Navigate presents: December Navigate Entrepreneur Ecosystem Coffee Break – Shop Local Bonanza!

bo·nan·za noun

/bəˈnanzə/

“a situation or event that creates a sudden increase in wealth, good fortune, or profits.”

You know what gifts and goods are not sitting delayed on cargo ships? Anything made right here by local businesses! Shop local this Christmas for a gift that gives twice!

Join us on December 8 to hear from local entrepreneurs about the deals and promotions they are offering this Christmas and meet shop local champions to learn about the many tools and supports that are out there to help local businesses reach customers.

If you are a local entrepreneur and are interested in promoting your business, register now at the link below!

When: Wednesday, Dec. 8th from 11:30am-1pm

Please register in advance here.

This is a free online event.

In partnership with Spicer Facilitation and Learning

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

NAVIGATE ENTREPRENEUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2022

Announcing the next Navigate Entrepreneur Internship Program. Student applications now open! $3000 stipends for selected applicants!

Navigate Entrepreneur Internship Program 2022

Deadline to apply is December 23rd.

Internships start in January 2022.

Navigate is now accepting applications for a limited number of Entrepreneur Internship positions. This initiative will provide financial resources, support and guidance to students with a viable business plan to develop their business idea while still in school or just graduating. Must be a student of MUN Grenfell Campus or CNA Corner Brook Campus to be eligible.

Ready to forge your own career path? Want to be your own boss?

Apply now for one of our entrepreneur internship positions to help you start your own business!

As an entrepreneur intern, you will:

• Work on your business idea with the dedicated support and guidance of mentors and advisors
• Connect with a network of peers and key ecosystem players
• Have flexible hours to work on your business idea while pursuing yourstudies
• Receive a $3000 stipend to help support you on your startup journey
• Connect with potential customers
• Complete an 8-week internship during which time you will work withNavigate advisors to develop and refine your business idea

Program requirements:

Please complete the application questions and information below and email to Allison Rowe, Navigate Manager at allisonr@grenfell.mun.ca

Personal Information
First name:

Last name:

Email:

Phone number:

Post-Secondary Institution:

Program of Study:

Student Number: Country of origin:

Motivation and Goals

1. What is your main motivation for applying for the Navigate Entrepreneur Internship Program?

2. What skills/background are you bringing to the internship?

3. What do you hope to achieve by completing the Navigate Internship Program?

Your Business Idea

4. Give a high-level description of your business idea in one sentence, 10 words or less.

5. Business idea Overview (Less than 500 words)

Please provide a brief overview of your proposed products/services, as well as target markets. If you have not yet identified a product or service, tell us about the problem you are looking to solve.

6. What assumptions do you currently have that, if proven wrong, could cause the business to fail? Please list the top three assumptions about your business.

7. Does your company seek to address a social, cultural, or environmental issue? If yes, please elaborate.

Required Supporting Documents and Information

8. Please provide the following as part of your application:

• A one-page cover letter
• Your resume
• Your transcript
• Please submit a completed Lean Canvas: Visit the links below for details.https://navigatesmallbusiness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/lean-canvas- powerpoint-template.pptx
  https://leanstack.com/lean-canvas https://railsware.com/blog/lean-canvas-a-tool-your-startup-needs-instead-of-a- business-plan/

Navigate Feedback

9. How did you hear about the Navigate Internship program?

Jose Lam Startup Event 2021

The 2021 Jose Lam Startup Event was a great success!

The 2.5-day event for entrepreneurs in memory of Dr. Jose Lam was filled with creativity, fun, and lots of fantastic ideas from our wonderful participants. We encouraged all that partook to adopt Dr. Lam’s well-loved and inspirational can- do attitude, resulting in our teams developing a variety of carefully crafted and creatively thought-out ideas in the short amount of time given. We could not be more impressed with the great business ideas and quality pitches that the teams delivered! Congratulations to everyone who put their ideas to the test!

On Sunday, the top 5 teams presented their final pitches. A panel of judges had the tough decision of choosing the top 3 teams. And the winners were:

1st place: Grow Up: Hydroponic herbs for business-to-business sales, serving local restaurants and stores.

2nd place: Atlantic Canada Student Immigration Services (ACSIS): services and social media to promote international student immigration to Atlantic Canada.

