The Economic and Cultural Development team is monitoring the impact of COVID-19. Click here to learn more.
Grow Your Food & Beverage Startup
Are you an early-stage food and beverage entrepreneur in Vaughan looking to bring your startup to the next level?
In partnership with YSpace’s Food Accelerator Program, get access to the experts you need and take advantage of programming offered exclusively for you. Learn more below about programming, including venture consultations and workshops below and participate throughout the month of October!
Food & Beverage Venture Consultations
Delivered by David Kwok – Associate Director of Entrepreneurship, York University
Date: October 5 or October 28, 2020
Time: Individual time-slots between 2 and 5 p.m.
One-on-one meetings for your food and beverage startup to identify areas for growth and resources that will help you as your grow your business. If you are interested in setting up a venture consultation, we need to learn a little more about your business.
About David: David joined York University in 2017 as the Entrepreneurship Manager for YSpace Markham and he now oversees both YSpace and ELLA. David led the development of Ontario’s first Food & Beverage Accelerator program at YSpace that has now supported 16 different ventures in helping them launch into retail and scale up in Canada.
David has extensive experience in helping founders connect the dots and understand what resources are available to them to launch and scale their business. His specialties are in overall business strategy and helping identify partnerships, focusing on connecting founders with the necessary resources and partners needed to build market feasibility. This may include product formulation partners, packaging experts, as well as distribution partnerships.
How to Set-up e-Commerce for Your Food Venture
Presented by Ahmad Al Abid – Senior Account Manager, eShipper
Date: October 14, 2020
Time: 3 to 4 p.m.
In this workshop, aspiring entrepreneurs will gain access to the strategies and tools necessary to launch and grow a successful eCommerce business.
About Ahmad: Ahmad is an experienced Logistics Consultant at eShipper who has been working with hundreds of entrepreneurs for over 3 years. He’s played a part in many success stories over the years, and continues to encourage company growth by providing insight, technology solutions and operational support to his clients.
How to Create Consumer Products that Sell
Presented by Dana McCauley – CEO, Blue Unicorn Innovation
Date: October 21, 2020 (during Vaughan Small Business Week)
Time: 3 to 4 p.m.
This workshop helps innovators evaluate opportunities, build unique food business concepts and develop food products people want to buy and retailers want to carry.
About Dana: Dana McCauley has a nose for the new and a knack for bringing profitable food product concepts that fulfill unmet consumer needs to market. Her resume includes successful launches working with international food companies, entrepreneurs and SME’s alike. Dana was the founding Executive Director for Food Starter, a Toronto based food business incubator and accelerator. As Director of New Venture Creation in the Research Innovation Office at the University of Guelph, Dana’s team enables Canada’s smartest agri-food minds to transform their inventions into innovations that grow the economy and enhances Canada’s international reputation as a place where great ideas and safe food are abundant.
This programming is supported by the YSpace Food Accelerator Program, a first of its kind program in Ontario in partnership with The Regional Municipality of York and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. This program, run by York University’s YSpace, is helping Canadian food and beverage entrepreneurs scale up their businesses in the COVID-era.