Topic: Startups
Aristides Milios
Aristides is a highly motivated university student passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and web development.
CTO MicroCent Technologies and Co-Founder of Hoist Halifax, Aristides is full stack web developer who loves public speaking and is a natural leader. Smokin.
Elizabeth Garrett
“Just like becoming an expert in wine - you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford - you learn great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences” - Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Emily Konrath
Emily is a small business enthusiast with a passion for homegrown talent. Emily was born and raised in Wolfville, studied her Bachelor of Commerce degree at Saint Mary’s University and obtained her Masters in International Business from Jönköping, Sweden. Emily has lived and studied in cities across Canada and abroad in Germany and Sweden.
Emily is an Economic Development Officer with the Valley Regional Enterprise Network, a municipal corporation that works as a catalyst for regional economic development in the Annapolis Valley. Emily is tasked with sector development of five core sectors that present key opportunities for growth and investment attraction (Agriculture; Information, Communications and Technologies (ICT); Manufacturing, Sustainable Energy; and Tourism). Previously, Emily worked as an International Trade Consultant working with firms interested in exporting to international markets where she travelled across Europe, South America, and the Caribbean matching businesses to international opportunities.
Frances Schagen
Frances is a small business innovator. She geeks out over business strategy, business models and building entrepreneurial ecosystems. She believe that’s the kind of thinking we need to save the world. Frances helps create places where entrepreneurship can thrive within our business and within our community.
Business innovation is essential for us to solve our biggest issues and to succeed in the world today. Business theory was developed for large business and small business is not a little big business. Frances has been on this quest for decades, talking to 1000’s of business owners and reading 1000’s of books.
innovacorp
Innovacorp is Nova Scotia’s early stage venture capital organization. We work to find, fund and foster innovative Nova Scotia start-ups that strive to change the world. Early stage investment is at the core of our business model. We also give entrepreneurs access to world-class incubation facilities, expert advice and other support to help them accelerate their companies.
Target industries include clean technology, information technology, life sciences and ocean technology.
John Frost
John Frost is a Senior Manager, Satellite Products, at PrecisionHawk. John worked extensively in geophysical research and exploration before returning to university to complete studies in International Relations/Intercultural Studies. With broad national and international project exposure, he is a cross-cultural specialist in technology adaptation. Through the Aerhyve brand, the company focused on the analysis of UAV data with Machine Learning, providing actionable intelligence for agricultural and industrial applications. An entrepreneur and technophile, John is always pursuing opportunities which make a local-global impact.
Launchbox
Launchbox is the centre for student entrepreneurs, located on the 4th floor of Patterson Hall at Acadia University. We support students in their entrepreneurial pursuits by providing free programming, networking, access to mentors, and other entrepreneurs, working space and competitions.
Laura Simpson
Lover of music and truth. Listen to the poets. Founder of The Syrup Factory, Make.Do.Camp. and Side Door.
Laura Simpson is a music industry professional, living with her family in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She founded The Syrup Factory, which began hosting house concerts 2011 and offering strategy and services to artists in 2015.
She has been an organizer in the arts scene since she was 14, going to all-ages shows and then eventually taking live music photography and freelance writing about shows and artists. That led her to be a journalist for seven years, working for CBC and Rogers Radio.
Paul Richards
Paul Richards is innovacorp's regional manager for Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley and South Shore. In this role, Paul focuses on enabling knowledge-based companies to accelerate their growth and helping foster a dynamic high-growth entrepreneurial culture in the region.
Paul spent over 10 years working with the Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship (ACSBE) assisting businesses in rural Nova Scotia. In this role, Paul also worked to build the entrepreneurial capacity and infrastructure of several developing economies in Africa.
Side Door
Platform matching artists with spaces to create shows anytime, anywhere.
Side Door is a curated digital booking and ticketing platform used to facilitate booking and ticketing micro-performances in homes and other alternative venues in Canada and around the world. As a website and future mobile app, this technology-based company is innovating the traditional touring model for performers, live performances, and fan experiences.
Artists and Hosts sign up for free online through the Side Door website by creating profiles and answering questions about their preferences for performing or presenting a show in a house or alternative space (think bookstores, warehouses, parks, libraries, community centres, etc). The platform automatically matches Artists and Hosts based on their mutual profile preferences. Once matched, they are notified of the match, and prompted to discuss the details of booking a show together. Not only is Side Door a booking tool, but the online platform also has a booking contract and ticketing component that allows the Host to advertise and sell tickets. Fans will be able to visit the website or download the app to view shows in their area and shows they have been invited to, and they can buy tickets instantly online. Once the show is over the Host, Artist, and fans are all asked to provide feedback on the attended show.