Forum for business resources takes place next week

Aspiring and established business owners will converge on the Mount St. Vincent University campus next week to attend a reverse trade show focused on the business resources available in Nova Scotia. “Navigating Businesses Through the Sea of Resources” is a free, half-day event at MSVU's Rosaria Student Centre in Halifax on July 14 from 8:30am to 2pm.

The event is being presented by the Centre for Women in Business and several Halifax research institutions and will feature more than 30 exhibitors. These include government organizations that offer programs and funding opportunities that support the entrepreneurial journey. Representatives will be on-site to answer questions, and help connect entrepreneurs to specific business services.

Kevin Buchan, Director of the MSVU Office of Innovation and Community Engagement, said the event was borne from the number of meetings his office and others conduct with companies and aspiring entrepreneurs looking for help in navigating the array of government business services and programs.

“We decided to put together a ‘one-stop-shop’ where entrepreneurs can meet with several service providers at once to determine which programs are right for them,” said Buchan in a statement. “In addition, Springboard Atlantic, the network of university and college technology mobilization offices in Atlantic Canada, will have a strong representation at the trade show. A number of institutions will present on their research capabilities and how companies can access the incredible brainpower available.”

You can register for the event here.

Startup Canada Awards nominations now open

It’s time to get your nominations in for the Startup Canada Awards, the deadline for which is July 20.

The Startup Awards are a national competition that recognize achievements by various members of the startup community – both entrepreneurs and the ecosystem members who support them.

The awards process first includes a regional round, which showcases the achievements of the local community. This year, the awards ceremony will be held in Fredericton, at time and date yet to be announced.

And then later in the year the national awards will be announced. The process wraps up with a gala at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto on Nov. 29.

Atlantic Canadians have done well over the past two years in the national awards. Last year, Alex Gillis of Halifax was the young entrepreneur of the year and RtTech Software of Moncton won top honours for innovation.

You can nominate yourself or someone else and find the nomination forms here.

Launchpad Dal to hold Demo Day

Launchpad Dal, the summer training program for several teams of entrepreneurs, will hold its Demo Day on July 18 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on the Dalhousie University campus.

Overseen by professors Mary Kilfoil and Ed Leach of Launch Dal, LaunchPad accepts a range of teams that received $10,000 each in development costs to help get their businesses off the ground. The program received 20 applications this year. The organizers said the teams chosen have what it takes to participate in a fast-paced and forward-thinking environment.

The presentations by nine companies will begin at 7 pm and a reception will be held afterward.

You can register to attend Demo Day here.