Venture for Canada is thrilled to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors.

“As we look ahead, Laura, Stuart, and Josh are outstanding additions to the Board who embody the spirit of community and bring insight, expertise, and new perspectives to the table. Their desire to support Venture for Canada in their role as Board Members speaks to their level of civic engagement and what Venture for Canada stands for. We are very fortunate to have them by our side as we continue to scale the impact of Venture for Canada across the nation,” says Board Chair, Parm Gill.

“We are delighted to have Josh MacIntyre, Laura Buhler and Stewart Beck join the Board. Their guidance and advice will be of great value as Venture for Canada continues to scale its impact nationally,” added Scott Stirrett, Founder & CEO of Venture for Canada.

On behalf of the Venture for Canada community, we would like to thank the departing board members, Avi Pollock, Kelly Bennett, and Niall MacGillivray, for their combined nine years of board service and for their contributions to growing Venture for Canada’s impact.

The Board of Directors provides Venture for Canada with governance to steer the organization’s operations to ensure fiscal responsibility.

The Venture for Canada Board of Directors is now as follows:

• Abigail Slater | General Partner, Marigold Capital
• Josh MacIntyre | Head of Special Projects, Grammarly
• Laura Buhler | Executive Director, The C100
• Parm Gill | Managing Partner, Gill Group
• Preston Aitken | Account Executive, Strategic Accounts, Blackbaud
• Stewart Beck | President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Vanessa Paesani | Co-Founder + COO, RIDDL Tech

To learn more about our newest Board Members, please find their bios below.

Josh MacIntyre is Head of Special Projects at Grammarly, the company behind the AI-powered digital communications assistant used by 20 million people daily. Grammarly is backed by a $110M USD growth equity investment from tier 1 investors, including General Catalyst, IVP, Spark Capital, SignalFire, and Breyer Capital.

Reporting to the CEO, Josh works with Grammarly’s executive team on scaling the business. His areas of focus include operations, strategy, partnerships, data development, corporate development, and any strategic project that doesn’t fit neatly into one specific function.

Before Grammarly, Josh was at Toronto-based Pressly, where he worked with the president and founders to grow the business. Pressly raised multiple rounds of funding from OMERS Ventures, iNovia Capital, and Gibraltar Ventures. Vision Critical Communications Inc. acquired Pressly in 2017. Josh is also a member of the inaugural cohort of Venture for Canada Fellows, who were selected in 2015.

Prior to joining the startup world, Josh held multiple roles in the international supply chain & logistics division at Canadian Tire Corporation. He holds an MBA from the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University and a BBA from St. Francis Xavier University. Josh is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and spends his spare time skiing, running, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Laura Buhler is the Executive Director of C100, a private San-Francisco-based not-for-profit association of influential and accomplished Canadians in technology whose mission is to support Canadian entrepreneurs through community, talent, thought leadership, and investment. Every year, C100 brings over 100 entrepreneurs from across Canada to Silicon Valley to expand their networks of mentors, investors, and partners. Laura serves as an advisor to the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial thinking at the University of Calgary, and on the Advisory Board of NewCo Toronto, helping to connect talent to Toronto startups.

Laura previously held roles in Business Development, Marketing, and Strategy at Gilt.com (acquired by HBC), an e-commerce startup on the frontlines of New York’s burgeoning tech scene. In her early career, Laura was a Project Manager at the World Economic Forum in New York, and a consultant with McKinsey & Co. in New York and in Canada. Laura is an alumna of the University of Calgary and of HEC Paris. A Calgary native, Laura currently lives in Oakland, California with her partner, Bryan.

Stewart Beck is the President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Prior to joining APF Canada, Mr. Beck served as the Canadian High Commissioner to the Republic of India with concurrent accreditation to the Kingdom of Bhutan and to Nepal. He joined Canada’s Department of External Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada) in 1982 and served abroad in the United States, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China. In Ottawa, he held a number of progressively more senior positions, including Director General of the North Asia Bureau, Director General Responsible for Senior Management and Rotational Assignments, and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Business Development, Investment, and Innovation. He was Consul General in Shanghai and prior to his posting to India, he was Consul General in San Francisco.

Venture for Canada and RBC Future Launch are continuing a four year collaboration, as fifteen participants in the Venture for Canada Fellowship Program have been selected to receive 2019 RBC Fellowships from across Atlantic Canada, Ontario and British Columbia.

Venture for Canada’s CEO, Scott Stirrett, noted that, “Each of these fifteen recipients, think big, have a passion for action, and work to create initiatives that address social and innovation challenges in Canada and globally.”

Venture for Canada is a national charity that develops entrepreneurial leadership skills through training and supporting youth to work at innovative Canadian startups and small businesses.

“RBC and Venture for Canada have a shared commitment to supporting youth to thrive in the age of disruption and recognizing that entrepreneurship is essential to enhancing the wellbeing of all Canadians, from coast to coast,” said Scott Stirrett.

