Summer Startup Summit!

Join the Startup Zone on Thursday, August 20th for our 4th annual Summer Summit!

 Historically a day to celebrate entrepreneurship in Charlottetown, PEI, the first-ever digital “Summer Startup Summit” will be a day to learn from and collaborate with business professionals and entrepreneurs from across the country. Targeted at current and aspiring entrepreneurs, this event is intended to equip attendees with the tools they need to take the next steps to grow their business and to meet some like-minded folks along the way! 

The Summer Startup Summit with feature speakers such as Amber Mac, Katelyn Bourgoin, Eric Windeler, Lisa Haydon, and more, discussing everything from marketing, to community engagement, to sales! It will also be bringing together community partners from across the province, and business incubators, accelerators, and innovation hubs from across the country. Bringing together this diverse group of voices and backgrounds will help us foster a community of entrepreneurship far past the walls of Startup Zone, PEI’s Business Incubator.

Register Now!

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9am – 9:15am: “Startup Zone: PEI’s Business Incubator” Video Launch

The Summer Startup Summit kicks off with opening remarks from Startup Zone’s Marketing & Events Coordinator, Rachel Adams. After introducing the day ahead, the Startup Zone team will be launching a video project we have been working on alongside our videographer Reddin Handrahan all summer: “Startup Zone: PEI’s Business Incubator”.

9:15am – 10am: Opening Keynote with Amber Mac! 

Amber Mac(Arthur) started her career in San Francisco and Boston during the dot-com boom. As a strategist for Razorfish and Director of Marketing for an e-procurement software company, she spent four years in the technology start-up trenches. Amber left the start-up world to join Microsoft to build one of the first female-focused lifestyle portals. In 2006, she started her own digital agency. The company’s first client was world-renowned business coach, Tony Robbins, and now includes Microsoft, Google, GE, Paypal, Nintendo, Canada Goose, and Fast Company, and many more leading organizations. In 2010, she wrote the national bestselling business book Power Friending (Portfolio: New York). In 2016, she co-wrote Amazon bestseller, Outsmarting Your Kids Online. Most recently, she started co-hosting a new podcast series, presented by Accenture, called Marketing Disrupted. Amber has keynoted more than 300 events around the world and has moderated sessions with: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; former FBI Director James Comey; business coach Tony Robbins; famed astronaut Chris Hadfield; and many other notable leaders. She is a regular business host and expert for Fast Company, CNN, Bloomberg, CBS, BNN, CTV, The Marilyn Denis Show, and SiriusXM Radio. Plus, in 2018, she was named one of DMZ’s 30 inspirational women making a difference in tech. In 2019, her podcast The AI Effect won Best Technology Series. Amber is recognized internationally as an innovation and technology leader.

10am – 10:45am: Panel #1: “So you Want to Start a Business?” presented by Island Capital Partners

Our “So you Want to Start a Business?” panel will feature Alicia Grayeb (Program Manager, Startup Services at Venn Innovation), Mohamed Elabshihy (Associate, Venture and Corporate Programs at MaRS Discovery District), Doug Jones (CEO at Ignite Atlantic), and Valerie Fox (Chief Innovation Consultant at the Pivotal Point). The panel will be moderated by Stefanie Corbett (Associate and Director of Operations at Island Capital Partners).

10:45am – 11:30am: Panel #2: “Community & Culture” presented by Empower PEI 

Empower PEI’s “Community & Culture” panel will feature Julia Campbell (Owner/Operator of JEMS Boutique), Chef Ilona Daniel (Chef & Hospitality Instructor at Holland College, and Freelance Food Writer), Rachael Sonola (Founder of Mane Experience), Hilary Wood (Founder of Bliss Tattoo), and Tamara Steele (Chair of the Black Cultural Society of PEI). The panel will be moderated by Ashley Green (Leader of Empower PEI, and Founder of both Local Legends Apparel and Ashley Green Design). 

11:30am – 11:45am: Digital Networking 

Network digitally with fellow summit attendees in Zoom breakout room sessions! 

11:45am – 12:45pm: Panel #3: “Getting Social!” presented by Venn Innovation

Our “Getting Social!” panel will feature Katelyn Bourgoin (CEO of Customer Camp), Beverley Theresa (Founder of Social Media with Beverley Theresa), Bianca Pilar Garcia Urena (Digital Creator & Local Influencer), and Amber Craig (Chief Marketing Officer at FOUR20, Freelance Writer, and Co-Founder of Breaking Free Foundation). The panel will be moderated by Mischka Jacobs (Communications & Events Coordinator at Venn Innovation). 

12:45pm – 1:15pm: Founder Chat: Eric Windeler of Jack.org

“Founder Chat’s” are incorporated into the summit to share stories of starting a growing a business from the perspectives of successful entrepreneurs from across the country. Eric Windeler founded Jack.org with his wife Sandra Hanington and their closest friends in May 2010 after losing their son Jack to suicide. Since then, Eric has put aside his business interests and leads Jack.org full-time. Eric works tirelessly to inspire discussion about mental health, especially among young people. In 2013, Eric received the Champion of Mental Health award from CAMIHI and the QE Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2015, Eric was honored by Queen’s University, receiving an honorary degree (LLD) recognizing his work in the field of mental health. In 2017, Eric and Sandra Hanington received the Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) from the office of the Governor-General. Most recently, Eric was selected as one of the 150 CAMH Difference Makers for mental health in Canada. Eric is also the recipient of the 2018 Queen’s Alumni Humanitarian of the Year Award and the 2020 Ontario Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Advocate of the Year Award. Eric sits on the board of FRAYME, a global youth mental health best practices non-profit.

1:15pm – 1:45pm: Lunch Break presented by Pride PEI

Join us during lunch hour to watch our friends from Pride PEI WERK it. With surprise appearances, games, and prizes up for grabs, you will not want to sashay away from this session!

1:45pm – 2:30pm: Panel #4: “Women in Tech” presented by PEI Business Women’s Association PEIBWA

Join us for our final panel of the day as we celebrate Women in Tech across PEI! Our “Women in Tech” panel will feature Chelsey Lake (Co-Founder of both GetBooking and Lake Design), Stephanie Perreault-Bittner (Founder of Summer Street Creative and Thriving Tides Podcast, Branding & Marketing Specialist at Startup Zone, and Leader of the “Brand It Yourself” Facebook Group), Maryheth Cabrera (CCO at Agama), and Brenda Cadman (Founder of Bon Accord Creative and Leader of the “How to Use Canva” Facebook Group). The panel will be moderated by Jane MacIsaac (Business Development & Membership Officer at PEIBWA).

2:30pm – 3pm: Founder Chat: Lisa Haydon of Pivotal Coaching

Our final Founder Chat of the day will be with Lisa Haydon, founder of Pivotal Coaching. She left a comfortable corporate career to launch a business in the highly competitive coaching industry. She can tell the stories of taking a side hustle to a full-time business, on overcoming criticism and unfavourable industry stats to grow a business and the hard work it takes to be an entrepreneur of a growth company. Lisa W. Haydon is a high business acumen leader, credentialed sales professional and executive coach. Lisa has led teams and clients in industries such as banking, commercial lending, capital markets, technology, consulting and professional services. Lisa honed her coaching for growth model in prestigious corporations as an in-house coach and now works as an external coach consultant. She’s an early adopter of coaching trends through her use of strategic coaching programs, data-enabled insights and technology. Pivotal Coaching is a professional services firm committed to building effective leaders and driving growth for organizations. They specialize in strategic coaching and consulting for Leadership Development and Sales Effectiveness.

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