Grant Funding Received for Modern Entrepreneur Innovation Series

The Economic Development Department has received $31,136 in grant funding through Island Coastal Economic Trust’s (ICET) DIVERSIFY – Capital and Innovation Program to develop and launch the next phase of its successful Modern Entrepreneur Series.

The Economic Development Department pioneered Vancouver Island’s first Modern Entrepreneur Series in 2017. The City of Campbell River received a provincial Open for Business award from Small Business BC for the program in 2018. The Modern Entrepreneur Innovation Series will build on this award-winning program’s existing suite of initiatives by adding expanded digital offerings and virtual programming, as well as resources to help local businesses reach national and international markets. This program will complement the department’s other innovation and investment programs and services, including the NexStream Tech Competition, and help support Campbell River’s growing innovation ecosystem.

The Modern Entrepreneur Innovation Series will have four core components, all of which will be linked and supported by an ongoing mentorship program: the Modern Entrepreneur Podcast (to air twice a month), the Modern Entrepreneur Livestream Speaker Series (two events in 2022, one event in early 2023), the Virtual Business Hub (involving a refresh of the TECHatchery website) and the Business innovation Hackathon (to be offered once in 2022 and once in 2023).

With grant funding secured, the economic development team will develop and launch the Modern Entrepreneur Innovation Series in 2022. Additional partnerships and support for this program include the Campbell River Area Angel Group and the Government of British Columbia’s network of international trade and investment representatives.

The full announcement is available on ICET’s website at https://www.islandcoastaltrust.ca/news/campbell-river-growing-innovation-economy.