RBC Foundation, in support of RBC Future Launch, has committed $100,000 towards the Venture for Canada Fellowship, enhancing training offerings, innovating mentorship and alumni supports, as well as recruiting additional 15 Fellows to participate in the program.

“When experience is so important to getting a job, but so hard to come by, young people are left feeling uncertain about their futures in the new world of work,” said Mark Beckles, Senior Director, Youth Strategy and Innovation, RBC. “We hope that through our partnership with Venture for Canada, RBC Future Launch can help young people get those all-important first jobs and break the ‘no experience, no job cycle.”

RBC Future Launch is a decade-long, $500 million investment to help Canadian youth prepare for the jobs of tomorrow — RBC’s largest commitment to a social issue. With a focus on networking, skills development,
practical work experience, and mental wellbeing supports and services, the initiative aims to break down the barriers facing young people.

To learn more about RBC Future Launch please visit http://rbc.com/futurelaunch

To learn more about the recipients, please find their biographies below.

_________

Tolu Aibana

Tolu works at a FinTech startup helping Canadian small businesses grow. She believes in creating positive change through greater self-awareness. She launched a peer-mentoring initiative called “Side Hustle Sundays”, a weekly meeting for individuals to get advice and feedback on their personal projects or career aspirations. In her spare time, you can find Tolu reading, writing poetry or spending time with friends at the park.

Sahil Ahuja

Sahil is currently involved with Marketing and Events at Volta. In his role, he has worked with the team to support and execute over 300 workshops and events targeted towards the Atlantic Canadian startup and innovation community. In his free time, he can usually be found watching tutorials on photography, video-editing, and filming — which is often followed by practicing what he’s learned.

Manuela Bárcenas

Manuela is an early employee of Fellow.app, a software company building an app for managers and their teams. Living in four different countries — Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and now Canada — led her to develop a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation around the world. Manuela strives to be an instrument of positive change and support for everyone around her.

Jimy Beltran

Jimy is a Business Operations Assistant at SomaDetect, an ag-tech startup seeking to improve the lives of dairy farmers and cows through Artificial Intelligence. He is also the Founder of Venezuela180, a non-profit that has sent hundreds of kilograms of humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Additionally, they support local journalists highlighting positive efforts of local organizations and sponsor low-income Venezuelans who require expensive medical treatments. In his spare time, he loves to practice yoga, play volleyball and explore the natural beauty that New Brunswick has to offer.

Marc Brown

Marc works at Mav Synergetic, an early stage company specialized in branded games as a marketing strategy. Although he was hired as a Business Development Manager he has taken on additional roles in software development and social media management. The company is launching their first product, Livekool, a game which links non-profit organizations with their local communities via a branded game experience.

Akil Bullin

Akil enjoys assisting customers with product comprehension and application, as a Product Specialist on Jobber’s Customer Success Team. He is a person who values the ideas and practices around growth and development within himself and others. Akil also co-founded For The Grind Inc, a networking platform that treats ‘grinders’ to a break from the hustle and bustle and allows them to redirect their efforts towards building relationships with other generous, lively and driven people. In his free time, you can find him enjoying good conversation with friends and family.

James Caldwell

James is the Product Marketing Coordinator at Alongside, a Moncton-based HR tech startup that is committed to improving hiring processes by focusing on enhancing the candidate’s experience. James has learned a lot about entrepreneurship from first-hand experiences. From his very first business of selling eggs from his family farm to opening a soap business during his time at university, he has learned key business skills. James believes a critical part of the entrepreneurial mindset is being able to learn as much as you can and share these learnings with others. In his free time, James enjoys hiking, kayaking, and gardening.

Alexandra Erb

Alex began working as a Program Manager at The Rounds. Now their Manager of Strategic Partnerships, she works with medical associations and non-profit societies to create educational programs for healthcare professionals. Alex spends her free time helping out with local environmental initiatives such as the Green New Deal Halifax and Oceans Week HFX as well as writing articles for GenW and Our Positive Planet. Her long-term goal is to build an international social enterprise that supports youth-led environmental and social initiatives.

Jasmine Huang

Jasmine is currently the Supply-Side Growth Coordinator at AquaMobile, an online marketplace for swimming lessons featured on Season 10 of Dragons’ Den. Jasmine believes that entrepreneurship starts with empowering the people in the communities around you. As a manager of a team of eight at AquaMobile, she prioritizes her team’s personal development and well-being by providing her utmost support and mentorship. She hopes to merge her passion for the arts and social cause to spearhead meaningful change in communities across Canada and the globe.

Zain Khan

Zain Khan is a marketer and growth specialist who currently leads paid acquisition at the venture backed Toronto startup CareGuide. He started his career at the United Nations Environment Programme in Switzerland, where he worked to help governments build more sustainable economic policies. Through the Venture for Canada Fellowship, Zain strives to build the future of Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape alongside some of the most driven young minds in the country.

