Launch Dal Pitching Event on Thursday
Launch Dal will hold the final pitch competition for the 12 teams in its Starting Lean program Thursday starting at 4:30 pm.
After more than two months of workshops, coaching and networking events, the participants will present their final pitches for the chance to win development money for their ventures. The winners will receive $3,000, while second- and third-place finishers will receive $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.
The event will take place at the Collide Room in the Killam Library at Dalhousie University. Tickets are available here.
Volta Names Three Board Members
Volta Labs has named three new board members – Janet Bannister, Leah Skerry and Ross Simmonds – bringing the total number of directors at the Startup House to eight.
The organization said in a statement three new additions add a diverse range of business acumen. Bannister, the General Partner with Real Ventures, is a venture partner and brought Kijiji to Canada. Skerry founded Pursu.it to help athletes successfully fund their dreams and founded Squiggle Park to help young children learn to read. After a digital marketing career helping startups and Fortune 500 companies succeed, Simmonds founded Crate to automate the digital marketing content curation process.
“Our new board members bring even more global connections to Atlantic Canada,” said Jevon MacDonald, chair of the board. “Ross and Leah are both active entrepreneurs, and Janet is currently a venture partner with an extensive history of entrepreneurship, so these new additions add more of both finance and operational experience to the board. They all want to help put Halifax on the map as a place for founders to start new companies and grow existing ones.”
Volta said it has grown its governing scope to include leaders from across the country. The other board members are: Jesse Rodgers, CEO of Volta; Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech; Patrick Keefe, Partner with Build Ventures; and Thomas Rankin, co-founder and CEO of Dash Hudson and former early-stage venture capitalist.
Startup Canada Names Fredericton Startup Community of the Year
Fredericton has been named the national ‘2016 Startup Community of the Year’ by Startup Canada. The award was co-accepted by Taskforce Fredericton Startup Network and the City of Fredericton.
“Fredericton has been on a set course since the development of our 2013 economic development strategy,” said Mayor Michael O’Brien in a statement. “This is a proud moment for Fredericton.”
As the steward of Vision 2020, Ignite Fredericton initiated Taskforce Fredericton Startup Network, comprising over twenty strategically aligned entrepreneurial organizations. The task force was formed to create connectivity, collaboration and communication among the local startup ecosystem.
