Starting A Business For Immigrants
By John Swartz
Fuel Innovation, City of Orillia’s Innovation Collective, in partnership with Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, announces the launch of New Roots, New Routes: Orillia and Lake Country, an accelerator program designed to support newcomers to Canada in starting or growing their businesses in Orillia and Lake Country.
The program ensures that newcomers have access to support to start or grow their business, while also creating space for connection, confidence, and innovation.
New Roots, New Routes, a specialized six-week program, will equip participants who are new to the region with the knowledge, skills, and networks essential for launching and scaling a successful venture in the Canadian context.
This in-person program runs Tuesdays from June 10 to July 29, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Community Impact Lab, Georgian College, Orillia Campus, with a scheduled two-week pause on July 1 and July 8. Previously offered at the Sandbox Centre, Barrie, the program is expanding for the first time into Orillia and Lake Country.
The program features instruction and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts across Simcoe County. Each session will guide participants through topics such as customer discovery, crafting a compelling value proposition, financial and legal fundamentals, marketing and branding, and personal development – all tailored to support the challenges and opportunities faced by newcomer entrepreneurs.
The program will culminate with a final pitch session, where participants will get to present their business concepts and one entrepreneur will be awarded a $2,000 grand prize to advance their venture.
The registration fee for the six-week program is $175 + HST. Interested participants can learn more and apply online until June 5, 2025.
Council meetings are open to the public or can be watched on the City’s Youtube channel.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
