month program helps founders of consumer-packaged goods accelerate their sales, scale up and launch new products. The program provides expert mentorship, peer-to-peer circles and weekly virtual workshops to give founders the tools, skills and connections to grow and thrive. Workshop topics include strategic planning, pricing strategies, sales and marketing, operations and expansion, and Canadian regulations for product packaging.

, one of the companies in the program, makes dark chocolate bark snacks using plant-based protein and upcycled fruit 鈥� those fruits considered imperfect because they don't meet the cosmetic standards of grocery stores. The company is believed to be the first and only Canadian company with a recipe to incorporate beans and upcycled fruit together in snacks.

鈥淪ampling our snacks and demos is one of our main strategies in increasing brand awareness and customer acquisition, but due to COVID-19, that is no longer possible,鈥� says Isabelle Lam, who co-founded Remix along with Jamie Lee.

鈥淎s well, many of our retailers had to close down, resulting in a dramatic decrease in our main revenue generating stream. However, with all these challenges, we mustered up the dedication and perseverance to focus, pivot, re-strategize and implement new ideas to our company in ways we hadn't thought of before.鈥�

Lam and Lee, who grew up in Markham to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, says they are defying the conventional image of start-up founders.

鈥淏eing a visible minority, we observed that not a lot of other women of colour like us were leading companies in the food industry,鈥� says Lam, who had a successful pitch on CBC鈥檚 Dragon鈥檚 Den when she appeared with her business partner last year.

The 91亚色 Region Food and Beverage Accelerator supports Canada鈥檚 food and beverage processing industry, the second largest manufacturing industry in the country in terms of value of production with the sales of goods manufactured worth $117.8聽billion. The program also directly and indirectly benefits the agri-food sector including farms and food processing facilities.

鈥淭he food and beverage industry is a key driver to Canada鈥檚 economy and this program helps high-potential food and beverage ventures launch new products and scale into mass retail,鈥� says 91亚色鈥檚 Vice-President Research & Innovation Amir Asif. 鈥�91亚色 is committed to creating positive change for our students, our communities, and the world around us. Collaborating with the community on programs like this are a priority for 91亚色 as we deepen our presence in the region and construct the new Markham Centre Campus.鈥�

In 91亚色 Region alone, the agri-food sector contributes $2.7 billion to the economy.

鈥�91亚色 Region is home to a vibrant agri-food sector that plays a fundamental role in our local economy,鈥� said 91亚色 Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. 鈥淏eing able to support the development of the program and continuing our partnership with 91亚色 helps local and Canadian food companies scale their businesses and continues to demonstrate that 91亚色 Region is a leading hub for innovation in Canada.鈥�

In addition to Remix, the seven other companies in the program are:

聽鈥� Vegan Jamaican patties with clean ingredients led by a 91亚色 alumna.
鈥� Dairy-alternative, plant-based cheese and butter.
鈥� Dehydrated vegan meals in 100 per cent compostable packaging.
聽鈥� Asian-inspired energy bites with high fibre and natural sweetness.
鈥� A paleo, gluten-free bakery specializing in allergen friendly baked goods.
聽鈥� Vegan oat drink with zero grams of sugar and no dairy.
聽鈥� Grain-free, sugar-free and low-carb buns co-founded by a 91亚色 alumna.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452,聽media@yorku.ca

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TORONTO, February 27, 2020 鈥� A federally-funded program tailored to give 54 women entrepreneurs from 91亚色 Region and the Greater Toronto Area the tools and connections needed to grow their businesses will launch at an event next Tuesday, March 3.

91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton will be joined by the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and Member of Parliament for Markham鈥揟hornhill, along with many of the 54 women business owners who are participants in the program. The launch event will showcase how the program will help women entrepreneurs.

WHAT: ELLA launch and funding announcement

WHEN: Tuesday, March 3 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Second Student Centre, in the second-floor conference centre, at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus (see #102 on this聽).

SPEAKERS:

Rhonda L. Lenton, 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor

Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and Member of Parliament for Markham鈥揟hornhill

Jenise Lee, Founder of PurPicks and CertClean, 91亚色 alumna (MBA 鈥�12)

Sarah Howe, Director of Innovation 91亚色

NOTE:

Program participants available for media interviews include a Woodbridge woman who created a mobile app to help students find jobs, a Vaughan resident who invented a unique shower cap, and a Markham woman who set up a non-profit for ALS research.