Gavin Resch

Gavin works as a Software Developer at OTI Lumnionics, an OLED startup in Toronto. Gavin and his team use machine learning technology to research new materials with optimal properties for the innovative products they develop. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and staying up to date with artificial intelligence advancements.

Zameer Masjedee

Zameer works as a Solutions Engineer at Ottawa’s very own Shopify, where he helps develop technical integrations for enterprise clients. Outside of his 9 to 5, he spends his time working on his startup, LISN Ltd, with his 3 co-founders. LISN is a cross-platform mobile podcasting app that helps users discover and listen to shows, while also helping creators grow their audience and monetize their content without the need to rely on advertising revenue. Zameer is an advocate for the technology industry within Canada, and hopes to help grow those communities by actively volunteering as an instructor with organizations such as Ladies Learning Code.

Valentina Primossi

Valentina has been at the Atlantic Lottery Corporate Innovation since October 2018 where she started as a Concept Designer and moved on to Innovation Associate after six months. Her role is to bring her take-charge attitude as the team develops their business ideas from concept to reality. Coming all the way from Italy on a basketball scholarship in 2013, Valentina fell in love with Canada. Just like her personality, her days are very empathetic — filled of challenges and great experiences. She has a dream of setting up her own international business, but for now, she’s happy correcting her co-workers and friends on the pronunciation of “bruschetta.”

Sidra Sargana

Sidra is currently working as a Business Development Associate at the health tech startup, Tickit Health. Her passion for community developmental projects has enabled her to gain valuable experience with NGOs working on indigenous issues in Canada, gender equality in Pakistan and promoting education in Africa. Sidra believes that we have entered into an era of purpose where people are more driven to do meaningful work and it’s important to acquire skills at an early age that bridge the gap between acknowledging the problem and building a solution.

Marcs Wilkinson

Marcs leaped at the opportunity to round out his digital & business skills as a Product Manager at Sema. A willingness to grapple with the unknown & learn from failures is helping to define the new data-driven approach for software development and maintenance. A hitchhiker at the intersection of technical apparel, industrial design, and applied technology, Marcs takes on interesting design side-projects through his pay-what-you-want studio BIEM ETC design. As a stay-at-home shoemaker, he’s trying to make the first open source bike shoe more accessible to the masses

Venture for Canada, a national charity which develops entrepreneurial leadership skills through attracting, training and supporting youth to work at innovative Canadian small and medium sized enterprises, announced today the recipients of the TD Clean Prosperity Fellowships.

“TD and Venture for Canada have a shared commitment to catalyzing sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” said Scott Stirrett, Founder and CEO of Venture for Canada. “We are honoured to partner with TD to support the next generation of Canadians to create prosperity that benefits people, planet, and profits.”

“Cleantech solutions present one of the greatest opportunities to help speed up the transition to a low-carbon economy,” says Nicole Vadori, Head of Environment, TD Bank Group. “Through The Ready Commitment, we are committed to helping create a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. We’re proud to work with Venture for Canada to support young Canadians in the growth of this industry and help them become the next generation of cleantech entrepreneurs.”

As recipients, Fellows will have the opportunity to connect with representatives from TD to enhance their skill sets and professional networks, as they look to pursue entrepreneurial careers driven by a passion for sustainability and cleantech.

TD supports this initiative through its corporate citizenship platform, The Ready Commitment, which is designed to help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. Visit www.td.com/thereadycommitment to learn more.

_________

Madison Foran

“Being lucky to have lived in an area surrounded by nature, I spent a number of hours exploring the forest, which evidently was my backyard. The joy and peace the exploration brought me, is something I hope future generations get to experience. With our changing environment, I believe small steps take by sustainable-focused companies will positively impact the future. With CleanTech, we are on a pathway to a greener future.”

Jimy Beltran

“After I was introduced to the start-up world last fall and witnessed the impact of entrepreneurship in Fredericton, India, and Boston, I realized that entrepreneurship is a powerful and effective avenue to achieve environmental sustainability. With this fellowship, I hope to enhance my knowledge on environmental sustainability and expand my network to use it to bring environmental solutions from the bottom up in my province.”

Manuela Barcenas

“I’ve always known I want to make a difference in the lives of people around me. This mission to make the world a better place inspired me to become a VFC Fellow and learn how entrepreneurship can help me find solutions that empower and help others around the world. I’m passionate about sustainability and would love to learn from experienced leaders in the field to develop professionally and acquire the knowledge necessary to make a difference in Canada, and the other countries where I lived before.”

Ali Moosvi

“I am super passionate about clean-tech. With a background in Nuclear Engineering, I am extremely interested in the future of clean energy methods and how Canada will change its overall energy production landscape.”

