business training programs in the Town of Georgina with YSpace York University's Entrepreneurship Hub

Entrepreneurship in East Gwillimbury

The Town of East Gwillimbury and Town of Georgina are continuing a partnership with York University’s YSpace to deliver a two-year Business Incubator/Accelerator pilot project to support entrepreneurs and economic growth during the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
 
This project will create an ecosystem of entrepreneurial resources, including mentorship, access to networks, and co-working space for collaboration. It will foster new business opportunities as well as personal and professional development for new and existing entrepreneurs. A combination of on-demand business support and programming within Georgina and East Gwillimbury, both in-person and virtually, will be offered. Programs will be refined and augmented to address the specific needs of each business community. 

Current Programming

 Business Plan Bootcamp

Business Plan Bootcamp is an eight-week, free-of-charge educational entrepreneurship series that helps aspiring or existing business owners write and develop their business plan. Participants will learn from weekly on-demand workshops, meet with mentors and network with other business owners. 

The program is open to entrepreneurs 18+ who reside in northern York Region, primarily in East Gwillimbury, Georgina, the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations and the surrounding area. For established business owners or first-time founders, this program is designed to provide entrepreneurs with what they need to start or refine their business plan.

Apply Here
 Idea Consultations

Free one-on-one consultation services that connect entrepreneurs with YSpace’s entrepreneurship team to understand how the entrepreneurial ecosystem can help your idea come to life. 

The program is open to entrepreneurs 18+ who reside in northern York Region, primarily in East Gwillimbury, Georgina and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations. Whether you are an established business owner or a first-time founder, this program is designed to provide what you need to start or refine your business. 

The program provides:

  • Free one-on-one consultation with a business professional

  • A defined roadmap aligned to your unique needs

  • Access to additional support or mentorship via an ecosystem of volunteers through the local ecosystem of resources

Apply Here

 Program Updates 

Become a Program Mentor

Interested in becoming a program mentor?

YSpace is excited to partner with the Town of Georgina and the Town of East Gwillimbury to launch small business supports in the local communities through what we are calling our Idea Consultation program. The program is designed to help connect local entrepreneurs and business owners to mentors and resources within their local communities. With that, we are expanding our outreach to potential engage with new startups.

Mentorship roles and commitments vary depending on the programs and startup needs. At this point in time, we are not looking for a specific skill set but rather doing a large call out to interested individuals.

We kindly ask you to fill out the following application to help us better understand your background, and assess the best fit with our programs. Once completed, a YSpace representative will be in touch to setup an introductory call. If you have any questions on time or experience requirements, please reach out to yspace@yorku.ca and we are happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Apply Today

Other Program Updates

Corporate Services Memorandum

To: Council 

From: Margot Bégin, Director Economic Development

Date: March 22, 2022 

Subject: Business Incubator/Accelerator Programming Update

The Town of East Gwillimbury and Georgina are in the process of concluding the joint Business Bounce Back Program. This was a 12-month project that delivered workshops and individual mentorship to over 70 participants from the hospitality and tourism industry. All programming was delivered through a partnership with by York University’s, entrepreneurship hub, YSpace. Participant feedback for this program has been very positive and its success has established the foundation for additional entrepreneurial programs and business supports.

The Town of East Gwillimbury and Georgina are excited to announce a continued partnership with York University’s YSpace to deliver a 2-year Business Incubator/Accelerator pilot project to support entrepreneurs and economic growth during the recovery phase of the pandemic and beyond. This project will build on the Bounce Back Program and create an ecosystem that supports co-working and collaboration, fostering new business development as well as personal and professional development for new and existing entrepreneurs.

Read the full memorandum

For more information, contact Stephanie Simpson at stsimpson@georgina.ca or YSpace at yspace@yorku.ca.