FUNCTION AT THE JUNCTION!
FIRST OPEN HOUSE WELCOMES VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE REGION
The Junction – home of Venn Innovation – held its first free workday open house last month and it was a great success!
On Thursday, January 25th, the doors were open to allow innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and tech industry employees/freelancers to work free of charge in our co-working space as well as take advantage of free in-house advice from business and government professionals.
The event wasn’t limited to local people - our newly renovated facility’s first open house attracted people from Saint John and Fredericton who braved the early morning snow and slush to join us for the day!
And as the song goes, ‘ we got by with a little help from our friends 😉’. Special thanks to our colleagues at McInnes Cooper, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada and Opportunities New Brunswick who were on hand to share their knowledge and expertise with our visitors - they really helped make the day a success!
Venn Innovation and its incubator participants sincerely thank Patrick K. (Kerr) (McInnes Cooper), Kathie Ouellette and Lisa Cormier (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada) and Mathieu Bourque, Olivia Steeves, Carolyn Connors and DAMILOLA Ajibade (Opportunities New Brunswick). You're great!
And like any gathering in our region, no matter how much work gets done, eventually everyone networks around coffee and makes it a kitchen party (one of the perks of our space - a machine that churns out fancy beverages!).
Turnkey offices, hotdesks and coworking space is still available with discounts!
Email info@venninnovation.com or call (506) 866-6659
for more information.
And stay tuned - our next Open House is scheduled for
Leap Day - Thursday, February 29th!
VENN INNOVATION welcomes
THE GREATER MONCTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AS a new MEMBER!
The Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) is now a community partner with Venn Innovation!
”We’re very happy to welcome the Chamber as our newest community partner,” says Doug Robertson, Venn’s CEO. “They share our goal of diversifying and strengthening our region’s economic base - Venn through the technology and innovation sector, the Chamber more broadly - and both organizations value networking, collaboration, and the building and supporting of our business communities. It’s a great fit.”
While staff from both organizations have often attended each other's events, this step promises enhanced opportunities for networking and building relationships. “The Chamber partnership allows us to work closer together to help sustain the growth and dynamism of our economy, supporting founders and startups, growing companies and helping connect the many newcomers to our community.”
As we enter this new partnership, the whole Venn team wants to congratulate and thank Chamber CEO John Wishart for his years of extraordinary service to Greater Moncton and extend a warm welcome to incoming CEO Nadine Fullerton.
February 8, 2024
‘Playing lean’ - GAME DAY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
AT THE JUNCTION
Join the Venn Innovation team at The Junction on Thursday, February 8th for an exciting and fun session on how entrepreneurs can avoid the common pitfalls and mistakes of starting a company without risking their bank account, their ego, or their reputation.
Playing Lean is an entrepreneurship learning tool inf the form of a board game, developed in collaboration with the creator of the Lean Canvas - Ash Maurya - and the author of Testing Business Ideas - Alexander Osterwalder.
This session is an amazing way to learn how to start a successful company that is educational, competitive, and so addictive you'll want to play the game again and again.
Ecosystem builders and startup mentors Brandy Old and Craig Elias will use this innovative tool to help local entrepreneurs, mentors, educators, students, ecosystem builders, and economic developers learn how to launch a successful company. The Playing Lean board game shows participants how to:
Learn and practice lean startup skills
Feel the highs and lows of entrepreneurship
Uncover the truth about commonly-held startup myths
Discover how to improve a startup's odds of success
Understand and develop the mindset of an entrepreneur
Experience the challenges and trade-offs of starting a company
You can attend the morning session (9:30 - 11:30 am) or afternoon session (1:30 - 3:30 pm). Click here to register!
Call or text Brandy Old (+1.825.594.4940) if you have any questions before registering.
P.S. If you want to get a head start learning how to play/win the game, watch this YouTube video.
February 14 - 28, 2024
Rise is offering three free virtual workshops, to be hosted on Zoom, for startups and entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada. Rise is Canada’s only national organization dedicated to empowering individuals with mental health and addiction challenges through entrepreneurship. They provide people who experience employment barriers with a powerful alternative: self-employment. That support includes low-interest loans, no-cost training programs, mentorship and other custom supports.
Feb. 14, 2024 - 12 pm Atlantic Time
Managing Your Business AND Your Mental Health
Maintaining mental health while running a business can be stressful. This 90-minute workshop identifies some pitfalls to avoid and some healthy strategies you can implement to safeguard your mental well-being as a busy business owner. Register here.