Members of the media should RSVP to the contact below.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452,聽vthomps@yorku.ca

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91亚色鈥檚 LaunchYU program recognizes Markham-based company

TORONTO, January 20, 2020 鈥� A startup bio-technology company that has found an innovative way to boost the quality of production in various industries, from paint and textile to winemaking and water filtration, has taken the top prize in an annual competition for entrepreneurs.

was one of three finalist teams, whose founder was a graduate of 91亚色鈥檚 program led by Innovation 91亚色.

A panel of judges were tasked with choosing the venture with the highest potential for commercial success and judged each team on their ability to take their venture to market and scale. The winner receives the $25,000 Aird & Berlis StartupSource Market Entry Award, including $12,500 cash and an equal amount in legal services from Aird & Berlis StartupSource legal services.

From left: Aird & Berlis partner Randy Williamson with Nicholas Ledra of BIOSA Technologies, Tony Sabeta of Aird & McBurney and Graham Topa of Aird & Berlis.

BIOSA Technologies was founded by Nicholas Ledra, who grew up in Markham and came from five generations of entrepreneurs. While creating a business was initially far from his mind, he eventually realized it was a natural calling for him.

Ledra鈥檚 company has found a way to optimize enzymes. Different industries use various types of enzymes, including food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies, but enzymes have limited shelf life and need to be frozen in order to be kept longer and then thawed. While many enzymes fail to survive this expensive process, BIOSA Technologies uses a technology which stabilizes the enzymes, resulting in a shelf life lasting more than one year and no requirement of freezing.

Since 2016, BIOSA Technologies has had successful experimental trials and collaboration with industrial and educational partners where their technology was used to extend the shelf life and efficacy of modified enzymes.

The Aird & Berlis StartupSource Market Entry Award was created by the Toronto legal firm in 2017, along with Partner Randy Williamson, who is a 91亚色 alumnus and a member of 91亚色鈥檚 Board of Governors. He previously chaired 91亚色鈥檚 Pension Fund Board and the Endowment and Treasury Funds鈥� Investment Committee, along with chairing the 91亚色 Alumni Board.

Williamson is being honoured with Innovation 91亚色鈥檚 inaugural Partner of the Year Award which recognizes the outstanding contributions of an individual or organization to Innovation 91亚色 and the growth of innovation at the university.

鈥淲e worked with 91亚色 to create the Aird & Berlis StartupSource Market Entry Award precisely to acknowledge companies like BIOSA, and 91亚色`s support for entrepreneurs like Nicholas Ledra,鈥� said Williamson. 鈥淣ick and his team at BIOSA are ready to make a significant mark in their industry, and we鈥檙e delighted that the cash award and our ongoing legal support will help them do it. 91亚色 has been a wonderful partner to work with these last three years and I鈥檓 honoured to receive Innovation 91亚色鈥檚 first Partner of the Year award on behalf of my colleagues at Aird & Berlis LLP.鈥�

Innovation 91亚色鈥檚 LaunchYU supports entrepreneurs at different stages of growth. Since it was started in late 2014, it has supported more than 250 ventures and hundreds of entrepreneurs. LaunchYU ventures have raised more than $12.5 million in funding and have generated more than $3 million in revenue.

LaunchYU鈥檚 Accelerator program is designed to help high-potential entrepreneurs build, launch, and scale their for-profit and non-profit ventures. The Accelerator training program is four months focused on product-market fit, pitching, go-to-market strategy, financing and fundraising. The entrepreneurs participate in bootcamps, workshops and InFounders Mastermind sessions with feedback from investors.

鈥淏IOSA Technologies was chosen as the winner of this award because of its solid market traction and the high number of possible applications related to enzyme stabilization is massive,鈥� said 91亚色鈥檚 interim vice-president of research & innovation, Rui Wang. 鈥淚t is gratifying to see entrepreneurs taking Innovation 91亚色鈥檚 LaunchYU program, testing their ideas out and working to take them to market.鈥�

The other two finalists in this year鈥檚 competition were Ayd Cares and SUKU Vitamins.

helps more Canadians live independently with dignity and respect. This company offers in-home seniors care to those on the wait lists of retirement homes. Their unique platform allows retirement homes to serve a larger market and support seniors in need.

is a health and wellness company offering an innovative line of supplements. Their company strives to innovate and provide the best products in terms of quality, efficacy and safety, which includes sugar-free, alcohol free, and plant-based vitamins.

This year鈥檚 competition was judged by a four-member panel including: Snita Balsara, investor with MaRS IAF and StandUp Ventures; Trevor Coleman, co-founder of InteraXon / Muse; Sunny Verma, founder of TutorBright; and Sharon Vinderine, founder & CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452,聽vthomps@yorku.ca

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