Vaughan and ventureLAB partner to expand services for entrepreneurs
City marks Small Business Week with new economic development services and workshops
Municipalinfonet.com
October 24, 2019
I am proud to announce that the City of Vaughan and ventureLAB have partnered to provide enhanced services to help entrepreneurs market their ideas, develop new and innovative services and remain ahead of the competition, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said today during the City’s official launch of Small Business Week. Mayor Bevilacqua made the comments alongside ventureLAB President and CEO Melissa Chee.
Located in York Region, ventureLAB supports tech entrepreneurs with cutting-edge programs focused on securing capital, recruiting and retaining talent, utilizing technology and attracting customers. Working in collaboration with the City’s Economic and Cultural Development department, this partnership expands ventureLAB’s reach across the region, to offer better access to professional coaching, mentoring and strategic advice from an experienced growth advisor for Vaughan-based businesses. Founders and entrepreneurs can take part in specialized support services and workshops like an Investment Readiness Clinic. These new service offerings begin in November at Vaughan City Hall.
Each October the City’s Economic and Cultural Development department’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship team takes part in Small Business Week -- a national initiative by the Business Development Bank of Canada. The theme for 2019 is Showcasing the people behind the businesses -- which recognizes the ideas, determination and successes of Canadian entrepreneurs. The launch event took place at Paintlounge Kleinburg -- an area business that promotes social painting through a variety of opportunities. Owners Elen Awad, Angela De Angelis and Mariano De Nicola were in attendance.
Other City-planned events for Small Business Week include informative and interactive networking, and workshops on a range of topics such as better understanding business law, hiring best practices and leveraging digital media tools. For more information and to register, please visit vaughan.ca/BusinessEvents.
Small Business Week coincides with several other transformational economic development initiatives currently underway and consistent with the priorities of the Council-approved 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan, namely Economic Prosperity, Investment and Social Capital​.
Mayor Bevilacqua recently led a memorandum of understanding between the City, ventureLAB, York University and Mackenzie Health to identify opportunities to maximize the best use of lands surrounding the site of the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital through a feasibility study. The goal of this collaboration is for the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct to leverage resources to bring healthcare, innovation and jobs to the community.
Council also voted to launch a new Economic Prosperity Task Force and to renew the mandate of the Mayor’s Smart City Advisory Task Force -- two working groups that bring together Members of Council, leading stakeholders and engaged residents to work toward ideas that diversify and strengthen the local economy.
QUOTES
“At the City of Vaughan, we take great pride in knowing that our community continues to be a leading destination for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses to reach new and unprecedented heights. Today, Vaughan is home to over 12,000 businesses that employ more than 223,000 people. Since 2010, this city has led with an economic growth rate of four per cent -- far outpacing Ontario and Canada -- and has seen the creation of more than 60,000 new jobs. Small business remains the backbone of Vaughan’s thriving economy -- representing over 80 per cent of all local job creators. On the occasion of Small Business Week, Vaughan looks forward to working closely with ventureLAB to build on the City’s success and commitment to help entrepreneurs pursue their aspirations, reach their goals and achieve unrivalled success.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
“ventureLAB is looking forward to expanding our programs and services across Vaughan and York Region to better support tech entrepreneurs. Since 2011, we have supported over 2,000 entrepreneurs building and scaling their businesses, and have helped over 100 companies raise over $110 million in investment, and create over 3,500 jobs. We look forward to working with the City of Vaughan to broaden our reach, and support more entrepreneurs.”
-Melissa Chee, President and CEO, ventureLAB
QUICK FACTS
- The City of Vaughan celebrates Small Business Week from Tuesday, Oct. 22 to Thursday, Oct. 24 with eight events taking place across the community.
- The Small Business and Entrepreneurship team offers year-round support for local businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages, with access to business information, resources, training and hands-on assistance to start or grow a business.
