BCIC-New Ventures sponsor Vancity, along with Vancouver Foundation, announced today the launch of the Resilient Capital Program.
Included in the program is a new product for depositors who want to make a guaranteed fixed return on their money while backing social enterprises that are making a positive impact in the community. The program – a collaboration between philanthropy, the financial sector and government – started with a grant from the Province of British Columbia to Vancouver Foundation to invest in social enterprises.
The Resilient Capital Program is a unique, high-impact investment program that will help build resilient communities by making up to $15 million of patient capital available for qualifying social enterprises.
Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO of Vancity, says this new deposit product gives depositors a simple and attractive way to fund high-impact social enterprises without a high level of risk, and it provides much needed equity capital and loans with flexible repayment terms to the social enterprise sector. “This type of program is exactly what the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance recommended in its report,” says Vrooman. “As a locally based and owned financial cooperative, Vancity and its community partners have a unique opportunity to act as a catalyst to mobilize capital for social finance.”
In developing the Resilient Capital Program, Vancity and Vancouver Foundation each provided $1.75 million in first-loss revenues. This $3.5 million commitment has already been leveraged to attract an additional $6.85 million by way of Resilient Capital Term Deposits, long-term Vancity deposits made by 12 individuals and organizations:
Having trouble closing the deal?
Whether you’re identifying potential partners or already pitching your product, there are many obstacles to overcome before you can shake hands on a successful deal.
On June 21, join Howard Donaldson, President of DigiBC, as he leads an interactive workshop designed to develop the skills you need to successfully identify strategic partnerships, as well as feel confident in your ability to manage the perfect meeting and close the deal.
The workshop will focus on:
Developing a Strategic Business Plan
Identifying Potential Strategic Partners and Companies
Scheduling and Managing a Successful Meeting
Contract Negotiation
Bring along any existing pitch documents and apply your learning to real-life situations.
To learn more about Howard Donaldson, click here [opens as pdf]
Date: June 21, 2011
Time: 8:30-11:30am
Location: 900-1188 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver
Cost: $50 (+HST)*
We’re proud to announce that Contractually is now a New Venture Vendor Partner.
Contractually will be generously providing all 2011 companies with four months of complimentary access to their Startup Service Package. As they said on their blog, “we get excited by new ideas and we have a soft spot for helping others getting their dreams off the ground. We’re delighted to support New Ventures BC.”
If you haven’t heard of Contractually by now, you’re missing out. This Vancouver-based startup takes the pain out of getting contracts done, from start to finish. Members use contract forms (or bring the forms they currently use), negotiate and fill out the contract online with other parties, and e-sign the contract to complete the deal. The signed contracts are then organized for later retrieval by all parties.
This means that everyone is in the loop without headaches: Contractually gets rid of emailing Word documents through confusing threads, printing, and the faxing/scanning/couriering of the signed contract. They provide a number of forms relevant to startups and freelancers, such as an IP Assignment, a Consulting Agreement and NDAs, all free to use whether you are a Contractually member or not.
Their grand vision is to make the legal experience welcoming, simple and delightful. While many find the law dull, confusing or even intimidating, Contractually sees a chance to make it better by bringing contracts into the 21st century.
BCIC-New Ventures’ sponsor Goal Holdings is hosting an office space competition, with $12,500 in office space offers up for grabs.
To enter, tell Goal Holdings why your company needs an improved office space and how this will contribute to your business success. Make your submission by email to investments@goalholdings.com by Friday, June 10th.
This contest is open to the entire NVBC community and not restricted to current NVBC contestants. Goal Holdings will pick the 5 most qualified (based on need and merit) applicants and award them each a prize worth $2,500. The winners will be informed shortly after the deadline.
Goal Holdings Group is a private investment firm that is regionally focused on providing a range of financing solutions for early stage companies in the Vancouver market.
Looking for business support at a strategic or tactical level?
SFU and NVBC invite you to participate in an open house event for BCIC-New Ventures competition finalists seeking to connect with the talented MBA and BBA students at SFU Business school. Whether you are seeking a part-time bookkeeper, market research support or a high level strategic planning consultant, we invite you to participate in this free event.
DATE: February 16, 2011
TIME: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Segal Graduate School of Management, SFU Business, 500 Granville Street.
