Accelerator Centre Enhances Supports for Entrepreneurs through Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant
The $144,000 grant will allow the Accelerator Centre to enhance its programs and build out a digital, remote-first learning platform for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Waterloo, ON — September 30, 2022 — The Accelerator Centre (AC) is pleased to announce the organization’s grateful receipt of $144,000 in funding support through a Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
With an eye toward expanding its programs and supporting Ontario’s economic recovery, the AC will utilize the funding to collaborate with mentors, industry experts, and thought leaders from across the province to create an interactive learning centre that allows for efficient and scalable delivery of its programming to entrepreneurs across Ontario.
“The Accelerator Centre offers valuable opportunities for innovation and growth, and I am thrilled that this grant from the Resilient Communities Fund was entrusted to the AC to support the expansion of their programs. Congratulations!” said Catherine Fife, MPP for Waterloo.
The enhanced programming material will be integrated into the AC’s globally recognized incubation programming, AC:Incubate, and the newly launched venture studio program, AC:Studio, and provide founders with a remote-first programming experience. In addition to improvements to the AC’s programming, the grant will allow the organization to implement strategies to make their refreshed, remote-first programming more readily available to diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs and to those from rural communities across the province.
“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of a strong economy. And supporting founders through the early-stages of their business are essential to ensuring a strong economic recovery for the province, says Jay Krishnan, Accelerator Centre, CEO.
“Our promise to entrepreneurs is to provide them with everything they need to grow and scale their businesses. With the pandemic shift to remote programming, we adapted our programming to better support entrepreneurs. Along the way, founders have told us that they want more flexible, remote-first mentorship and learning opportunities. With the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we’re able to deliver on that promise and work with experts across the country to build out a world-class remote programming experience that delivers real results for entrepreneurs.”
About the Accelerator Centre
At the AC, we exist to help ambitious dreamers impact global change through their businesses. The AC is ranked Canada’s #1 private business accelerator and is among the top five such organizations globally. We offer an extensive selection of customizable opportunities for startups across Canada—allowing founders to rapidly bring their innovation to life. We work with our global partners to bolster the innovation ecosystem in Waterloo and beyond.
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation
The Ontario Trillium Foundation's (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Contact
Tabatha Laverty
Director, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]