Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis Institute helps 10 Canadian tech startups grow into globally competitive enterprises
Application deadline for Canadian Scale-Up Program on September 23
The Canadian Scale-Up Program has two offerings that aren’t widely available in Canada right now:
- Access to practical knowledge about how to scale a company, delivered by people who have successfully scaled a company (or several companies) themselves
- Connections to a deep network of tech executives, VCs and influencers in Silicon Valley who will provide a bridge for our participants and make it easier for them to access capital and make connections to expand in the US and internationally
The program has been designed so that founders/CEOs of promising tech companies work directly with people who have actually had the experience of scaling a global company successfully. One weekend a month for 5 months, founders/CEOs will gather in a different city (Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Vancouver). Four to six experts will be brought in each weekend to work with founders on topics ranging from talent management and growth metrics to global markets, global supply chains, and transfer pricing. The exact mix of topics will depend upon the needs and interests of the companies in the cohort.
Eligible applicants are headquartered in Canada, about three-years-old, have found a problem/solution fit, have received some market validation in the form of customer traction, and may have graduated from an accelerator or incubator program.
In addition to the experts acting as “instructors” on the weekends, there will be 10 mentors who will work with the 10 companies in the cohort.
The program will begin in Waterloo in November and conclude with a week in Silicon Valley in April 2017, with each module focusing on a theme:
Kick-off weekend
Waterloo – November 3 – 5
This brings together all of our participants to meet, set expectations and get started on their plans to scale. Special guests will share their insights.
Leadership
Toronto – December 1 – 3
Scaling begins at the top – with the leaders of your company. Topics include leadership for scaling a business, building a corporate culture, organization design for growth, talent management and growth metrics.
Product
Montreal – January 5 – 7
Topics design thinking, product management, the customer experience and cross-cultural communications.
Customer acquisition
Vancouver – February 3 – 4
Sales at a global scale – it’s a whole new game.
Topics include building a global brand, selling at scale, marketing and market analytics, and global market access.
Finance and operations
Ottawa – March 3 – 4
Topics include financing scale-ups, transfer pricing, global operations, IP and risk/crisis management.
Funding
Silicon Valley – April 3 – 7
Six months into the program, participants will meet with executives and prominent VCs in Silicon Valley. Topics include funding growth, boards and governance, dealing with big companies, and mergers and acquisitions.
For more on the Canadian Scale-Up Program and the Lazaridis Institute, please visit www.scaleupprogram.com.
VMedia Launches VMedia TV Streaming Channel On Roku
Posted in Commentary with tags Roku, VMedia on September 17, 2016 by itnerdVMedia Inc. has announced the launch of its VMedia TV streaming channel on the Roku streaming platform in Canada. With VMedia TV, consumers will be able to watch up to 20 live TV channels, including Canadian and US networks such as CTV, CBC, GLOBAL, ICI, TVA and V, as well as CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and PBS, all in HD – streamed to their TVs for convenient viewing from the comfort of home.
VMedia TV is available as of tomorrow on Roku TVs and streaming players in Canada, joining Roku’s wealth of 2500+ streaming channels targeted at Canadian consumers.
Canadians with a Roku player or Roku TV will be able to access VMedia TV and register directly with VMedia through their device, and immediately start to enjoy a free 7-day trial offering all the channels. In addition, VMedia TV features VMedia’s unique VCloud cloud- based ‘look back’ feature, which allows users to catch up on shows they missed in the past week.
After the free 7-day trial, Canadians can subscribe to VMedia TV for only $17.95 per month. The service requires no commitment or contract, credit check or hardware installation, and customers can cancel anytime.
VMedia, launched just three years ago, offers TV, internet and home phone services in Ontario, Quebec and the western provinces, and is able to reach over eight million Canadian homes. It is the only triple-play alternative to the major players available in all those markets, and now serves over 20,000 homes with its affordable and innovative services.
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