Looking for some entrepreneurial inspiration? See why you should start your business here in Durham!

Tuesday, June 25
Regent Theatre, Oshawa at 5:00pm

Join us at the Ignite Finale 2013 to hear CBC Dragon, Bruce Croxon, and other members of our Power Panel, keynote speaker and international bestseller Tim Ferriss, as well as the start-up Ignite Finalists!

You’ll start your evening with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the outdoor lounge beside the Regent Theatre at 5:00pm, and follow that with the formal Ignite Finale program. At 7:00pm the outdoor space will change gears and turn into a Street Party, complete with a converted boxcar-to-bar dubbed the “Ice Box” Social Media Lounge. (Sponsored by 360Incentives, Construct Durham Corporation, Kleurvision and Search Engine People.)

Your ticket gets you a complimentary drink, local gourmet food from The Patty Shack, Buster Rhinos and The Table, DJ and entertainment, plus a FREE copy of Tim Ferriss’ latest inspiration for entrepreneurs, “The Four-Hour Chef”. Tickets are selling fast – buy your ticket to the networking event of the year today!

Tickets: $45 general admission / $60 door includes FREE BOOK!

SUMMER COMPANY – CALLING ALL YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS!

The Summer Company program is open to all Ontario students between 15 and 29, who are returning to school in the fall. The program is 8 – 12 weeks long and allows students to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams with the financial assistance of the Ontario government. Students can receive up to $1,500 at the start and up to $1,500 on the successful completion of the program. The Summer Company program provides practical hands-on training, mentoring and the essential skills to learn to run their business. The Summer Company program is funded by the Ontario government and in Durham, the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD) manages this program. This successful program started in 2001 and has supported close to 2500 students and 99% of past participants would recommend the program to their friends!

Application deadline May 17th, 2013 or when program reaches capacity.

Summer Company Information sessions here at BACD offices:
Mar 19th, April 9th & 23rd, May 7th & 14th

Register online at www.bacd.ca.  To learn more and apply, visit www.ontario.ca/summercompany

For more information on the program and it’s requirements contact:
Ryan Ounjian, Summer Company Program Coordinator (905) 668-4949 or rounjian@bacd.ca

Northumberland CFDC and Spark Centre are pleased to announce the first two members of the N100 Power Panel.

Our first Power Panelist has over 40 years of experience in innovation and commercialization: Pauline Walsh (BA, MA Physics – Cambridge, Masters in Management Science – MIT Sloan School of Management) is currently Industrial Technology Advisor with Canada’s National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Throughout her career, Pauline has worked in R&D, management consulting, and entrepreneurial development. Her areas of expertise range from physics (optics, photonics) to software development to manufacturing. Previously with Metarq Consulting, the University of Toronto and McKinsey & Company, Pauline has extensive experience in supporting the strategic development of hi-tech startups and in managing intellectual property, inventions and disclosures. At NRC-IRAP, Pauline works with Canada’s advanced manufacturers to accelerate the growth of their business through technology innovation. Her office is co-located with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto.

Our second Power Panelist is a business law partner in Gowlings’ Toronto office and a coordinator of the Cleantech practice: David Pamenter has more than 30 years of experience in technology law, business and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance issues and private corporate finance. David advises a wide spectrum of domestic and international clients, including development stage clients, on matters of both a day-to-day and a strategic nature. He has acted as legal counsel on a diverse range of transactions from acquisitions to dispositions, including licensing and other technology issues for science-based enterprises as well as for companies in traditional manufacturing and distribution industries. David is co-chair of the International Trade Subcommittee of the International Business Law Committee and chair of the International Transactions Committee of the Mid-Market Committee, Business Law Section, American Bar Association. Designated an Institute-certified director, ICD.D, David is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. David is a founding member of Cleantech North, a group of concerned service providers working collaboratively to mentor Canadian Cleantech companies. He sits on the Business Incubator Management Advisory Committee (BIMAC) of Northumberland’s business incubator, IdeaHub, located in the Municipality of Port Hope where he also serves as a Director of Friends of Music.

N100 is pleased to welcome Pauline Walsh and David Pamenter to the N100 Power Panel.

To apply go to: http://n100.ca/registration/

Applications open for 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award – $100,000 Grand Prize

If you’re a young business owner looking for resources to finance your company’s growth, we have a contest for you. The Business Development Bank of Canada is accepting applications for the 2013 edition of the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award. Canadian business owners aged 18 to 35 now have a chance to win a $100,000 Grand Prize and a second prize of $25,000 in consulting services. To enter the contest, participants must create a short video to present a turning point their company has reached and the solution they propose to take their business to the next level. The deadline for receiving applications is April 2, 2013, at noon Eastern Daylight Time. More details about the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award application process are available at bdc.ca.

Business Development Bank of Canada | Calling Canada’s young entrepreneurs to compete for $100,000 Grand Prize

Applications must be filled out and submitted before April 2, 2013. More information about 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award eligibility criteria, the application process, the rules and regulations and the format of the video submissions is available on the contest’s microsite: http://www.bdcyoungentrepreneuraward.ca/

About the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest:  Created by the Business Development Bank of Canada in 1988, the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest pays tribute to remarkable Canadian entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years of age. Eleven finalists — one for each province and one for the combined territories — are short-listed to compete for a $100,000 Grand Prize. The winners are selected by public vote and a second prize of $25,000 in consulting services is awarded to the contest runner-up. www.bdc.ca/yea

Tickets now available. Reserve your seat today!

Join us for a celebration of entrepreneurship in Durham Region following the 6-month Ignite Durham journey!

When: Evening, Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Where: Regent Theatre, Oshawa

Featuring:

Keynote Speaker Tim Ferris
Tim Ferriss, “lifestyle design” guru, author of The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4-Hour Chef is an entrepreneur, investor and kickboxer.

The Ignite Journey: Short Film
102 entrepreneurs applied for Ignite in January 2013. Don’t miss the full story of this entrepreneurial journey as we move from 30 companies at Pitch Night to the five Finalists, and ultimately the top two Ignite Start-ups. Then, see how the real work begins as the two Ignite Start-ups begin their 4-month boot camp to accelerate their business.

Q & A with the Ignite Power Panel
Hear some of Canada’s best entrepreneurs in a lively discussion.

Tickets:
$45 general / $25 student includes a free book: The 4-Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss.
$100 VIP pass includes private reception with the Ignite Power Panel and more!

Proceeds support innovation and entrepreneurship in Durham Region through Ignite. Spark Centre is a not-for-profit organization that helps innovative companies start, grow and succeed.