Cobourg, ON (August 22, 2023) – The Town of Cobourg Economic Development department has unveiled ten dynamic and insightful business seminars designed to provide cutting-edge insights and strategies.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, seasoned business professionals, and anyone seeking to elevate their business will benefit from the following series, curated to equip participants with the tools they need to succeed in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Sessions are hosted by industry professionals and thought leaders and will take place at the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre.

Revenue Growth Series: The Revenue Growth series a partnered event with Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation is a practical sales talks series that features local businesspeople who have driven new revenue growth into their company. Occurring monthly on every second Wednesday.

• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Alain Levac | Date: September 13^th, 2023, Time: 8:00 – 9:30am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Alain Levac, a former Cascades leader, has been the Plant Manager at Graphic Packaging's Cobourg facility since 2015. He has held leadership roles at Cascades, including Director of Finance and Administration, Regional Controller, and General Manager-Web Operations. Alain holds a diploma in Business Administration, CGA, and MBA.
• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Drew Cameron | Date: October 11^th, 2023, Time: 8:00 – 9:30am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: This partnered event will highlight former VentureZone member – Drew Cameron from Solvest. Drew co-founded Solvest after having had two other prior businesses.  These experiences allowed him to draw on previous learnings when developing Solvest. He joined Venture13 in June 2019 and has since expanded his green energy business to include an executive and projects team.
• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Carol Jiang| Date: November 8^th, 2023, Time: 8:00 – 9:30am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: This partnered event will highlight Carol Yajun Jiang, President and CEO of Beneco Packaging. Beneco Packaging is a reliable box packaging company in the food and beverage industry. With over 250,000 sq ft of production and warehouse facilities in Cobourg and Scarborough. Beneco is accredited with IFS PacSecure certification and has 25 years of experience in the printing and packaging sector. Ms. Jiang is an accomplished entrepreneur, recognized as one of Canada's Top Female Entrepreneurs in Chatelaine Profit W100 for 2014 and 2015. She was also nominated for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award in 2018. Under Ms. Jiang's leadership, Beneco has become one of Canada's fastest-growing companies, appearing on the Profit 500 list from 2013 to 2021.

Business Spotlight Series: A quarterly program to feature local businesses/organizations that can drive process improvements and new ways of reaching customers for your company making it more profitable and viable.

• Seminar Title: Business Spotlight: Xponential Futures | Date: September 20^th, 2023 | Time: 12 – 1:30pm | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Chris Gillis has been a professional engineer for over 35 years, is the Manager of Applied Research Business Development at Durham College by day and the founder of Xpotential Futures, a consulting company focused on helping small businesses grow with impact.
• Seminar Title: Business Spotlight: Part Time CFO Services | Date: December 11^th, 2023 | Time: 12 – 1:30pm | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Part-Time CFO Services provides all levels of accounting function to medium-sized private businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The company offers various financial services, including strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and more, focusing on delivering high-quality, customized solutions tailored to each client's needs.

Cybersecurity and Anti-Fraud Series: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This bi-weekly series during the month of October is perfect for anyone interested in learning about the latest trends and protection techniques in cybersecurity and anti-fraud measures. Brought to you by the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, in collaboration with Ontario Tech University, Quick Intelligence, Iceberg Cyber, and Cobourg Police Services, the expert speakers in this series will cover topics such as cybersecurity best practices, anti-fraud strategies, and data protection.

• Seminar Title: Cybersecurity & Anti Fraud Series – Leading Cybersecurity Research Practices | Date: October 2^nd, 2023 | Time: 12- 1:30pm | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Our panelist, Dr. Khalil El-Khatib, Professor, Ontario Tech University and Director of the Institute of Cyber Security & Resilient Systems and Dave Millier, Quick Intelligence / Serial Entrepreneur will explore cybersecurity and resiliency research, including authentication, software security, and risk management.
• Seminar Title: Cybersecurity & Anti Fraud Series – Where your Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Lie | Date: October 16^th, 2023 | Time: 12- 1:30pm | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Our speaker Michael Bakaic will discuss the motives of cyber attacks to further your knowledge of current threats to businesses. Michael will also explore where your company’s vulnerabilities lie and preventive measures that you can do to stop these threats.
• Seminar Title: Cybersecurity & Anti Fraud Series – Where your Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Lie | Date: October 30^th, 2023 | Time: 12- 1:30pm| Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Cobourg Police Service wants to help you be cyber smart because life happens online. With an increasing desire for the convenience of doing everything online comes the increasing ability for illegal activity such as Internet or Bitcoin fraud. Roger Ramkissoon – Chief Financial Officer of Cobourg Police Services will explore the cyber risks and preventative measures to protect you from cybercrime.

In addition to the above series, the business community may also be interested in the following day programs hosted at the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre:  

Seminar Title: Real Estate and Development Industry Event | Date: October 5^th, 2023 |  Time: 8:00 – 10:00am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Sponsored by Tribute Communities join the Town of Cobourg Planning and Development Division at this networking and information event where they will be sharing the pipeline projects that are happening currently in Cobourg and other Community Projects that will shape Cobourg over the coming years. 

Seminar Title: Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs | Date: November 23^rd, 2023 | Time: 8:30 – 10:30am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Succession planning for an entrepreneur involves careful consideration and preparation for the eventual transition of leadership and ownership within their business. Entrepreneurs often have a deeply personal connection to their ventures, making the succession process unique and complex. Collaborating with the Business and Entrepreneurship Centre of Northumberland and the Business Development Bank of Canada, this event will gather experts, practitioners and businesses that have gone through the succession progress to share insights, strategies, and best practices.

Interested participants are encouraged to register early to secure their spot. For registration and more information, please visit investcobourg.ca or contact Economic Development at 905-372-5481 or via email at econdev@cobourg.ca.

About the Venture13 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre
The Venture13 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre serves as a vital regional catalyst for emerging businesses and innovative ideas. Established in 2018, Venture13 has rapidly emerged as a hub for knowledge-based ventures, powered by a collaborative ecosystem of visionary partners, including Northumberland CFDC, Town of Cobourg, Cobourg Police Services, Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association, and Northumberland Makers. In collaboration with community partners and industry thought leaders, Venture13 provides flexible co-working space, a maker lab, and educational programming designed to equip entrepreneurs and local business professionals along their growth pathway. For more information visit www.venture13.ca.

-30-