MaRS selects OCRI entrepreneur program as best in class
TORONTO (July 18, 2008) – MaRS has selected an Ottawa-built entrepreneurship training program to be made available to qualified clients throughout the province.
Entrepreneur’s Edge (E2) links new entrepreneurs with seasoned entrepreneurs and subject matter experts, who share lessons learned from their first-hand experiences. The program – developed by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) – runs over five intensive half-day sessions and provides participants with an overview of the path from launch to funding to profitability. It will now be made available through MaRS to qualified members of the Ontario Commercialization Network who are looking to provide their clients with the best in entrepreneurial training.
“MaRS surveyed the Ontario landscape in search of the best courses to transform into province-wide programs for early stage technology companies,” explains Charles Plant, Managing Director, Market Readiness Program, MaRS Discovery District. “The Entrepreneur’s Edge program, developed and delivered by OCRI, was an obvious choice for us. OCRI’s experience delivering this course, combined with the wealth of training material available from them, makes E2 an essential resource for entrepreneurs throughout the province.”
For Stephen Daze, OCRI’s Executive Director, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Research, validation for the program is an honour.
“Entrepreneur’s Edge is a relatively new program for OCRI. In just 18 months, we’ve delivered great results seeing over 80 participants flow through this highly interactive learning program,” says Daze, noting funding for this program and related how-to guides has been provided in part by the Province of Ontario and MaRS. “We would not have been able to do this without the support of MRI through the Ontario Research Commercialization Program. It is a great honour to be selected by MaRS as one of the finest examples of learning tools for entrepreneurs and we are very happy to continue our work with MaRS and the Province to help roll out the program and accompanying toolkit to other members of the network.”
Entrepreneur’s Edge (E2) links new entrepreneurs with seasoned entrepreneurs and subject matter experts, who share lessons learned from their first-hand experiences. The program – developed by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) – runs over five intensive half-day sessions and provides participants with an overview of the path from launch to funding to profitability. It will now be made available through MaRS to qualified members of the Ontario Commercialization Network who are looking to provide their clients with the best in entrepreneurial training.
“MaRS surveyed the Ontario landscape in search of the best courses to transform into province-wide programs for early stage technology companies,” explains Charles Plant, Managing Director, Market Readiness Program, MaRS Discovery District. “The Entrepreneur’s Edge program, developed and delivered by OCRI, was an obvious choice for us. OCRI’s experience delivering this course, combined with the wealth of training material available from them, makes E2 an essential resource for entrepreneurs throughout the province.”
For Stephen Daze, OCRI’s Executive Director, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Research, validation for the program is an honour.
“Entrepreneur’s Edge is a relatively new program for OCRI. In just 18 months, we’ve delivered great results seeing over 80 participants flow through this highly interactive learning program,” says Daze, noting funding for this program and related how-to guides has been provided in part by the Province of Ontario and MaRS. “We would not have been able to do this without the support of MRI through the Ontario Research Commercialization Program. It is a great honour to be selected by MaRS as one of the finest examples of learning tools for entrepreneurs and we are very happy to continue our work with MaRS and the Province to help roll out the program and accompanying toolkit to other members of the network.”
ABOUT MaRS
MaRS is a Toronto-based innovation centre connecting science, technology and social entrepreneurs across Ontario with business skills and capital to stimulate innovation, entrepreneurship and the creation of successful Canadian companies. For more information visit www.marsdd.com.ABOUT OCRI
OCRI (Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation), the city’s economic development corporation, is the rallying point to bring business, education, research and talent together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa’s technology companies to thrive locally and compete globally. For more information visit www.ocri.ca.MaRS FACTS
MaRS is part of many networks and consortia, but it did not emanate from any pre-existing partnership. MaRS is a new and autonomous entity.