Daniel Alberga

“I am passionate about the deployment of cleantech solutions because I want to be a part of building our collective low-carbon future. Through my work in renewables asset management software and previous work in green bonds, I have been able to contribute, in small part, to current efforts to build and manage cleaner, more sustainable, and more secure energy infrastructure. As I continue my career in cleantech, I wish to learn more about new technologies and policies that will help us address the complex social and ecological challenges that we are faced with today.”

Lately I’ve been reflecting a lot on the years since graduating university, and realize that I there is so much that I know now that I wish I knew then. Thinking back on that time, I just remember constantly asking myself, “what now?” I’d been guided by school up until then, and now I was finally released into the “real world.” So, since I don’t have a time machine to share these lessons learned with my 21 year old self, I thought I could instead share them with other recent grads with similar thoughts, and who may be on the boat I on then.

I know nothing. Or I have much more to know.

One of the major lessons I quickly learned upon graduating was realizing that I knew nothing coming out of school. Yes sure, I knew some theories, business models and organizational structures, but I didn’t know the practical implementation of most of those things, or at least not in a way that would bring any tangible value to the company I was working at. I also didn’t have the funds to return and do more applicable school like a bootcamp course on a practical skill quickly enough.

What did I have after four years of undergrad? The energy, time, and freedom to learn and advance as fast as I could, with a really solid foundation on what I enjoyed and how I enjoyed learning. So I invested this time and energy into myself, to gain the skills and knowledge I wanted. For example, I went to as many Product meetups and read as many Product books (I recommend this list) as possible, since I knew I eventually wanted to pursue a career in Product Management as soon as I learned what it entailed.

Everything else can wait.

Now, this is not to say that you should spend every extra minute you have away from work on career and personal development. No. That is a recipe for disaster. Investing in yourself means doing so in all aspects of life that will make you happier and advance you towards your goals; weather these include your personal relationships, friendships, healthy diet & exercise, and mental health.

Let me say that again, slowly. Invest in your mental health. This is by far the single most important (and difficult) thing to do. Everything else in your life — your career, travels, or new car — can wait. But not your mental health. Take the time to take care of yourself . Be it through exercise, yoga, meditation… just do it. I’ve near burnt out before and it is not fun for anyone involved. Something that really helped me reset was setting a dedicated time every single week to completely unplug. On weekends, I leave my phone on a counter somewhere and try not to touch it at all. Yes, I break the rule a couple of times, but overall it allows me to focus on what I’m doing that weekend, like visiting my family or having friends over for dinner and games.

Be happy.

When we go to university, we go to get a good job and be able to make good money. At least that’s why I was there. When we came to Canada, my parents told me that my one and only duty in life was to get educated. No matter the money troubles we were going through or the problems they were having as new immigrants, they told me all I had to do was go to school and get good grades. Seemed like a pretty good tradeoff for me. So, I studied hard, went to a reputable school and was on my way to getting that “good” job that everyone talked about. However, I wasn’t interested “that.”

That was both a tough call and a confusing time. On one hand, all I wanted was to minimize any risks that could jeopardize me not being able to support my parents post-retirement, after they had done so much for me — a real and valid concerns for many young adults. On the other hand, I knew that I wasn’t interested in a life doing something that I was not passionate about. After all, I had watched my 42 year old father and 38 year old mother come to Canada with no money, no education, and no english speaking ability, yet somehow take the risk of being self-employed as commercial cleaners instead of taking the safer route through an employer. They then proceeded to convert their sole proprietorship into a corporation that now employs and contracts over 200 people, many of whom are newcomers. You can probably see why I was a bit perplexed to join a traditional corporate job that my parents seemingly wanted me to take when they themselves didn’t follow their own rules, but seemed like the right way to go. At this time, I decided to consider the other key goal my parents had set for me: to be happy.

I kind of sucked at math.

After giving the coveted corporate internship world a try in the summer of third year, I decided that I wouldn’t take the offer for the guaranteed full-time role upon graduation. Instead, I entered my 4th and final year without a job lined up post-graduation…(gasp!) For all the business school students out there, you know that this is a faux-pas and a huge gamble, considering there were probably 100 other eager students lined up for the role I had just declined. I had to be honest with myself and with my family, expressing that if I was really going to thrive in my career and use the education they so wanted me to get, I would have to work in something that I was truly interested. Both my parents took the news extremely well, which was a surprise given the fact that my mom cried of happiness when I got my summer internship offer. My dad also surprise me by saying that he was glad I chose to turn down the job because I “kind of sucked at math”. He was kidding. I think.

Define what’s important to me + humble brag.

Before I move on, I’d like to take a moment to #humblebrag on behalf of my parents and highlight how amazing they are. As I mentioned before, they founded our family’s business over 15 years ago, after emigrating to Canada with nothing no language or degrees. I’m pretty sure that if someone dropped me off in a foreign country today with no money nor the ability to communicate (let alone TWO young children in tow), I would not know where to start.

