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.
Kelowna’s Event Details
Kelowna’s Startup Basics | Route 97 Edition will be hosted here in our space on November 6th from 3:00pm to 7:30pm. The two Startup Basics sessions hosted in Kelowna will be; Laws of Attraction and Building Business.
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
Scott is an Executive in Residence with Accelerate Okanagan. He is a business leader with experience building and managing software products and teams from small startups to large enterprises spanning healthcare, semiconductor, and defence industries. As a co-founder of a successful software startup, Scott has expertise in business process improvement and software product development from concept through to nation-wide deployment. He enjoys bridging the gaps between people, process, technology, and business.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Electrical Engineering from UBC. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, biking, skiing, and playing celtic guitar and jazz piano.
Meet the Panellists
Phil Ashman is the Region Dean of the Central Okanagan at Okanagan College. Okanagan College is a public post-secondary institution with four main campuses in Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm, and Vernon, and three regional centres in Revelstoke, Summerland, and Oliver. The College serves approximately 20,000 students annually through over 140 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, and a wide range of university transfer and continuing studies course offerings. Connect with Phil. Learn more about the Okanagan College
Cooper Simpson is the Co-Founder of Central City Solar and is also an Okanagan College alumni. Central city solar is a solar installation and Distribution Company that builds tailor made solar packages for commercial property owners with usable roof space allowing these buildings to eliminate their electricity bill, cash-flow from excess energy generated by the panels, gain additional CCA deductions, and raise property value. We achieve this by partnering with building owners for long term financial gain. Connect with Cooper.
Rochelle Minagawa is the Co-Founder MotherLove Ferments. Since 2015, MotherLove has taken an age-old tradition and made it new again. Brewing everything in the Okanagan and using the freshest, local ingredients they can get their hands on to bring you the highest quality kombucha possible. Learn more about MotherLove Ferments.
Samantha Smith is the Co-founder of Dwell In. Samantha won Startup Weekend 2018 with the company Dwell in, an online rental management platform. Dwell in is for people who rent out property in BC, who struggle to easily select quality tenants for their investment properties. It is an online rental management platform that provides: reduced risk and saved time. Our product builds trustworthy relationships through a standardized application process and quality ranking system. Connect with Samantha Smith.
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
