By: Vanessa Lu
Source: thestar.com
Donning surgical scrubs on Monday, Dec. 16, Armen Bakirtzian stood in an operating room at Mount Sinai Hospital and held his breath.
Orthopedic surgeon Allan Gross was handling a device, which Bakirtzian initially designed as his final-year university design project.
After five years of work, and various iterations, it would finally be used for the first time in a patient — to help guide the placement of an artificial hip.
Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, December 12, 2013 – World renowned for its cultivation of technology entrepreneurship, Waterloo’s Accelerator Centre announced that personalized fashion e-retailer, Rose Athena, is the latest company to graduate from The Accelerator Program®. The award-winning Program has successfully graduated 34 companies into the marketplace since 2005, creating more than 1000 jobs, and contributing more than $100 million in revenue to the Waterloo Region economy.
Rose Athena is the brainchild of Bushra Dirir and Lily Wong, two fashionistas turned entrepreneurs who longed for a more personalized way to shop for dresses. Using the finest quality fabric and products, and building on the hottest fashion trends, Rose Athena allows its style-savvy customers to personalize a dress, choosing from an assortment of styling elements from color, to neckline, to sleeve length and hemline, producing a unique form-fitting garment built to an individual’s form and liking. The final product is then shipped directly to the customer’s door.
“Rose Athena’s success is yet another showcase example of our world-recognized Accelerator Program at work. We take a long-term view with respect to our Clients, offering them intensive business advice, education and mentorship that spans years, not months. So when companies graduate from our program, they are as equipped as they can be to enter the marketplace and operate as a self-sustaining business. Rose Athena’s management team took full advantage of all our program had to offer, and their graduation today is a testament to their hard work and commitment,” says Tim Ellis, CEO of the Waterloo Accelerator Centre and Accelerator Program Inc.
About the Accelerator Centre
The Accelerator Centre, located within Waterloo’s David Johnston Research + Technology Park, is a world-renowned, award-winning facility dedicated to developing and commercializing technology start-ups. Through The Accelerator Program, early-stage companies benefit from in-depth business coaching and seamless support services, including access to office facilities, coaching and mentoring, education, connections to capital, networking, R&D support and outreach, talent recruitment, technology transfer assistance, and commercialization expertise, enabling technology start-ups to move to market faster, create jobs and stimulate economic activity.
Social Media Links
Follow us on Twitter @AC_Waterloo
Join us on LinkedIn
For further information, please contact:
Ellyn Winters-Robinson
Communications Advisor
Accelerator Centre
Phone: 519-624-2402
Email: ewinters-robinson@acceleratorcentre.com
@ellynjane
By Suzanne Bowness
Communications and Public Affairs
University of Waterloo
After many years of teaching Spanish to Waterloo students, Camelia Nunez knows beginners learn best by engaging in meaningful conversations. She also knows undergrads spend a lot of time chatting on their smartphones.
So she came up with an idea: Why not use smartphones as a platform for students to receive and respond to messages in their new language?
With a solid concept, Nunez began a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) at the Conrad centre at University of Waterloo. Support from MBET mentors and professors helped her launch Milao, a language learning chat tool for smartphones.
“My experience shows that you don’t necessarily have to be an engineer to have a good idea. Great ideas do come from arts and humanities—and when you combine them with science, great things can happen,” says Nunez, who is also a PhD student of Hispanic linguistics.”
Milao, which is Modern Greek for “to communicate,” is an on-demand chat program aligned with university curriculum for beginner language courses. It lets users chat about typical beginner language topics with an avatar – topics like ordering food or asking for directions.
Click here to read the full article.
“Milao Language Inc. announced today that they have received $50,000 in funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). This important milestone will help Milao as they continue to work towards commercialization. The funding comes at an opportune time as Milao has begun beta testing with the University of Waterloo’s beginner Spanish students. The Milao team expects a need to implement requested features from excited students and faculty.”
The full news/blog post was published on the University of Waterloo, Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship and Tchnology Centre website. Click here for a link to the full article.
