Cobourg, ON (March 20, 2024) – The Town of Cobourg Economic Development department and Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre have unveiled dynamic and insightful seminars and workshops coming in the spring and summer of 2024.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, seasoned business professionals, and anyone seeking to elevate their business will benefit from the following series, curated to equip participants with the tools they need to succeed in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Sessions are hosted by industry professionals and thought leaders and will take place at the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre. Unique to Venture13 is the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) youth camps which are returning this summer.

Post-Secondary Spotlight Series: This semi-annual series features post-secondary programs and resources that are available for local companiesto leverage to offset industry research and/or hiring.

Featuring: Ontario Tech University’s Industry Partnership Office| Presenter: Lindsay Coolidge, Director of External Relations, | Date: April 2^nd, 2024, Time: 8:30 – 10:00am | Venue: NSSL Seminar Room, Venture13 739 D’Arcy Street

RBC Economic Update: Carrie Freestone, Economist, of RBC is a member of the macroeconomic analysis group and is responsible for monitoring key indicators including consumer spending, labour markets, GDP, and inflation. Carrie will deliver her economic insights to the Cobourg business community.

Date: April 11^th, 2024, Time: 8:30 – 10:00am | Venue: Lecture Hall, Venture13 739 D’Arcy Street

Revenue Growth Series: The Revenue Growth series continues as a partnered event with Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation. This series is a practical sales talks series that features local businesspeople who have driven new revenue growth into their company. Occurring monthly on every second Wednesday.

• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Amanda Da Silva | Date: April 10^th, 2024, Time: 8:30 – 10:00am | Venue: Lecture Hall, Venture13 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Amanda Da Silva is the owner of The El, a downtown Cobourg business. Amanda has used her big city and world travel experiences to create an eclectic food experience for customers.
• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Greg Walsh | Date: May 8^th, 2024, Time: 8:30 – 10:00am | Venue: NSSL Seminar Room, Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: This event will feature VentureZone business resident Greg Walsh as he presents on a former food services business that he started in Taipei, Taiwan and grew to multiple locations.
• Seminar Title: Revenue Growth Series with Keri Gray| Date: June 12^th, 2024, Time: 8:30 – 10:00am | Venue: Lecture Hall, Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, this series features business owner Keri Gray. Keri operates Shades of Gray Indigenous Pet Treats from Alderville First Nation.  Keri is passionate about supporting communities and education to foster opportunities which can sustain and empower people. She will share her experience growing her pet treat business.

Doing Business with the Film Industry:Cobourg has been the filming location for Murdoch Mysteries and Ginny and Georgia productions.  Businesses can benefit from this boon in recent production and a group of business owners and film industry professionals will share their experiences in a panel discussion.

Date: May 7^th, 2024, | Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm | Venue: Concert Hall in Victoria Hall – 55 King Street West

Workforce Development Symposium: Cobourg’s first annual Workforce Development Symposium will explore new ways of thinking and doing as business owners/ managers continue to develop workforce solutions across Cobourg’s sectors. This symposium will prove to be a resourceful experience to build employer resilience and recruit and retain talent.

Date: May 29^th, 2024, | Time: 8:30 – 11:30 am | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street

Business Spotlight Series: A quarterly program to feature local businesses/organizations that can drive process improvements and new ways of reaching customers for your company making it more profitable and viable.

• Seminar Title: Business Spotlight: Ganaraska Financial Credit Union | Date: June 17^th, 2024, | Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm | Venue: NSSL Seminar Room, Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Ganaraska Financial Credit Union (GFCU) offers financial products and services, but with you and your community’s best interests in mind. GFCU has branches in Port Hope and Cobourg and offers business banking solution suited for your unique needs.

Youth and Young Adults Summer Employment Celebration: Join youth, young adults and their employers as Cobourg’s Economic Development team celebrates and showcases some of their employment experiences and opportunities.

Date: August 20th, 2024, | Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm | Venue: Lecture Hall, Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street

In addition to the economic development programming, the following small business, innovation, and youth programs will be hosted at the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre:

• Workshop Title: Writing Competitive Funding Applications| Date: April 16^th, 2024, Time: 9:00 am - 10:30 am | Venue: Lecture Hall, Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Join Jennifer Hardy-Parr, Grant Writer at the County of Northumberland, for a FREE grant writing workshop that focuses on tips, tools, and best practices to enhance the quality of your grant writing submissions and eliminate stress from the grant writing process. This workshop is for anyone writing funding applications. The core objective of this session is to help all writers create highly fundable submissions regardless of the type of funding or funding body being applied to.
  
  
• Seminar Title: The Boring Basics of Cyber Hygiene | Date: April 23^rd, 2024, | Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: Cyber security feels complicated but really....it's boring. When the FBI says that 90% of small business cyber crime is preventable, they are saying that cybersecurity comes from the Boring Basics. Wash away all the tech jargon and AI and remember that the foundation of cybersecurity is built on having strong passwords, keeping your computers up to date, and being savvy about phishing emails. Get informed and feel empowered us as we lay out the practical steps that you can take to secure your digital life.
  
  
• Seminar Title: AI in the Workplace | Rescheduled Date: April 30^th, 2024, | Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: This session tackles the topic on everyone's mind: AI in the Workplace. Will it set us free? Will it render our jobs obsolete? How will this technology impact the way we work? Join us as Richard Stoltenberg, a founding partner at Endring Group, visits Venture13 to share insights gleaned through his organizations research and consultancy around AI integration in the Workplace.
  
  
• Youth STEM Summer Camps: Registration Open for Both Camps | Date: Week of July 15-19 and August 19-23, 2024 | Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Venue: Venture13 – 739 D’Arcy Street | Description: These weeklong camps will immerse youth aged 11-14 in the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Participants will gain hands-on experience with coding, robots, engineering challenges, experiments, and more within an inclusive, encouraging environment.

About the Venture13 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre
The Venture13 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre serves as a vital regional catalyst for emerging businesses and innovative ideas. Established in 2018, Venture13 has rapidly emerged as a hub for knowledge-based ventures, powered by a collaborative ecosystem of visionary partners, including Northumberland CFDC, Town of Cobourg, Cobourg Police Services, Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association, and Northumberland Makers. In collaboration with community partners and industry thought leaders, Venture13 provides flexible co-working space, a maker lab, and educational programming designed to equip entrepreneurs and local business professionals along their growth pathway. For more information visit www.venture13.ca.

-30-