If your organization could benefit from the following, please plan to attend.
Short term project support (Up to 250 hours) in market research, business development, process improvement, technical support, financial modelling and more from our Management of Technology MBA students (no cost)
Full-time employees in marketing, finance, general management, operations, human resources, process improvement – or experienced talent who can assist cross functionally at a strategic level (market rate)
Short-term contractors, interns or co-ops to work on 2-8 month assignments (average rate $15-30 / hour)
Part-time administrative, accounting, marketing, sales or IT support appropriate for current students ($12-25 / hour)
Profile of talent pool in attendance:
Executive MBAs: Average 15 plus years of professional work experience and attending school part-time. Many are seeking senior leadership roles within entrepreneurial organizations.
Management of Technology MBAs: Average 10 plus years of professional work experience in a technology related role and are attending school part-time. Many are looking to bridge the gap between technology development and commercialization. They are required to complete a short term industry project as part of their academic program during the months of April through June.
Early Career MBAs: Designed for individuals with no prior formal training in business, these high achievers have realized after only a couple of years work experience that they want to re-launch their careers in a business role. They are required to complete a 2-8 month internship as part of their academic program.
Bachelors of Business Administration (BBAs): With concentrations in accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, management of information technology, and operations, BBA students can benefit your organization in a variety of ways. This highly competitive program boasts an entry GPA of greater than 3.5/4.0 and more than 60% of the students participate in experiential learning through co-ops and internships during their degrees.
If you have any questions about the event, or how to connect with the SFU Business talent pool, please call Christine Sjolander, 778-782-7059 or email csjoland@sfu.ca.
Greg Aasen, Chair of BCIC, announced this morning the appointment of Danny Robinson as Chief Executive Officer.
“Danny brings over 15 years of experience to BCIC and has a proven track record of successfully working with early-stage technology companies,” said Aasen. “Danny will be a great asset to our organization and will ensure that BCIC continues to play a leading role in promoting the development of entrepreneurs and the commercialization of technology in British Columbia.”
Prior to joining BCIC, Danny Robinson was co-founder of Bootup Labs which invested and mentored eight new Internet companies in the last two years. Along with his wife, Maura Rodgers , he was co-founder of the Bootup Entrepreneurial Society, a non-profit, community and mentor-driven organization that was formed to inspire entrepreneurship and help Internet startups take their idea from concept to commercialization.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest minds to create more tech startups in BC,” said Robinson. “In partnership with industry, academia, government and the dedicated team at BCIC, I am committed to ensuring our province continues to capitalize on the tremendous potential of our high tech companies.”
“The board is excited to bring the passion and energy of Danny to BCIC. His experience at Bootup will accelerate our mission of helping entrepreneurs and startups across all segments of British Columbia’s high tech community,” added Aasen.
Vancouver-based Goal Holdings is a private investment company and also a bronze sponsor of the New Ventures BC Competition.
The Goal Holdings Group is operating its own subsidiaries as well as investing in and partnering with business ventures across various industries such as information and communications technology, digital media, telecommunications, business services, real estate, clean technology and health care.
This past summer Goal Holdings and digital marketing company 3TierLogic executed a pilot investment project that will further fuel their growth. The investment provided was a cash flow based facility that is intended to be expandable up to $720K. 3TierLogic’s Prospect Relationship Management Platform helps clients improve their prospect and customer database management. The platform accommodates various interactive access points such as touch screen kiosk and mobile devices and is being used by brands like Live Nation and Abercrombie & Fitch.
In addition Goal Holdings is in discussions with telecommunications provider Telco.
Telco offers services and solutions for small and medium businesses and Goal is looking at an investment opportunity in conjunction with commercial agreement opportunities that will further increase revenues and decrease risk for all parties. The telecommunications provider’s service offerings may be sold through a Goal Holdings subsidiary.
Fasken Martineau has been a proud sponsor of New Ventures BC since the early years of the competition and their lawyers have been involved since it began in 2000.
“We recognize that aspiring entrepreneurs may need some guidance as they enter today’s competitive business environment. That’s why we’ve always supported the NVBC competition,” says Steven Lukas, a partner at Fasken Martineau. “It prepares them for the challenges of entering today’s competitive business environment.
