East Valley Ventures, the business development group headed by investor Gerry Pond, is in the process of hiring a full-time recruitment executive who will help Atlantic Canadian startups locate key executives, especially among new Canadians.

Speaking at Invest Atlantic yesterday, Pond said there is a need for talented executives to bolster the ranks of the emerging companies in the region, and East Valley Ventures hopes this new executive will help find suitable people to help grow them.

Pond and his COO Jeff White are quick to point out two misconceptions about East Valley Ventures. First, it is not a fund but a group of people who work with young companies, and some East Valley members do invest on their own in the companies they serve. Second, though it has its roots in New Brunswick, East Valley Ventures has a regional focus and wants to support companies throughout what Pond calls “the Greater Atlantic Region”.

In an interview, White explained that East Valley offers three services to young companies: it can bring funding through investment by its members; it always offers mentorship and helps develop the ideas behind a business; and it helps companies find talent.

That third mission, finding talent, has become critical, but the East Valley Ventures team is tapped out with its current tasks. “We’re going to bring someone on to our team whose full-time job is to find these people for the companies,” said White, adding that the group wants to fill this position as soon as possible.

Some of the talent needed by young companies is difficult to locate in the region. For example, there is not a strong history in Atlantic Canada of people selling or marketing software internationally. And many, if not most, tech companies require software designers with specific talents, such as writing code in C++.

“It’s a common theme with every entrepreneur we run into,” said White.

With regard to the need to attract new Canadians to the region, the new executive will have to have experience with immigration matters.

Pond added in an interview that Atlantic universities are talking about developing international sales marketing schools to develop such talent within the area, but it’s “a slower process than we’d like”.

The third annual Invest Atlantic featured four panel discussions on four critical factors in developing a startup – developing an idea; talent infusion; courting international markets and financing. Jeff Amerine’s keynote address delved into the development of an entrepreneurial community, drawing on his own experience of building up the ecosystem in Arkansas.

The Pitching Den featured a strong contestant from each Atlantic Province, and the award, as chosen by the audience, went to Paula Morand of JumpStart 720, whose SaaS product helps companies and organizations assess the morale and mental health of their employees in real time.

Note: Entrevestor will feature more of our interview with Pond and White in the coming days.