Venture13 Announces Packed Programming Calendar Supporting Start-Up Community
(Cobourg, ON) April 4, 2018 – The Town of Cobourg and the Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) are pleased to announce that the Venture13 Innovation Centre is set to become a driver of innovation and entrepreneurial activity with 180+ activities already booked for the centre’s grand opening in May.
A regionally unique facility, Venture13 will focus on the advancement of technology entrepreneurship, making and learning while connecting entrepreneurs, start-ups and high-growth SMEs with industry, academia, investors and the region’s economic development professionals.
Both the Town of Cobourg and the CFDC have been actively seeking out and booking a number of strategic programming activities that would encourage, enable and support said entrepreneurs, start-ups and high growth SMEs through joint courses, workshops, internship and networking opportunities, seminar and speaker series, conferences and business plan competitions.
In November 2017, Venture13 welcomed Fleming College to the strategic board of innovation partners. Fleming College will deliver a technical programming component with courses booked on a regular basis at the centre in time for its grand opening. Fleming College will offer courses in Business and Leadership, Trades and Technology.
"As a primary post-secondary partner, Fleming College is committed to providing training experiences that are responsive to employer needs and areas of job growth,” said David Francis, Dean of Professional and Continuing Education. “We are also committed to bringing the Fleming College experience more broadly to Cobourg and Northumberland County in terms of providing guest speakers and linkages to the community.”
Northumberland Makers, an anchor community organization teaching DIY skills and project-based applied and experiential learning has also signed on to help lead programming reflective of the history of Northumberland, including agriculture, manufacturing, education, and the future: robotics, coding, prototyping, design and STE(A)M (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). An example of the variety of programming that will be available through the Northumberland Makers include bi-weekly safety and equipment training, a Tedx inspired talk series and a one-week lego robotic camp for children in the summer.
“We believe that making is a skill that should be accessible to all who wish to learn, and is a powerful basis for entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Phil Mandryk, President of the Northumberland Makers. “We cannot wait to have a home base at Venture13 to deliver community programming that offers individuals the opportunity to ‘learn through doing’ in an accessible social environment.”
With a goal to position Northumberland County and Eastern Ontario as a place for technology entrepreneurship and innovation, Venture13 aims to attract next generation companies that will contribute to the region’s economic development and diversification. The innovation centre will consolidate resources and infrastructure within a single accessible and collaborative space.