A new partnership between the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and Innovation Guelph

Coming together to support youth entrepreneurship

Guelph, Ontario, June 26, 2012 – The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Innovation Guelph.

The mission of Innovation Guelph is to help enterprises start, grow and thrive. The focus is on three core areas: expert coaching and mentorship, capacity-building programs and industry-academic partnership facilitation. Innovation Guelph offers a single doorway for entrepreneurs to access services through a comprehensive network.

“Innovation Guelph is looking forward to partnering with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation” says Innovation Centre Director Kristel Manes. “Their initiatives, including mentorship and funding programs, will catalyze our young entrepreneurs, as we work with each candidate and our respective teams through the business life cycle”.

As Canada’s ‘go to’ place for youth entrepreneurship, CYBF is dedicated to helping our nation’s economic development, one young entrepreneur at a time. Working with youth between the ages of 18-34, this national organization looks at character, not collateral when providing pre-launch coaching, business assistance, start-up financing and mentoring. Through these resources, CYBF helps young people launch and sustain successful entrepreneurial businesses. CYBF is able to deliver these programs across the country through important community partnerships with organizations such as Innovation Guelph.

“CYBF is dedicated to the success of young entrepreneurs across the country. We are delighted to have Innovation Guelph come on board as our newest Community Partner, said Tanya Bedard, Director Ontario, CYBF. “We are building our partnership on a shared vision – making sure that entrepreneurs start with the tools they need to succeed – and with this strong foundation it is sure to be a great alliance that will help many young entrepreneurs in the Guelph region.”

For more information please visit www.innovationguelph.ca or www.cybf.ca.

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About Innovation Guelph:

The mission of Innovation Guelph is to help enterprises start, grow and thrive.  We focus on three core areas:

• Expert coaching and mentorship (through intensive one-on-one advisory services with experienced executives and entrepreneurs).
• Capacity-building programs that enable both profit and non-profit enterprises succeed (through the delivery of experiential, hands-on training workshops, seminars and peer-to-peer events).
• Industry-academic partnership facilitation (helping innovative companies leverage the resources and capabilities of provincial research institutions while providing real-world experience for Ontario’s next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs).

Innovation Guelph offers a single doorway for entrepreneurs to access services through a comprehensive network. We act as a catalyst for entrepreneurial initiative.

About the Ontario Network of Excellence:

The Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE) is a province-wide team of member organizations with commercialization experts which include:

• experienced entrepreneurs
• tech-savvy advisors
• sector-specific organizations
• colleges and universities

Each ONE member serves as a conduit to the provincial network.

About The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF)
Canada’s Entrepreneur Gateway

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the ‘go to’ place for youth entrepreneurship. As a national organization, we are dedicated to growing Canada’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-34, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. CYBF is the founder of G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit (G20 YES) and founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA). www.cybf.ca

Innovation Guelph Media Contact:
Anastasia Ziprick
Innovation Guelph
anastasia.ziprick@innovationguelph.ca

CYBF Media Contact:
Nicolee Tattersall
Manager, Media Relations
ntattersall@cybf.ca
416-405-2923 ext. 2208