KITCHENER, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Nov. 12, 2013) – The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, joined by Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga, today announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a contract of over $100,000 to Clearpath Robotics Inc. of Kitchener, Ontario, for its innovation, the Kingfisher M200 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). The contract was awarded through the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), formerly known as the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP).
“The Government of Canada’s top priority is the economy and we understand that helping Canadian businesses expand and succeed directly benefits Canadian workers and families by creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Finley. “We are proud to encourage Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit by kick-starting Canadian businesses to get their innovative products and services from the lab to the marketplace.”
Clearpath Robotics Inc.’s innovation, the Kingfisher M200 USV, is a portable robotic vessel, designed to measure and analyze inland waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds and estuaries. The Kingfisher is intended for use by researchers and environmental engineers performing lengthy or difficult surveying of inland waters. It provides a safe and reliable method for collecting high quality data with more accuracy and at lower costs than the existing industry-standard techniques. The Kingfisher has also demonstrated substantial benefits in terms of safety and water accessibility, as it is able to collect data from areas deemed impossible to reach by boat and too dangerous to enter on foot.
Read full article here.
Source: Daily Commercial News Online
WATERLOO, ON, CANADA, Oct 29, 2013 – iNotForProfit, an emerging leader in smartphone app creation for the philanthropic sector, announced last night that it would be providing mobile apps to the Ontario Volunteer Centre Network (OVCN). This newly formed partnership was unveiled during the 2013 OVCN INNOVATION and ACTION! Conference.
OVCN is the voice of volunteerism in Ontario. Their goal is to take Ontario volunteerism to the next level. Through their network, Volunteer Centres can build upon their capacity, enabling them to increase the quantity and quality of their programs. The OVCN is constantly looking for new ways to elevate Ontario volunteerism, from engaging youth to seniors to inspiring entire communities.
iNotForProfit will help OVCN members develop their mobile marketing and communication strategy through the development of apps designed to reach next generation, skilled professional and boomer volunteers. iNotForProfit apps, free to users, and available for iOS, BlackBerry 10 and Android platforms, will now be offered to all OVCN endorsed Volunteer Centre Members OVCN apps will offer a dedicated section where volunteers can easily access Volunteer Centre information, volunteer opportunities, along other things such as push notification to send reminders and update messages. Push notifications have been shown to double retention rates.
“Noticing the rising prevalence of mobile users, the increasing youth dependence on mobile, and given Ontario’s mandate to provide a provincial network and voice to strengthen the individual and collective ability of Volunteer Centres in Ontario to promote and develop volunteerism, we partnered with OVCN to help make an impact. Together we are offering a new way to help volunteer organizations increase volunteer engagement and make getting involved easier and more accessible,” says Jonathan Grover, CEO of iNotForProfit. “The OVCN is clearly a leader in transforming volunteerism and pioneering a new digital age of philanthropy. For close to a year we have been actively working with two members of OVCN, the Volunteer Action Centre in Kitchener-Waterloo and Volunteer Halton, to lead the way. Both organizations have already had great success in piloting their own apps, created for them by iNotForProfit,” says Grover.
“We saw a need in the community,” says Manon Germain, Network Manager, OVCN. “Our members needed a better approach to engage the growing mobile community, and their constituents. They wanted an easier method to stay connected and up-to-date with opportunities. Our goal is to increase impact and awareness of volunteerism. And with the 7th Change The World – Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge being extended to 6 weeks to engage high school students in volunteerism, we knew the time was now to make the move to introduce a mobile app to our membership,” says Germain.
About Ontario Volunteer Centre Network (OVCN)
The OVCN is an unincorporated network of 24 Volunteer Centres in Ontario, guided by a volunteer steering committee. The OVCN’s mandate is to provide a provincial network and voice to strengthen the individual and collective ability of Volunteer Centres in Ontario to promote and develop volunteerism.
