Innovation 91��ɫ Archives - News@91��ɫ

Financial tech startup goPeer wins top prize in 91��ɫ’s LaunchYU Accelerator program

roshanp — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:50:05 +0000

TORONTO, September 29, 2020 – A financial technology startup that makes non-traditional lending accessible on a peer-to-peer platform has won the top prize in 91��ɫ’s program this year.

As the first prize winner, will receive the $25,000 Aird & Berlis StartupSource Market Entry Award that includes $12,500 in cash and an equal amount in Aird & Berlis LLP legal services. It will also receive a $10,000 LaunchYU Accelerator Award.

Randy Williamson, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP, and Marc-Antoine Caya, goPeer co-founder (right).

“Aird & Berlis has been delighted to sponsor the LaunchYU Accelerator program for the last four years. As a firm, we know we will succeed if new businesses can develop to their full potential. And that potential needs support,” said Randy Williamson, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP, who is also a 91��ɫ alumnus and a member of the Board of Governors. “If we can help these businesses set up effective business structures and relationships among their owners, investors, and business counterparts, it will allow these great entrepreneurs to focus on building their business’s products and customers. By providing legal services and funding, we help play a small role in their success.”

Innovation 91��ɫ’s LaunchYU Accelerator program supports entrepreneurs at different stages of growth. It assists emerging entrepreneurs through dedicated workshops with hands-on experience, one-on-one mentorship, investor office hours, and various networking resources.

“At 91��ɫ, we are committed to encouraging and supporting motivated, emerging entrepreneurs who have innovative approaches to creating products and services that make an impact in their local communities and around the world,” said Sarah Howe, assistant vice-president, Innovation & Research Partnerships. “Partnering with organizations such as Aird & Berlis, we are able to meaningfully support promising entrepreneurial ventures and see them succeed.”

Since it was started in late 2014, LaunchYU has supported more than 320 ventures and hundreds of entrepreneurs. These ventures have raised more than $18 million in funding and have generated over $3.6 million in revenues.

This year’s program included 14 participants, who have created entrepreneurial ventures from a social app for post-secondary students to an AI and quantum computing based platform that taps wireless market.

Founders of goPeer were among the five finalists who showcased the viability of their businesses, pitching to a panel of judges, private investors, and partners, which concluded the four-month accelerator program.

“As a financial technology company, goPeer is built on trust, and winning this prize is a great validation from respected members of the startup community. We look forward to working with the teams at Innovation 91��ɫ and Aird & Berlis to achieve our goal of helping individuals to attain financial wellness,” said Marc-Antoine Caya, goPeer co-founder.

, a biotherapeutics company that has patented an anti-infective therapy to help immunocompromised patients placed second. The third place went to , a social enterprise mobile app that facilitates employers and employees to access the gig economy, online. Both ventures will receive a LaunchYU Accelerator Award of $10,000.

This year’s judging panel included Snita Balsara, Investment Manager at MaRS IAF & StartUP Ventures; Susan Sim, Digital Specialist at McKinsey & Company; and Althea Wishloff at Panache Ventures.

91��ɫ 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��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ 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��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, 91��ɫ, 647 463 4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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Food accelerator program gives entrepreneurs a boost during COVID-19

roshanp — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 12:12:38 +0000

91��ɫ program helps local businesses scale up into mass retail chains

TORONTO, August 21, 2020 – 91��ɫ’s 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��ɫ's food accelerator program.

The kicks off this month with eight companies – 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��ɫ’s , a Markham-based community innovation hub designed to bring together entrepreneurs and community builders, and is a partnership with The Regional Municipality of 91��ɫ 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��ɫ Region, the 91��ɫ Region Entrepreneur and Innovation Fund, through ventureLAB, and the cities of Vaughan and Markham.

“The need for our Food and Beverage Accelerator Program is greater than ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says David Kwok, associate director of entrepreneurship at Innovation 91��ɫ and YSpace. “Business 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.”

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 – 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.

“Sampling 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,” says Isabelle Lam, who co-founded Remix along with Jamie Lee.

“As 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.”

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.

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

The 91��ɫ Region Food and Beverage Accelerator supports Canada’s 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 billion. The program also directly and indirectly benefits the agri-food sector including farms and food processing facilities.

“The food and beverage industry is a key driver to Canada’s economy and this program helps high-potential food and beverage ventures launch new products and scale into mass retail,” says 91��ɫ’s Vice-President Research & Innovation Amir Asif. “91��ɫ 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��ɫ as we deepen our presence in the region and construct the new Markham Centre Campus.”

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

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

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

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

91��ɫ 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��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, media@yorku.ca

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Trade Minister launches $1.8 M women entrepreneurship program

roshanp — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:34:14 +0000

91��ɫ’s ELLA program kicks off in advance of International Women’s Day

TORONTO, March 3, 2020 – An accelerator program supporting 54 women entrepreneurs from 91��ɫ Region and the Greater Toronto Area is being unveiled at a launch event tonight featuring Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Ng.

(Entrepreneurial Leadership & Learning Alliance) – a program created by women, for women – starts tonight, just days before on March 8.