3rd place: Augment GNP: not-for-profit augmented reality app to enhance tourism on the Great Northern Peninsula.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all who participated, sponsored, and contributed to the Jose Lam Startup Event! We love to see ideas flowing and entrepreneurs thriving!

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest thanks to the many individuals who played a critical role this past weekend in making the second annual Dr. Joe Lam Startup Event a huge success!

Firstly, thank you to the many brave participants who showed up and threw their business idea into the ring! Bravo for a job well done!

Next, a huge thank you to our mentors who graciously volunteered their entire weekend from Friday evening through to late Sunday afternoon to guide our participants through the intense pressure cooker process that is startup weekend: Carla May (NLOWE), Rob Thomas (Qalipu), Ken Carter (Grenfell Office of Engagement and Research), Mark Tierney (ACOA), Dr. Billy Newell (Grenfell Faculty of Business), Linda Spingle (IENL/Study & Stay). Your dedication, patience and passion helped carry your teams through this challenging entrepreneurial event.

Thank you to our expert coaches, Dr. Jacqueline Walsh (legal support), Lynn and Allan Kendall (tourism and business support), Denise Gibbons (business support), Grant Wheeler (sales and marketing), Jon Paulse (sales and marketing), and pitch coach extraordinaire, Carole Spicer (Spicer Facilitation and Learning). A big thank you for sharing your expertise and knowledge with our eager entrepreneurs!

Many thanks to our judges: Tobi Biggin (CBDC Humber), Tony Joyce (RBC), Brent Decker (IET), Dustin Parsons (Marble Mountain & Steady Entertainment) and Dr. Ian Sutherland (VP Grenfell Campus) for taking on the arduous task of deliberating and choosing the pitch winners. The race was a tight one!

A huge expression of gratitude to our generous event prize sponsors who helped make winning even sweeter:

• Newfound Marketing (5 hours of marketing consulting valued at $750)
• Digital Advertising Solutions (a 10-second ad on one of their digitalbillboards for a month valued at $575)
• RBC ($250 cash prize)
• Western Group of Companies ($250 cash prize)
• CBDC Humber ($250 cash prize and door prize)
• Bootleg Brew Co. (swag and gifts)
• Dr. Jacqueline Walsh (2 hours of legal consulting for businesses)
• NLOWE (door prize)

A very big thank you to our program funders: ACOA and IET. It is your generous contribution that makes events like this possible. Thank you as well to the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills for bringing greetings and supporting the winning teams, and to the Honourable MHA Scott Reid for generously sponsoring the catering for Friday evening’s event.

And last, but not least, a very special thank you the many people who helped organize and deliver the event: to Dr. Ian Sutherland (VP Grenfell Campus) for his exceptional co-facilitation skills and great energy, to Charlene Connors (Extended Learning Program Developer) for her excellent event management, organizational skills and dedication, to Aaron Ryan (CNA Faculty Researcher) for his tech support and quick trouble shooting skills, to Roshayne Mendes for her help and dedication with event planning and organizing, to student volunteers Saif Sayeedi and Grace Callahan for their help throughout the weekend, to Pam Gill, MARCOMM, Facilities Management, GCSU Backlot staff, and ITS for their help leading up to the weekend, and to Sprout Marketing for their event promo and social media support throughout the weekend. This event would not have been such a success without the many hands who made it all possible!

Thank you all for helping to make the second annual Dr. Jose Lam Startup Event a tremendous success! We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Can I get a Yes Way, Jose?!

Navigate Next Gen – Young Brothers Hengeveld Take First Prize

Good fortune and a solid business plan landed two Corner Brook brothers the top prize at the Jose Lam Startup Event this weekend past.

Ezra Hengeveld, 12, and brother Silas, 14, have a huge interest in entrepreneurism, so their dad, Robert, accompanied them to the event. Along with their father, Robert, and team member Chris Watton of Corner Brook, the foursome rocked the event, taking first prize for their startup “Grow Up: Growing Greens and Entrepreneurs.” The Hengeveld brothers, and their sister Juniper, 9, came up with the idea for the hydroponic produce business about six months ago.

“The Jose Lam Startup Event gave us the opportunity to present our business plan and show the judges that our idea was ready to go,” said Silas.

The initial plan is to grow basil in their home – 144 hydroponic plants using the nutrient filter technique (NFT) – with a view to expanding the produce options over time. The siblings have already had interest from a local grocery store and several restaurants.