I’ve been a witness to them growing and running the business throughout my whole life. I saw them work 7 days a week for 12 years without ever taking a vacation. I saw them employ newcomers with no other job prospects and change their lives for the better. I saw them learn english by constantly putting themselves out there, in front of people that would scoff at them, because there was no one around that could help them. I saw them build up from having nothing to having more than they’d think they could achieve in their lifetimes.

Humble bragging aside, I’m saying this because I genuinely fell in love with the entrepreneurial mindset. Of someone who perseveres through the toughest of circumstances, when everyone is doubting them and there are a million reasons why running this venture or taking this risk is “irresponsible” or “not for you.” I fell in love with the way they pushed themselves harder and harder each day, despite their inevitable exhaustion from working 18 hours days and still managing to come to our school recitals and soccer games. I’ve never heard them complain about what they have, and yet they always strive for more. And with that, I chose to listen to myself and pursue entrepreneurship.

Take a (balanced) risk.

Of course, the first suggestion that came up amongst my closest friends and family was to take on the family business. By then we had over 50 crews on the field, and my dad was looking forward to continuing to train me, as he had been doing through my life, and more recently during a summer stint I did as an Operations Manager. But, after talking with my mom, I knew that they would understand if I didn’t join the family business. They truly wanted me to do what would make me happiest and were willing to, like any true risk-taking entrepreneur, support me through it. At that moment, however, I realized that it would be too risky to jump straight into entrepreneurship out of university, since I had taken out loans I had to repay and no safety net to help my parents out with. So instead, I knew I would have to look for a job that would allow me to develop and exercise my entrepreneurial muscle within the security of a paid job.

Luckily, this period of job insecurity didn’t last too long. Early on into my 4th year, I met VFC’s own Scott Stirrett at StartProud’s first pre-Venture Out tech career fair. The fellowship he described sounded like it might be the right thing for me. I was really interested in startups ever since I’d gotten a chance to intern at one that was in its early stages of ideation. I submitted the application the next day and my life changed from that moment.

Let my entrepreneurial roots out.

I got lucky in landing a job that allowed me to learn faster than I ever had before. FundThrough encouraged me from day one to let my entrepreneurial roots out — after all, their entire business model is built around empowering the small business owner. From trusting me to manage all client relationships (Customer Success), to allowing me to dabble in product, marketing, finance, research, and event management, and even letting me make mistakes, both small and big, without fear of losing my job, every single day was a lesson to add to my book of running a business.

This experience just reinforced the decision I made of entering into the startup space. I am confident that I would not have been able to find the same level of mentorship, challenge, and speed to learning as I did at FT. I also have them to thank for giving me my first exposure into Product Management, which helped me get into the dream job I am in now, at another company. Goes without saying that I love the team and mission over there and after three years, I knew it was time to move onto the next chapter.

I’m not a bother.

Ever since I officially started my role as a Product Manager, I have had quite a few young professionals, ask me how I got into the role from Customer Success. My answer: I didn’t do it alone. While in school, I’d read a few things about these magical creatures called “career sponsors” and was skeptical about their impact until I experienced it for myself. Every single time that I have reached out to my sponsor for mentorship, guidance, or brutal honesty, he has answered within moments with as much insight and help as he can offer. It’s important to note that they are rare to come by, they are even less likely to surface if you don’t put yourself out there to receive and give help. If there is someone that is always there for you and shows a genuine interest in your development, don’t let self-doubt or fear get in the way of receiving their support. Follow up, keep in touch, go for coffees often and form a friendship. You are not bothering them by asking for their advice — believe it or not, there are selfless people out there that genuinely want to do things for the good of others and see them succeed. Just be sure to return the favour and pass it on…it’s good karma.

Do it!

The most common piece of advice I heard when I was looking to break into product management was to go build something. However, in the case that you can’t do that just yet based on your circumstances, start something on the side as a passion project. It doesn’t have to be a venture with capital invested — just start exploring the problem space and understanding the solutions that emerge. If there is something that you are interested in pursuing, do it! Don’t allow yourself to make excuses for why you can’t do something. There is always a resource that is in short supply but that can be compensated for by another (i.e. money vs. time). If you’re genuinely interested in Product Management and have any questions, please do reach out to me and I’ll help in any way that I can.

It’s not a race.

If you take nothing else from this post, take this: you are not in a race or competition with anybody. You’ll get where you’re going when you get there. Susie Pan exposed this very problem of new grads “rushing life” in her renowned blog. In it, she encouraged telling oneself “as long as I have learned something, and that I’ve created some value in someone’s life, today was a good day.” This means reflecting every day on your opportunities, mistakes, privileges, and main learnings.

So what now?

