Fellowship strengthening the nation’s network of Startup Communities
September 26, 2016 | Startup Canada
Startup Canada, the national rallying community and voice for Canada’s entrepreneurs, today named its’ inaugural Fellow for Startup Communities. Dr. Sean Wise, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and star of the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Naked Entrepreneur, assumed the role on Sept. 26, 2016.
Dr. Wise will spend a year working with Startup Canada to accelerate the development of strong Startup Communities in cities and towns across Canada. Wise will visit some of Startup Canada’s existing 25 Startup Communities, as well as communities interested in joining the network to offer mentorship on building strong entrepreneurial ecosystems, and to empower entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and training needed to grow their companies.
“Dr. Sean Wise has been a stalwart supporter of Startup Canada since it launched in 2012 and has been a great asset to our community,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO and Co-Founder of Startup Canada. “His new role as the Startup Canada Fellow for Startup Communities will strengthen local and national connections between entrepreneurs and access to tools, networks, advisors, and opportunities to start, scale, innovate, and pivot.”
“I have followed the development of Startup Communities in Canada, and have experienced first-hand the importance of building this culture of community, entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Dr. Wise. “I am delighted to assist Startup Canada in strengthening the Startup Canada Communities program by helping wantrepreneurs become entrepreneurs, helping founders go from start to smart, and mentoring Startup Communities to empower their regions through entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.”
As the Startup Canada Fellow for Startup Communities, Wise will support the Startup Communities program to reach its expansion goal of 100 Startup Communities across Canada.
These communities bring together local entrepreneurship organizations to foster collaboration, information sharing, resource optimization, and ignite new opportunities, while also connecting them to the national network of Startup Communities.
Wise will kick-off his 20 stop tour on Oct. 6 with a stop in Moncton, N.B. at Invest Atlantic, a pan-regional conference for entrepreneurs and investors in Atlantic Canada. Wise will also visit Winnipeg, M.B., Nanaimo, B.C., Sarnia, O.N., Kamloops, B.C., Whitehorse, Y.T., Halifax, N.S., and Windsor, O.N. Additional tour stops will be added this fall.
Dr. Wise’s Fellowship is proudly supported by Ryerson University, one of Canada’s leading entrepreneurial universities, and ‘The First 100 Steps to Startup’, a digital program accessible by every entrepreneur to start and scale their businesses.
Quick Facts
- Startup Canada Communities is a national Startup Canada program that empowers and equips entrepreneurs and those driving local entrepreneurial and economic development activities with the framework, tools, resources, promotional support and network to build and accelerate the growth of grassroots entrepreneurial communities.
- The Startup Canada Communities program launched in 2012 with 19 Startup Communities across Canada. Today, there are 25 official Startup Canada Communities that engage entrepreneurs across the country.
- In 2014, Sean Wise was named the Startup Canada Mentor of the Year by the Startup Canada Awards program.
For more information and to schedule interviews, contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications, Marketing and Government Relations Manager
Startup Canada
613-627-0787 ext. 106
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the leading national social enterprise supporting and giving a voice to entrepreneurs through online programs, national awards, flagship events, and partnerships with private sector and government to foster a community for startup and small business success across the country. For more information, visit www.startupcan.ca.
About Startup Communities
Startup Canada Communities is a national Startup Canada program that empowers and equips entrepreneurs and those driving local entrepreneurial and economic development activities with the framework, tools, resources, promotional support and network to build and accelerate the growth of grassroots entrepreneurial communities. There are currently 25 Startup Canada Communities in the Startup Canada network across 9 provinces and 1 territory.
About Dr. Sean Wise
Dr. Sean Wise is a best-selling author, venture capitalist and founder of more than half a dozen new ventures. Dr. Wise has spent 18 years in the venture capital industry, specializing in supporting high growth innovation ventures at the seed stage. He is currently a partner at the seed fund, Ryerson Futures. Through that fund, he has supported more than 23 startups, investing in 13, over the last 36 months. Dr. Wise helped found Ernst & Young’s Venture Capital Advisory Group in Canada and the startups he has supported have raised more than $2.1 billion after training with him.
Dr. Wise started his first startup at age 13, by 30 he had started and launched 5 new ventures. At 31 he took his first company public. At 40, he was nominated for the Top 40 Under 40™ and in 2014 he named national startup Mentor of the Year. Dr. Wise helped launch Dragons’ Den, the hit reality show, now in 27 countries, and known as Shark Tank in the USA. After 5 seasons with the show, Dr. Wise moved in front of the camera with his own show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, called The Naked Entrepreneur.