Eventually, they hope to introduce lettuce, spinach, lemon grass and other herbs to their operation.

“It was a cool experience to hear everyone’s ideas and to meet new people,” said Ezra, adding that Allison Rowe of Navigate and Carla May, startup business advisor with NLOWE, were great supports during the event.

At one point when the boys felt their spirits flagging, a couple of fortune cookie messages (provided as an icebreaker activity) gave them the inspiration they needed: “You will be unusually successful in business” and “Keep your nose to the grindstone.”

After meeting the other entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs,” pitching their idea, assembling their team, building their brand and listening to mentors’ advice, the team went on to take the $500 first place prize.

“This is their thing,” said Robert. “Their mother, Marcia, and I are here to help with the technical stuff, but otherwise it’s their idea, their business.”

Second place went to “Atlantic Canada Student Immigration Services (ACSIS),” services and social media to promote international student immigration to Atlantic Canada, and third went to “Augment GNP,” a not-for-profit augmented reality app to enhance tourism on the Great Northern Peninsula.

Navigate launched the Dr. Jose Lam Startup Event in 2019 in commemoration of Dr. Lam’s many valued contributions to community engagement, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning in rural communities of western Newfoundland. Dr. Lam passed away in March 2019. Dr. Lam’s research interests included the fields of entrepreneurship, small business management, family business and regional economic development.

ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT

Navigate: What is the name/location of your business/organization? Your title? Hometown?

Ray Brake is the co-owner of The Crooked Feeder Gastropub, Lower Level, Millbrook Mall in Corner Brook as well as Digital Advertising Solutions, 1 Westview Ave. in Corner Brook.

Navigate: Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?

RB: Always have been intrigued with business in general and felt there are opportunities out there that could be explored. I enjoy working with people, solving problems and taking on challenges.

Navigate: What is the main goal of your work/describe your organization’s aims?

RB: The goal of our business is to provide a great customer experience. Whether it is with a visit to the pub for a nice meal and some great music, or for clients who advertise on our digital billboard network. We thrive to ensure our customers are happy with the product and service they receive.

Navigate: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs/start-ups?

RB: Don’t fall in love with a bad idea. If you think you have a great idea (and you probably do), always consider major obstacles and try to overcome them first.

Navigate: Tell us about the challenges you faced when starting a business and about your biggest successes.

RB: Believing you can overcome the many challenges you face. There are too many challenges to list, but reminding yourself that you can get through it is very important. Especially when you start a business from scratch. There are days where it seems like absolutely everything is against you, persevering through it to achieve your business goals is my biggest success.

Navigate: What is the number one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a business?

RB: Believe in yourself and go for it, but be your own biggest critic also. Research your business as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Take all advice and feedback you receive with a grain of salt.

NAVIGATE BOARD SPOTLIGHT

Adam Anderson, Resource Innovation Inc.

Adam Anderson, RPF, EP, president and CEO of Resource Innovation Inc., is a passionate entrepreneur with a focus on creating new and exciting business opportunities using innovative technologies. He is also the co-chair of
the Navigate Advisory Board.

Adam has a wealth of experience and expertise in the natural resource management and geomatics fields. He is an Environmental Professional (EP) and a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) – Newfoundland and Labrador Professional Foresters Association and the Ontario Professional Foresters Association. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick, as well as a Technical Forest Diploma from the College of the North Atlantic in Newfoundland and Labrador. This educational background, combined with decades of work experience has given Adam the technical expertise required for a wide variety of services including forest and environmental management planning, harvest operational planning, ecological land classification, environmental monitoring, research design and implementation, GIS-based analysis, design and deployment of remote data collection tools and collection/processing of data using Unmanned Aerial Systems.

Adam has supervised natural resource management operations in many locations across Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and Northwest Territories) and is very experienced in managing large groups of people and working with the public, forest contractors, company officials, government officials and tourism operators. He has spent a significant amount of time researching natural resource operations in other parts of the world and has always aimed to improve his skills as a resource manager based on his findings. Adam has a strong background in technical data collection and forest research and has extensive experience in preparing technical reports and presenting them to the public and other interested parties.

Navigate asked Adam to tell us how he got started, his vision for Navigate, and his advice for those delving into the world of entrepreneurship.

Navigate: What is your business profile, and how did you get started?