Well, for the first time in my life, I don’t officially have “school” as part of my identity — I’m no longer a student or recent grad and am no longer striving for those “good grades” to get a “good job”. But somehow, I am more of a student today than I have ever been before. Every single day is an chance to learn something new and reflect on my opportunities, mistakes, privileges, and blessings.

I’ve started on the career path I was aiming for, am learning even faster than when I first graduated, and genuinely love waking up every morning. And yet, I don’t know exactly what the next few years hold for me … but that’s okay. I now know that as long as I know what I am striving for at that moment in time and work hard to make intentional moves towards it, things will fall into place.

Congratulations, you did it. You’ve landed a job and you’re enrolled in higher education. That’s not easy. Give yourself a pat on the back. Now for the tough part: balancing job responsibility and school deadlines without burning out or shutting yourself off from the rest of your life. It sounds scary, but don’t worry it’s nothing you can’t achieve. To help you make your way through here are some quick tips.

1. Be clear with your boss and teachers.
These are the people who you want on your side while you are managing a whirlwind of responsibilities. Let your teachers know you are working, and your bosses know you are in school. You will probably hear the same speech from both that the work they oversee should be your priority. They can’t help it, without people to tell what to do they will lose their jobs. Once they know about your situation it becomes much easier for them to make a schedule or extra time for you. If the unexpected happens you can always tell your boss that you have “a school thing” and tell your teachers that you have “a work thing” and give yourself some space to deal with the situation.

2. Keep a schedule.
This may seem like a no-brainer to some of you, but to the less organized among us (whose alumni include Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein, I might add) it’s an important step to remember. Without a clear structure to daily responsibilities, work starts to slip, procrastination steps in and before you know it, it’s 3am and you are still on the first book of Paradise Lost. The more detail you can include in your schedule the better. Schedule your lunch breaks at work, schedule your down time between classes and any other events that seem relevant.

3. Schedule time for yourself.
An obvious but often neglected part of the work/school/life balance is the life aspect. It’s funny that it is the last section in the triplet considering it is the most important part. Be sure to make some time for yourself, clear out some time in your calendar for doing what you like to do. It could be a few hours or a whole weekend whatever works for you. If you need to be by yourself to meditate, read or watch Netflix — be sure to make that time. If you recharge socially, find some time to meet the people that matter to you over coffee, at the recreational hockey league or whatever works best. Personally, I make time to read every day and to grab a beer with my friends as often as possible.

If you have the initiative and resolve to even attempt to face the dreaded three headed dog of work/school/life balance, then you already have everything you need to succeed. Just keep yourself organized and you’ll be able to knock this one out of the park.
____

I’m Matthew Young, a 2018 Venture for Canada intern. I’m currently studying Data Analytics at Nova Scotia Community College. I’m interested in disruptive technology and forging organic growth in markets at home and abroad. I’m always looking to think outside the box and push the envelope. I believe that a robust, holistic approach will have the most empowering impact in the world today. My dream is to find innovative, sustainable solutions for paradigmatic challenges. Venture for Canada has helped me improve my synergetic leadership skills and develop clear goals to move forward on my career roadmap. I cannot thank VFC enough.

Don’t miss your chance to join the Venture for Canada Community! Applications for the Venture for Canada Atlantic Internship are open. Click here to learn more and apply.

With 2019 fast approaching it’s time to start thinking about starting the New Year off right! Growing businesses and nonprofits are constantly facing new challenges, but talent does not have to be one of them. Hiring the right people is essential to growing your business! Below are three steps you can take to step up your recruitment game.

1. Hire Smart.
Post-secondary students are a great way to keep your business creative, curious and connected. Students are eager to gain hands on work experience and are excited by the opportunity to wear many hats to get the job done. Internships often range in length, allowing you to maximize efficiency within your organization.

2. Partnerships Are Key.
Partnerships are a great way to access resources that may not otherwise be available to your business. Programs such as the Venture for Canada Atlantic Internship Program offer businesses a personalized connection to high quality, trained post-secondary students and wage subsidies of up to 70% of the student’s salary. As big firms increase their number of partnerships with universities and colleges to help find talent, programs like this allow smaller businesses and nonprofits to compete.

3. Create Advocates.
Good talent, attracts good talent. Encourage your employees to advocate on your behalf by highlighting their experience on social media. This not only gains wider exposure of your brand but is a great tool to recruit high quality talent.

Don’t miss your chance to grow your business in the New Year with the Venture for Canada Atlantic Internship Program! Use our online form to find out if your business, nonprofit or enterprise qualifies for our program and wage subsidies. What are you waiting for? The deadline to apply for a January Intern is November 26th.

