This fall, Accelerate Okanagan is joining forces with Valley First and MNP to launch a Route 97 Edition of Startup Basics. On November 5th our team will hit the road and visit four Okanagan cities in four days. The purpose of the Route 97 Edition of Startup Basics is to engage in a meaningful way with entrepreneurs and community organizations and to support the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem across the Okanagan.
In each of the four cities (Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, and Salmon Arm), there will be two back-to-back workshop-style sessions presented by Accelerate Okanagan mentors, a panel discussion featuring local entrepreneurs and innovators, and a networking event designed to build community and inspire connection.
VERNON’S EVENT DETAILS
Vernon’s Startup Basics | Route 97 Edition will be hosted at Community Futures North Okanagan on November 7th from 3:00 to 7:30 pm. The two Startup Basics sessions hosted in Vernon will be; Laws of Attraction and Business Building.
Laws of Attraction is all about finding your customer. Entrepreneurs will walk through the Customer Discovery process and learn how to ask the right questions and formulate hypotheses to validate their product and market.
Business Building helps entrepreneurs plan the next step for their business ideas by using the nine elements of a business model canvas. This canvas is designed to get each entrepreneur thinking about every aspect of their business and can be a powerful tool to help ignite their idea.
After these two sessions, there will be a Lesson’s Learned panel discussion. We’ve invited local entrepreneurs and community members to share their journey, insights, challenges, and successes in order to inspire you to take the leap.
At the end of the evening, there will be an opportunity to network with the panellists and speakers as well as your fellow entrepreneurs!
MEET THE MENTOR
Alison is an Executive in Residence with Accelerate Okanagan. She is a visionary and innovative executive that has lead multi-million dollar companies to launching tech start-ups. She currently owns her own company and conducts results-based advisory services to a diverse portfolio of SME clients ranging from technology to manufacturing. She is highly valued for establishing scalable business processes that foster growth, cultivating high performance teams, and is known for her creative energy and ability to translate strategic vision into action plans that build momentum.
She is a versatile executive recognized for having superior marketing skills, exceptional sales abilities and superlative business acumen. She holds a diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and she completed her Queen’s University Executive Program in 2008.
Alison ga nihongo o hanashimasu (translation: Speaks Japanese) and is a wannabe pro-golfer who values every minute spent with family and is learning to love yoga. Namaste!
MEET THE PANELLISTS
Kazia is the Business Services Coordinator at Community Futures North Okanagan. Community Futures is a community-based not-for-profit corporation offering a comprehensive selection of business and employer services, employment assistance services, and economic development as determined and required by local and regional communities.
Peter is the Founder of VO2 Master and also an Accelerate Okanagan Program Alumni. He joined our Venture Acceleration program with his company VO2 Master, the worlds first wearable, affordable and easy to use VO2 monitor. Connect with Peter. Learn more about VO2 Master.
Andrew is the Founder of Ratio Coffee & Pastry. Ratio Coffee & Pastry started with a simple idea: Vernon, BC deserved quality coffee and pastries. Andrew started out his businesses with a little coffee cart that took off and now has become a very successful coffee house and pastry shop. Learn more about Ratio Coffee & Pastry.
Kate and Julia are the Co-Founders of Locality. The LOCALITY subscription box was born out of their love for all things Okanagan. They wanted to contribute to the ‘SHOP LOCAL’ movement by providing our members with easy access to beautiful, artisanally made, Okanagan products. They were also the winners of the enterprize challenge in Vernon. Learn more about LOCALITY.
NOT IN TECH? NOT A PROBLEM
We welcome all entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs, not just those in the tech sector.
Get your ticket for the Startup Basics Workshops
Can’t make it to the workshops? Come to the FREE Lesson’s Learned panel