Adam: Resource Innovation Inc. was formed in 2007 in NL. After graduating from university with a forestry background, and having worked several jobs in the industry, I decided that I wanted something different. I couldn’t really find the position that I was looking for in NL. I had so many ideas, many of which involved change in the forest sector, so I decided I would look for opportunities to start a new company and work for myself.

Navigate: Tell us about some of your successes and achievements.

Adam: The company has now been in operation for 14 years and over that time we have won several awards for our business performance. The company has grown across Canada, with active and past projects in NL, NS, ON, MB, AB, BC and NT. We have formed an amazing team of young professionals and developed a strong reputation for high quality services and efficiency. Together we are working with our clients to transform the industry using modern technologies.

Navigate: What is your vision for growing entrepreneurship in western
NL?

Adam: Navigate is focused on fostering new business startups and helping entrepreneurs grow successful businesses. My vision is a network of like-minded entrepreneurs, all working towards common goals and helping one another to grow and succeed.

Navigate: What is your advice for new entrepreneurs?

Adam: Find what makes you happy. Entrepreneurship is not an easy career choice. It will be extremely demanding at times, but also very rewarding. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Passion leads to success!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

A recording of the coffee break is available here.

Sharon provided an overview of NLWIC and updates on research projects being conducted around workforce attraction and retention. Our province is currently facing aging population and outmigration challenges. NLWIC research is focused on closing the disconnect for employers looking for talent, and potential employees looking for work. Increasing the capacity of employers to attract and retain talent, as well as developing the talent pipeline in this province are crucial to increasing an engaged workforce. Research on engaging underrepresented populations in the workforce is currently underway.

The NLWIC creates value for the entrepreneur ecosystem and labour market in our province by:

• aligning with the province’s priorities and requirements around increasing innovation, underrepresented groups’ labour market participation, and immigration throughout the province
• addressing collaboratively labour market challenges and opportunities that face our province’s labour market stakeholders
• promoting NL as a testbed and hub for innovation and NLWIC at CNA as a leader in convening, collaborating, incubating and promoting that innovation
• attracting local, provincial, national and international research and other collaborative partnerships based on the sharing of expertise, funding, knowledge, and tools to support NL’s and the rest of Canada’s regional and economic workforce development and recovery

They also create direct value for local entrepreneurs and businesses through:

• stakeholder engagement activities that provide platforms for conversations, collaboration and communications with NLWIC and to government on labour market challenges, opportunities and best practices
• mandated activities and deliverables that directly benefit entrepreneurs including the development of a digital workforce development ecosystem map and a new Labour Market Information NL (LMINL) tool that will support talent planning, recruitment and retention for local businesses
• research projects that are testing and producing innovative models of workforce development that will positively impact local businesses by:
  • providing access to these models with evidence of what works and what doesn’t
  • growing the quantity and quality of your workforce/talent
    pool focused on attaching individuals to the workforce, particularly underrepresented groups
  • increasing the entrepreneur ecosystem throughout the province including this region including the number of female and newcomer entrepreneurs in the technology sector as well as social enterprise

Sharon also identified some of the agencies in the entrepreneur ecosystem that can support talent recruitment activities including:

• Innovation Support
  • NLWIC
  • Navigate (MUN/CNA)
  • MCE
• Government Departments
  • Immigration, Population Growth and Skills
  • Industry, Energy and Technology (IET)
  • Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture (FFA)
  • Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) o Service Canada
  • Innovation Canada
• Organizations Representing Underrepresented Groups for a Diverse &
  Inclusive Workforce
  • Women
  • Youth
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Newcomers
  • Older Workers

• Workforce Development/Skills Development Funding Organizations
  • Government Departments
  • NLWIC
  • Future Skills Centre
  • ESDC
  • IRCC
• Sector Associations
  • TechNL
  • Econext (formerly NEIA)
  • NAIA
  • NFIA
  • Mining NL
  • NL Agriculture Industry Association o Other
• Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
  • Business Higher Education Roundtable – Resource Hub & Rural
    Roots
  • Magnet at Ryerson University
  • Education and Training Providers

• Private Job Postings Platforms – LinkedIn, Indeed, Facebook, EMSI, other
• Public Job Postings Dashboard – Labour Market Information Council (LMIC)
• Corporate Job Boards – Sector Associations, other