The purpose of OVCN is to increase support for Ontario’s Volunteer Centres; build Volunteer Centre capacity to deliver quality programs and services, manage and govern their organizations, and generate revenue; influence social policy as it relates to Volunteer Centres and volunteerism; increase public awareness of the value and impact of volunteerism in Ontario. To learn more, please visit www.ovcn.ca.
About iNotForProfit (iN4P)
iNotForProfit is a social enterprise using next-generation technology to create accessible solutions for the philanthropic sector. Social media has changed the way we engage; just as online donations has changed fundraising. Mobile apps are not only a part of this change, but also the future of impact. Our mission is to help them spread their message, connect communities to their cause, and fundraise more effectively.
We believe this is the age of philanthropy, of social good and social change. We’re here to be a catalyst. We’re here to help nonprofit, charities and NGOs connect, fundraise and engage in today’s online world. We’re here to change the world. For more information please visit www.inotforprofit.com.
Social Media Links
Facebook www.facebook.com/iN4P-Inc-iNotForProfit
Twitter @inot4profit
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/in4p
Guelph, Ontario – For parents who want to put their kids in the best schools in Canada, but have a frustrating time finding school boundary information, the website www.LeoBold.ca is the first and only website to combine Canadian school rankings and boundaries together on a Google Map.
LeoBold Inc. has been busy digitizing school boundaries and has now released it on their website for the public to view for free. A good school is the number one factor for new parents when buying a home but there is no website that combines real estate listings, school boundaries, and rankings in one place until now.
Previously, parents had to search for model homes by driving around looking for sales center signs. Then they would spend weeks researching and visiting individual schools. Most parents don’t know how to find school ranking or school boundary information on the internet.
Many school boards don’t publicize their school boundaries and when they do it is in a PDF format, which isn’t as convenient as seeing it on a Google Map.
LeoBold.ca has the most up to date and complete database of newly built homes in the GTA. We showcase hundreds of new home builders and new development sites. We are also the first to include high quality photos and floor plans of new construction homes in Canada.
For more information, visit www.LeoBold.ca or contact Ronald Tingchaleun at
Ronald@LeoBold.ca
519.830.9888
(Kitchener, ON, Canada – October 29, 2013) The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards, celebrating 20 years of honoring entrepreneurship and innovation in Canada, announced CEO of Clearpath Robotics, Matt Rendall, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2013 Ontario award winner in the category of Young Entrepreneur. The Ernst & Young Awards Gala was held at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre Thursday evening.
“I am thrilled and incredibly honored to receive this award,” said Matt Rendall, CEO and co-founder of Clearpath Robotics. “Entrepreneurship is a team sport; this milestone is shared equally amongst my dedicated business partners and the whole Clearpath team – we are in this together 100%.”
With Matt Rendall’s leadership, Clearpath Robotics became profitable within 18 months of its inception, and has since developed a customer base of leading researchers in over 25 countries around the world.
“Leading entrepreneurs see the future before it takes place,” says Colleen McMorrow, National and Ontario EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program director. “Inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship is exactly what we need in Canada.”
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates the contribution and spirit of entrepreneurs everywhere. The Canadian program is in its 20th year of honoring the country’s most impressive entrepreneurs from all areas of business. Award finalists are chosen based on their vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year
Entrepreneurs turn us on. To new ideas, new ways of thinking and new possibilities. We’ve shone the spotlight on entrepreneurs for 20 years – and we’ve only just begun. Nominees are reviewed by an independent judging panel composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. The 2013 Ontario judging panel consisted of John Albright, Founder and Managing Partner, Relay Ventures; Claude Haw, Managing Partner, Venture Coaches; Tim Jackson, Vice President, University Relations, University of Waterloo; Don Morrison, Senior Managing Director and Country Head, OMERS Private Equity; Nicole Musicco, Vice President, Funds & Co-Investments, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan; David Shaw, 2010 Ontario Entrepreneur Of The Year professional services category winner and Founder and CEO, Knightsbridge Human Capital Management; and Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, MaRS Discovery District. www.ey.com/ca/EOY.