Fasken Martineau is a leading international business law and litigation firm with more than 650 lawyers in Canada, the United Kingdom, France and South Africa. The firm works with business clients ranging from solo inventors and entrepreneurs, to small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational companies. It also has a reputation as one of Canada’s leading law firms in Information Technology, including Internet and e-commerce, software implementation, development, licensing, hosting and/or support, outsourcing, joint ventures, technology-related financings and reorganizations.
“We can guide any start-up through the legal challenges of setting up shop, so to speak,” says Lukas. “From negotiating and drafting technology license agreements to funding, to advising on mergers and acquisitions, we can help.”
Lukas has been a BC Ventures Society director for more than three years and currently chairs the society. He describes his involvement with NVBC as “very rewarding”.
“It’s exciting and inspiring to see the new business ideas that are presented at this competition each year,” says Lukas. “It’s equally as exciting to see the runner-ups that resurface, fine-tuned, in the marketplace years later.”
For more information on Fasken Martineau, please visit the website.
Since 2008, the BC Bioenergy Network’s Director of Research, Dr. Scott Stanners, has participated in NVBC as a judge and mentor. Dr. Stanners was so impressed with the program that he convinced his board of directors that the BC Bioenergy Network should become a Gold Sponsor and provide a Bioenergy prize.
“Partnering with NVBC is a win-win situation,” says Dr. Stanners. “Competitors benefit from our network of support and we further our goal of developing and demonstrating new environmentally sustainable bioenergy technologies in B.C.”
The BC Bioenergy Network is a not-for-profit association that invests in B.C.’s bioenergy sector. The organization’s goal is to maximize the value of B.C.’s biomass, which includes forestry, agricultural and municipal residues.
“We fund pilot and demonstration-stage bioenergy projects as well as mission-driven research in the bioenergy sector, leveraging the tremendous post-secondary research capacity in the province,” says Dr. Stanners. “The NVBC competition provides an avenue of support for early-stage bioenergy companies.”
In 2009, the BC Bioenergy Network sponsored its first $20,000 cash prize and is looking forward to this year’s bioenergy prize winner. Last year’s winner was Bluekey Energy of Prince George, which has developed a one-step technology to convert waste from the pulping process into biodiesel fuel.
“We have been providing Bluekey Energy with strategic guidance and contacts through our network,” says Dr. Stanners. “Their technology has enormous worldwide potential for increasing revenue in the pulp and paper sector.”
Dr. Stanners says the BC Bioenergy Network’s resources, contacts and advice can be very useful to new bioenergy startups. For example, companies that have a need for high-quality research can access postgraduate students through the network’s Consortium Partnership with the MITACS Accelerate program. For more information, contact Dr. Stanners at Scott.Stanners@bcbioenergy.ca.
NVBC’s lead partner, BCIC, is developing an ‘ecosystem’ of programs that both develop better entrepreneurs and promote technology commercialization in B.C.
“To do that, we partner with organizations like New Ventures BC,” explains Dean Rockwell, CEO of BCIC. “The competition does an excellent job of providing skills, resources and funding to new technology entrepreneurs and innovators.”
BCIC also offers a wealth of services and opportunities for technology startups, from business incubators and accelerators to international contacts and opportunities. BCIC’s network of business accelerators can assist new companies with financial and/or operational resources and mentoring to increase their chances of success. Wavefront, for example, is an accelerator that helps wireless companies get to market faster by offering a suite of WaveGuide™ training, mobile-industry advisory services, incubation office space and testing resources.
BCIC also organizes special events such as CONNECT, a conference for early-stage tech entrepreneurs who want the answers to “what’s next for my company”.
Even entrepreneurial-minded B.C. post-secondary students can learn how to start their own business thanks to BCIC’s growing network of business incubators inside educational institutions, including the Entrepreneurship@ program at UBC and UVic.
“Ultimately, our mandate is to increase the number and success rate of B.C. technology startups,” says Rockwell, “and to promote growth in B.C.’s science and technology sector.
Learn more about BCIC programs and initiatives at www.bcic.ca. Complete CONNECT details can be found at www.CONNECTNEXT.ca.
Fasken Martineau has been a proud sponsor of New Ventures BC since the early years of the competition and their lawyers have been involved since it began in 2000.