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and Member of Parliament for Markham–Thornhill, is speaking at the event, along with 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton and Jenise Lee, Founder of PurPicks and CertClean who is a 91��ɫ alumna.

Many of the 54 women entrepreneurs in ELLA are attending the kick-off event for the program, which supports existing women entrepreneurs by providing them with one-on-one mentoring with top entrepreneurs, hands-on workshops, leadership training, and a community of experts, peers and supporters.

The federal government is providing $1.8 million in funding for ELLA, led by 91��ɫ’s , in partnership with the small business enterprise centres of Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and 91��ɫ Region. The program will also have several corporate partners; Shopify has signed on as the premier partner in support of ELLA.

“Initiatives like 91��ɫ’s ELLA program help women entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to start and grow their businesses,” said Ng. “Our government is also working to advance these goals through Canada’s first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. Together, we will ensure women-led businesses in the 91��ɫ region – and across the country – have access to the supports they need to start up, scale up, and access new markets.”

Launching ELLA during the same week as International Women’s Day is fitting, given the global need for opportunities and conditions for women to thrive and succeed.

“The ELLA program for women business owners is an example of 91��ɫ’s focus on new educational approaches – like entrepreneurship and work-integrated learning – that equip our graduates to thrive in the competitive global knowledge economy,” said Lenton. “It is especially important that we give women access to the skills, supports and tools needed to build their businesses as part of our work to build a more gender-equal world.”

The ten-month training and support program is tailored to help the 54 women who are participating to accelerate their business growth. They will be given access to a network of other women founders, top experts, mentors and supporters. Tonight’s event marks the first time that the participants are in one room, along with supporters.

In Canada, women entrepreneurs account for only 16 per cent of business owners. For Sarah Howe, Director of Innovation 91��ɫ, the statistics are evidence that women business owners need to be supported. ELLA is especially targeted to women entrepreneurs in 91��ɫ Region because the community is considered underserved, given the region’s large geographically-disbursed population, with some rural and remote areas.

Each of the 54 women entrepreneurs owns 50 per cent or more of their business, has a business with sales and initial traction, and lives in 91��ɫ Region or can travel to 91��ɫ Region for the training and workshops.

“This program is meant for women founders who are ready to hustle and grow their business,” explained Howe. “These women will get access to a community of other women founders, mentor and experts who can give them solid business advice and more connections, everyone from better suppliers to more investors.”

When 91��ɫ alumna Stephanie Florio and her brother realized that students were still applying to jobs by printing a stack of resumes and walking around the mall to hand them out store by store, it sparked an idea.

Florio co-founded , a mobile recruitment app believed to be the first-of-its-kind to help students find part-time, seasonal and entry-level jobs more easily. It also makes the hiring process more efficient for employers.

“The app has similar functionality to Tinder. Once job seekers create their profiles, they swipe right to apply to jobs and swipe left to ignore jobs,” said Florio, a 30-year-old Woodbridge resident. “I joined ELLA to continue to learn and grow my business.”

Another participant is Zuly Matallana, owner of TIARA Bliss Inc. The Vaughan woman created , a reinvented, patented shower cap that blocks water and humidity. She’s had a successful pitch on CBC’s Dragon's Den, was chosen as a 2019 gift pick by Good Morning America and is currently developing new products.

Cherrie-Marie Chiu is the executive director of whose not-for-profit foundation was born after her brother Christopher was diagnosed with ALS. An ELLA participant from Markham, Chiu’s charity raises awareness and funds to support ALS research to find a cure.

NOTE: Please direct media interview requests to the contact below. Photographs of the event are available on request.

91��ɫ 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��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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Program for women entrepreneurs to launch before International Women’s Day

roshanp — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 16:39:08 +0000

TORONTO, February 27, 2020 – A federally-funded program tailored to give 54 women entrepreneurs from 91��ɫ 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��ɫ 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–Thornhill, 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��ɫ’s Keele campus (see #102 on this ).

SPEAKERS:

Rhonda L. Lenton, 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor

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

Jenise Lee, Founder of PurPicks and CertClean, 91��ɫ alumna (MBA ’12)

Sarah Howe, Director of Innovation 91��ɫ

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��ɫ 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��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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BIOSA Technologies wins top startup award for entrepreneurs

roshanp — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:03:02 +0000

91��ɫ’s LaunchYU program recognizes Markham-based company

TORONTO, January 20, 2020 – 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��ɫ’s program led by Innovation 91��ɫ.

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’s 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��ɫ alumnus and a member of 91��ɫ’s Board of Governors. He previously chaired 91��ɫ’s Pension Fund Board and the Endowment and Treasury Funds’ Investment Committee, along with chairing the 91��ɫ Alumni Board.

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

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

Innovation 91��ɫ’s 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’s 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.

“BIOSA 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,” said 91��ɫ’s interim vice-president of research & innovation, Rui Wang. “It is gratifying to see entrepreneurs taking Innovation 91��ɫ’s LaunchYU program, testing their ideas out and working to take them to market.”

The other two finalists in this year’s 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’s 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��ɫ 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��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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