About Clearpath Robotics
Clearpath Robotics, a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, is dedicated to automating the world’s dullest, dirtiest, and deadliest jobs. The Company serves robotics leaders in over 30 countries worldwide in academic, corporate, industrial, and military environments. Recognizing the value of future innovation, Clearpath Robotics established Partnerbot, a grant program to support university robotics research teams, internationally. Clearpath Robotics provides robust robotic vehicles and autonomous solutions that are engineered for performance, designed for customization, and built for open source. Visit Clearpath Robotics at www.clearpathrobotics.com, follow us on Twitter @clearpathrobots or like us on Facebook.
# # #
Contact:
Meghan Hennessey
Marketing Communications
519-513-2416
press@clearpathrobotics.com
Source: CBC News Online
A Waterloo tech company that allows users to donate to charity by rounding up purchases has formed its first partnership with a financial institution in Waterloo Region.
ChangeIt users are able to round up their debit and credit purchases to the next dollar, and donate the remainder to charities of their choice. The rounding doesn’t show up at the cash register but is calculated by ChangeIt software and the difference is taken out of the user’s bank account at the end of the month.
The firm has now extended its services to the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, which is based in Kitchener with about 19,000 members and eight branches in southern Ontario.
“Basically members can say I would like to activate ChangeIt on my payment card, so that when I make a purchase, I choose to have that purchase rounded up in the background,” said ChangeIt chief operating officer Jim Stirtzinger.
Read the full article here.
Waterloo (Ontario) CANADA, October 23, 2013 – BlackBerry employees facing layoff are getting a much-needed helping hand from Waterloo Region tech startup Cream.HR.
The Communitech HYPERDRIVE graduate announced today it is offering up its online talent assessment solution to all displaced Blackberry staff for free, providing these new job seekers with an opportunity to go beyond the resume and use CREAM.HR’s behavioral science-based solution to showcase their strengths and talents, while proving their cultural fit with prospective employers.
“We’re a closely knit technology community in Waterloo Region and it was important to us to step in and offering a helping hand to our BlackBerry colleagues,” says Cream.HR CEO, Caitlin MacGregor. “Our platform uses the science of psychology to uncover each applicant’s problem solving abilities and priorities so they can position themselves with prospective employers. And we can help employers surface the highest potential candidates for a company’s culture and position and go beyond gut instinct to know how a candidate will perform on the job.”
“Cream.HR’s platform is like a crystal ball,” says Gerald Valdez, a former BlackBerry employee who is now happily employed at Desire2Learn. “It highlighted my passion for technology and for building business relationships, and strongly pointed me toward a technical sales role, which had never crossed my mind as an engineer. Cream.HR helped me articulate a strong set of credentials and insights allowing me to approach my job search with laser focus and differentiate myself within a large pool of applicants.”
Former BlackBerry workers who wish to take advantage of Cream.HR’s free assessment offer can sign up today at cream.hr/bb.
On October 29th 2013, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Accelerator Centre, Meeting Room 2, Cream.HR will host a Job Seeker Assessment Workshop sponsored by Communitech. The event will assist former BlackBerry employees uncover their innate strengths and talents and best position themselves with future employers.
On November 27, 2013 Cream.HR will join with Communitech, the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA), Right Management, the ITEC Group and the Dean Group for a panel discussion and workshop. The evening event, to take place at the Tannery Event Space and moderated by Accelerator Program HR mentor and Leadership & Culture consultant Jackie Lauer, will focus on practical strategies and advice to assist former BlackBerry employees in their job search.
For further details, please contact:
Christine Bird, COO Cream.HR
Tel: +1-610-800-1137, Email: Christine@cream.hr
@Cream_HR
About Cream.HR
Cream.HR identifies job applicants with the highest potential, matching them to your company culture and position. Using the science of psychology, our cloud based hiring solution assesses each applicant’s problem solving ability and priorities, before a resume is read.
Go beyond gut instinct, find the hidden gems and finally know how each candidate will perform months after being hired. Start using Cream.HR today to establish a standardized benchmark for hiring, build great team dynamics, and scale your culture.