Presentations and speeches may be inevitable during anyone’s work or university life. Last year, I began my second university degree. In this degree program, my classmates and I present design work multiple times each semester. At the beginning of the program, I used to just wing it, but I have learned that while I do not necessarily enjoy presenting, winging it is not an option. My level of preparedness for presentations has increased a lot since the beginning of the program. Here are the three tips that I use for better presentations and speeches:

1. Write it down.
Knowing what to say during a presentation or speech will automatically make it better. A few days before the presentation or speech, plan what to say and write it out. Write a script. Make it as informative, as entertaining, and as interesting as possible, but make sure that it makes logical sense. The script needs a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Depending on your audience and the type of presentation or speech, you may need to write your script so that you first introduce the topic, discuss the topic, and then restate the topic. Organizing it this way makes it easy for the audience to understand what is important and follow along.

2. Rehearse.
After writing out what you want to say, you need to say it. A lot. Try to practice it several times a day for as many days as it takes leading up to your presentation or speech. Try reading it out loud to yourself, a classmate, a friend — anyone who will listen. Get feedback from others to help you improve: you might need to speak louder, take longer pauses, work on pronunciation, or rephrase something.

When you are satisfied with what is written, memorize it. The goal is to rehearse the script as many times as you need so that you do not need to rely on it as much (or at all) on the day of the speech or presentation.

3. Project Your Voice.
At this point, you have put in a lot of work so do not let your efforts go to waste and make it easy for your audience to hear you. Speak loudly. Project your voice by using the diaphragm, stand tall, and articulate each word.

Your audience will appreciate being able to hear you and this will help them better understand your presentation or speech.

These three tips for better public speaking: writing a script, rehearsing, and projecting your voice will help you the next time you need to give a speech or presentation. How do you normally prepare for presentations and speeches? Let me know in the comment section below.
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Hi there, I am Jonathan Quinlan, a 2018 Venture for Canada Atlantic Intern working at an architecture office in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. I will graduate from Dalhousie University in the Spring of 2019 and then begin my masters of architecture. I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends. I bounce back from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, but will travel abroad for work or school any chance I can get.

Don’t miss your chance to join the Venture for Canada Community! Applications for the Venture for Canada Atlantic Internship are open. Click here to learn more and apply. The upcoming application deadline for a January Internship is November 16, 2018.

Step 1: Why are you networking?
This is a simple question because it makes you understand the avenue which you are trying to pursue and strengthen your network around. Whether it’s a mentor to help you create a roadmap for your career or maybe it’s that potential prospective client, the point is: you should have goals in mind.

Step 2: Be personal.
This one may not be easy to some because you’re hyper-focused on strengthening that network so your master plan will fall into place. This does NOT work! Networking is not a celebratory session where you start spouting off all your greatest achievements. Networking is a slow waltz where you take the time to feel out your partner, ask exploratory questions and — get to know them better.

Step 3: Go outside!
Simple enough? No one is going to truly understand your motives and ideas with a simple LinkedIn connection. Attend networking events but don’t go to these things and start stuffing business cards in people’s pockets. Use these events as a starting point to follow up; go out for coffee, a walk, whatever. Just make initial contact where you can, then reach out to that person and try to schedule a time so that you can actually share your intentions behind your approach.

Step 4: Give before you ask.
Common courtesy, general generosity, doesn’t matter what you call it. If you have an ask of someone, that’s totally okay! Just remember, people have wants and needs too so — if someone takes you up on your offer, happily reciprocate. Even if you don’t have a need of someone, take someone up on their offer. It’s simply karma and good will; the more good you do for others the more good that will come your way.

Step 5: These people matter.
There are obviously different tiers in which people will fit in your circle. Understand that the types of people you want in your immediate circle are mentors, and other well-connected individuals. These are the people you should be seeing at least a few times out of the year so that they have a fair assessment of who you are. These are the people you want to leverage when you look to expand your network. So, when you realize it’s Melissa that can help you out with that prospective hire, you know Jordan and Abdul can get you on the phone with her.

Step 6: Friends are fun, not professional.
Quite honestly, this may go without saying, but your friends probably have no measure of your professional skills because you spend time with them in a different context. They should be the ones that you share the new promotion that fell into your lap by way of your connections, you super-networker you. ____

I’m Grant Ruffinengo, a 2018 Venture for Canada Atlantic Intern. I currently am finishing my Political Science degree with Dalhousie University and minoring in Journalism. I’m a creative, flamboyant storyteller with a penchant for engaging small-business entrepreneurs and sharing what’s local to a network that’s global. I’m always looking for the next great disruptive idea happening in my community that can shift the landscape globally. My goals are to find innovative tactics to combat new global challenges and faced them head on with a well-executed, strategic approach to sustainable-growth. I believe an organic reach at home from impactful communication will lead to distinguished relationships abroad.

Venture for Canada has allowed me to showcase my harmonic approach to teamwork and develop a broadened network that will allow me to leverage strengths as I forward my career.

Don’t miss your chance to join the Venture for Canada Community! Applications for the Venture for Canada Atlantic Internship are open. Click here to learn more and apply. The upcoming application deadline for a January Internship is November 16, 2018.