Feb. 21, 2024 - 12 pm Atlantic Time
Getting to Know (and Grow) Your Customers
You’ve got a great business idea and are ready to take action. Will customers show up? This 90-minute workshop explores strategies for knowing and understanding your customer base on a deeper level, so they will show up for you! Register here.
Feb. 28, 2024 - 12 pm Atlantic Time
Markets and Pop-ups: Ready, Steady, Grow!
You want to sell at markets or pop-up events but need guidance to start and succeed. This 90-minute workshop will cover practical next steps to get ready, feel steady, and grow your way to market and pop-up success. Register here.
February 29, 2024
FINTECH DRINKS
Fintech Drinks is a collaborative social gathering bringing together the Fintech community. These events are meant to facilitate partnerships and spark new symbiotic relationships with people from all backgrounds.
The theme of this month’s edition of Fintech Drinks is Scaling up through market turmoil and the unpredictable venture landscape.
Join Atlantic Fintech and your colleagues in this dynamic sector for an unforgettable evening as we discuss how fintechs can overcome the current market uncertainty to scale their operations and effectively raise capital.
This in-person event will take place on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 5:00 PM (Atlantic Standard Time) in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the Volta building - 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801.
Don’t miss this great opportunity to share a drink, learn, network and grow! Interested? Register here.
It’s co-op student season!
The Université de Moncton (UdeM) is posting for the upcoming summer 2024 co-op student session!
There are 18 different co-op programs offering talented students, so if your company can take advantage of this opportunity, don't miss out!
Here are some helpful links:
submit a Co-op work term offer;
find out more about grants you may be eligible for;
see the UdeM Co-op Recruitment Process; and
view the Co-op programs offered at the Université de Moncton with their competency profile.
For more information visit www.umoncton.ca/coop, select “Employer”, then “Co-op Work Term Offer”.
MEMBER NEWS
International Game Technology (IGT) has received an AAA rating from MSCI ESG Research, the highest-possible score the global rating agency presents. In this year-over-year score, IGT scored particularly well in the categories of governance, product safety and quality, carbon emissions and labor management.
Congratulation IGT! To read more, click here.
KPMG Canada has been recognized as a Top Employer for Young People for 2024 by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers competition.
The company was cited for providing young employees with continuous learning opportunities, meaningful work on client projects with leaders across the firm, along with ongoing coaching. Kudos to KPMG for supporting young people in making an impact at work and in their communities! To read more on this award, click here.
PropertyGuys is expanding its footprint into Western Canada, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and the Eastern United States!
The Moncton-based company is focusing its franchise development into the Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta area, as well as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the neighboring Durham Region, and strategic locations in the Eastern United States such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida.
Congratulations to CEO Ken Leblanc and the PropertyGuys team!
Speaking of expansion and growth, League Data, a Nova Scotia-based fintech company, has just acquired Technicost, a software company serving credit unions, from Co-operators Financial Services Ltd.!
According to League Data’s news release, the combined capabilities of both organizations will help streamline and enhance technological services offered to credit union clients. Technicost will continue to operate as an independent entity while part of League Data.
Well done League Data!
More growth news: NCM Associates has acquired a new entity and entered into a partnership with another company, all to expand its offerings to dealer clients. NCM has acquired Kain Automotive, a provider of training in internet sales, BDC operations and digital marketing. It also entered a partnership with Accelerate2Compliance, a government information security compliance leader. Growth for the benefit of your customer is always a winning strategy!
BMM Testlabs has announced that it is among the first to receive approval from the Ukrainian Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries to serve as an independent test lab for Ukraine’s emerging gaming market.
With this approval, licensed and regulated gaming operators in Ukraine can accept gaming devices and equipment tested and certified by BMM without further regulatory approvals.
Congratulations BMM Testlabs! For more on this, click here.
in case you missed our social media
Innovation is powered by the right information, especially if you’re starting or growing a tech-based business.
In our region, the Atlantic Market Intelligence Program provides valuable market information - free of charge! - to eligible tech-based startups across Atlantic Canada so they can understand their market, their environment, spot key trends, and so much more!
And if you’re already working with us, a follow-up reminder: this is a good time to complete your request! We only have a few spots left for some services that won’t be renewed until April - we can help you finish up and get that final information and analysis.
So reach out and let us help you gain insight and market share through in-depth research and knowledge. Atlantic Market Intelligence Program - helping tech innovators go to the next level.
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