wen Sound entrepreneurship centre marks first anniversary

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The Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre at the Sydenham Campus in Owen Sound is marking its first anniversary.

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The Georgian College entrepreneurship hub offers youth programs, newcomer support and business mentorship.

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Maegan Cookson, the founder of Boon Bakery in Owen Sound, said in a Georgian news release that the centre has been “an invaluable resource in guiding my decision-making process. Their support, especially through access to relevant data, helped me validate key choices I made for the business with confidence.”

HBEC focused on youth entrepreneurship through education, specialized support through targeted community events and increased access to mentorship opportunities for diverse and early-stage founders, the release said. It introduced more than 50 high school students in the Bluewater District School Board to hands-on entrepreneurship training.

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Workshops introduced them to real-world business tools and mindsets, the news release said. Walkerton District Community School students later pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges from Georgian, Grey County and Bruce County. Top participants got seed funding and more support through the Summer Company provincial entrepreneurship program.

The entrepreneurship centre presented XcelerateHER, an event for entrepreneurs, makers, and creatives looking to gain insights into the retail world, at the Bruce County museum in April, hosted in partnership with Bruce County and Saugeen First Nation.

It featured Chelsee-Marie Pettit, of aaniin retail Inc., who shared how she built an Indigenous brand rooted in values and cultural empowerment.

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Another event, XcelerateNOW, took place last March in Hanover. It focused on newcomer entrepreneurs, shared local success stories and provided mentorship in intellectual property, branding, digital marketing, and financial planning, including services in Spanish.

Over the past year, Grey-Bruce entrepreneurs have accessed specialized mentorship in areas such as intellectual property, market research, branding, digital marketing, and newcomer-focused business development. Services included business planning and financial coaching in Spanish, helping to remove language barriers and increase accessibility, the release said.

Email [email protected] to learn more about Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre.

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