Program combines two leading entrepreneurship/leadership networks for enterprising youth to help launch their careers.

October 5, 2018

The Cansbridge Fellowship, an organization providing resources to high-impact Canadian students and enabling them to do a summer of internship in Asia, and Venture for Canada, a national charity which develops entrepreneurial leadership skills through attracting, training and supporting youth to work at innovative Canadian small and medium sized enterprises, have entered into a partnership to launch a 2-year joint program for undergraduate students across Canada.

The program enables qualified students the opportunity to live and work in Asia as part of the Cansbridge Fellowship’s Asia Internship experience in summer 2019 followed by a fast-tracked selection into the 2020 cohort of Venture for Canada.

Susie Pan, a 2013 Cansbridge and 2015 VFC Fellow, stated, “Both Venture for Canada and Cansbridge exemplifies the commitment to help students and young professionals during the most critical time of their early careers by developing strong leadership and entrepreneurial qualities. As an alumna of both fellowships, I can attest to the role both programs played in my professional development and am excited for the synergies in this partnership between VFC and Cansbridge to help more Canadian students flourish.”

Chris Labelle, founding Director of Cansbridge Fellowship and co-founder of Mosaic Manufacturing, stated, “As an entrepreneur who started his company right out of university, I know a combined program like this would be enormously helpful to enterprising youth who are interested in investing their future.”

“Venture for Canada is excited to collaborate with the Cansbridge Fellowship to support more entrepreneurial young Canadians to gain the experiential learning opportunities that they need to successfully launch their careers,” stated Scott Stirrett, CEO of Venture for Canada.

This 2-year joint program between The Cansbridge Fellowship and Venture For Canada is unique in supporting Canada’s most entrepreneurial undergraduate students. By joining two of Canada’s top entrepreneurship networks for students, selected applicants will have the opportunity to expand their horizon and perspective while they are in Asia, and hone their skills while working for a startup as part of VFC.

Over the next year, The Cansbridge Fellowship will be delivering more opportunities and resources for young Canadian entrepreneurs through public and private sector partnerships. The two organizations look forward to an exciting future in Canadian entrepreneurship.

Applications for the joint program should be submitted through the Cansbridge website by October 21, 2018. Venture For Canada Fellowship applications for the fall will remain open until October 15, 2018.

About The Cansbridge Fellowship:

Cansbridge is an organization that provides extraordinary experiences & resources to its network of high-impact, entrepreneurial students and recent-grads. It aims to create a community of young Canadian professionals who share a love for adventure and entrepreneurship who will become the leaders of tomorrow. In its eighth year of operation, the program is completely administered and run by its alumni, and has over 100 Fellows taking on accelerated and challenging careers all over the world.

www.cansbridgefellowship.com

It’s that time of year again! Leaves are changing, smell of pumpkin spice in the air and best of all, it’s midterm season. As you head back home or to your dorm for the Thanksgiving weekend, here are a few tips to help you spend less time stuffing your brain, so you can spend more time stuffing your face.

1. A little prep goes a long way.
Before you leave school, make a checklist of all the things you will need for studying (ie. textbooks, your favourite pen, etc.). There is nothing more frustrating than sitting down and realizing you don’t have all your materials.

2. Make use of your travel time.
Whether you live 5 minutes or 5 hours from home, use your travel time to get a head start on making notes or catching up on readings. It may seem like a pain at the time, but you’ll thank yourself later.

3. It’s ok to take a break.
The Thanksgiving weekend is always packed with visits from friends and family. Use that time as an opportunity to break up your study sessions into more manageable segments. Spending time with loved ones is equally as important as your midterm on Tuesday.

4. Don’t forget to treat yourself.
After a long study session it’s important to treat yourself, whether it’s going for a walk or with an extra slice of pumpkin pie.

5. Don’t leave it all to the last minute.
There is nothing worse than realizing it’s 8pm on the Monday night and you have not opened a book. Pace yourself, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Hi, I’m Kelsey Grieve, a 2016 Venture for Canada Alumni. I love spending time outdoors, baking, and have always had the ambition of starting my own business. In my final year of Marketing at St.FX University, I was looking for an opportunity to gain hands on experience and develop my entrepreneurial network. The Fellowship Program seemed like a natural next step. Upon graduation, I moved back home to Toronto where I spent the next two years refining my marketing skills within the startup ecosystem. Currently, I am the National Marketing Coordinator for Venture for Canada and I could not be more thankful for all of the opportunities VFC has given me. If I could sum up my Venture for Canada experience thus far, I would say “humbled, honoured and inspired.”

Don’t miss your chance to join the Venture for Canada Community! Applications for the Venture for Canada Fellowship are open. Click here to learn more and apply. The upcoming application deadline for the fall is October 15, 2018.