[EVENT] June 13: Pitch Day at YSpace for Tech Entrepreneurs

Delivered through York University, YSpace Markham provides innovators local access to advanced technologies and entrepreneur support services. The innovation incubator offers support to startups within the York Region ecosystem that are ready to scale and achieve the next level of success. Accepted users gain access to incubation space, high-end technologies, expert mentorship, local events, and funding resources.

On Thursday, June 13, 2019, YSpace will be hosting a Pitch Day for tech entrepreneurs and YSpace Founders.

This event will be co-sponsored by Mentor Works Ltd., Entro Communications, and Millennium Funding. Individuals interested in participating will have two opportunities to pitch their business strategies via a MarCom Pitch or an Investment Pitch. Later-stage start-ups may receive an invitation to compete during a Boardroom Investment Pitch. The top pitch, as judged by the Chair and panelists, will have the chance to win a complementary recent graduate or coop hire application ($5,000 – $12,000 value) from Mentor Works Ltd.

Pitch Day at YSpace: What You Need to Know

Pitch Day will be co-hosted with YSpace by Mentor Works Ltd., Entro Communications, and Millennium Funding.

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Date: Thursday, June 13, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm EST (pizza lunch)
Location: YSpace, 169 Enterprise Blvd. Unit 301, Markham, ON L6G 0E7
Registration: Online via Eventbrite or YSpace Co-Founders and non-members, please register and submit your presentations here: yspace@yorku.ca

Tech entrepreneurs and YSpace Founders are to prepare one of two types of pitches for the event’s Experts Panel:  Best in MarCom or Best in Investment. An Investment Pitch, by invitation, will be open for late-stage start-ups in the YSpace boardroom.

Best in MarCom

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Participants will have five minutes to give Andrew your best reasons why he would buy their products/services. Constructive comments will immediately follow.

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST
What: 10-minute pitch: Marketing and Communications Sell
Where: Yspace Markham, Room 3018 (main event space)
How to Prepare: Submit a slide deck of five slides that summarizes your marketing position and value proposition to your customer/client to yspace@yorku.ca
Submission Deadline: June 12 at 3:00 pm

This pitch will be chaired by:

Andrew Kuzyk
Principal and Founding Partner, Entro Communications
Website: entro.com/team/andrew-kuzyk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kuzyk-53636b13/

Andrew is a principal and founding partner of Entro and has been involved in developing products and creating immersive environments since 1985. Andrew has actively contributed to the wayfinding and signage industry through organizational involvement, topical lectures, and articles. He has served on the RGD Board (Association of Registered Graphic Designers), contributed as Chapter Chair of the SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design) since 1991, and is part of the ACIDO (Association of Chartered Industrial Design).

 

SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME: The top pitch, as judged by the Chair and panelists, will receive a copy of Entro Communications’ Cultivating a Design Legacy and a one-on-one coaching session with Entro’s Brand Strategist, Cristina Kelly. During this session she will help with the development and refinement of a MarCom pitch.

Best in Investment

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Participants will have five minutes to present Michael and Brenda with their best reasons why they should find government funding for you. Constructive comments will immediately follow.

Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
What: 5-minute pitch: Investment Ask
Where: Yspace Markham, Room 3018 (main event space)
How to Prepare: Submit a slide deck of five slides that summarizes your business position to yspace@yorku.ca
Submission Deadline: June 12 at 3:00 pm

This pitch will be co-chaired by:

Michael Ponomarew
Senior Vice President, Millennium Funding
Website: www.millenniumfunding.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mikeponomarew/

Senior Vice President, Millennium Funding and President, The Finance Institute, Michael supports North American businesses in creating immediate working capital when traditional bank financing is not an option. A managing member of $950+ million in working capital transactions and an acclaimed industry educator, he has taught over 10,000 business professionals and owners how to profit using alternative working capital solutions. Prior to joining the alternative working capital industry, he established and sold three businesses.

 

Brenda Cane Blackwell
Business Development Executive, Mentor Works Ltd.
Website: www.mentorworks.ca
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-cane-blackwell-0712a814/

Brenda helps guide the strategic positioning of Canadian SMEs seeking market growth, enterprise digitization, and workforce development. With graduate degrees in Marketing and Business Communications, New Media Management, and Adult Education, she brings a wealth of academic and applied knowledge to the Mentor Works team. As a former member of the Team Canada Trade Mission, she has a critical understanding of how Canadian companies can develop brands for international audiences.

 

SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME: The top pitch as judged by Brenda and Michael will receive two 30-minute mentoring sessions with Michael. The runner-up will receive one 30-minute mentoring session.

Boardroom Investment Pitch for Late-Stage Start-ups

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This pitch will be by invitation only for late-stage start-ups.

Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm EST
What: 10-minute pitch: Investment Ask
Where: YSpace Boardroom
How to Prepare: Submit a slide deck of five slides to yspace@yorku.ca
Deadline: June 12 at 3:00 pm

This pitch will be co-chaired by Michael Ponomarew and Brenda Cane Blackwell.

SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME: The top pitch, as judged by Co-chairs Andrew Kuzyk, Michael Ponomarew, Brenda Cane Blackwell, and panelists, will receive a FREE hire application for a new graduate or co-op, through Mentor Works. This prize has a $5,000 – $12,000 value.

Submission Details

Those who are not YSpace members are also invited to participate in the YSpace Pitch event.

Pitches will be stacked sequentially, on a first come, first served basis. Please submit your digital slide deck pitch by June 12 at 3:00 pm to yspace@yorku.ca.