Do you know a woman entrepreneur of a high-growth business that wants to experience amazing growth? Please let her know about this program:

FWE e-series Program

The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs e-series is a program of entrepreneurial training sessions that runs each year from January until June for women entrepreneurs of high growth, leveragable businesses wanting to take their company to the next level.

Applicants for the e-series program should be:

1. a woman entrepreneur;

2. of a high growth business, in any sector, that can be leveraged;

3. the business must be the sole focus of the entrepreneur, who is not maintaining another job or business on the side;

4. the candidate should be either:

     a. the controlling shareholder;

     b. or an equal partner with up to 4 other partners;

     c. entrepreneurs in other situations (e.g. operating partner but not major shareholder) are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case by case basis;

5. fully committed to attend all of the sessions subject to the regular day of the week that the group collectively chooses (typically Monday evenings 3:45 pm to 6pm)

6. entrepreneurs in other situations (e.g. operating partner but not major shareholder) are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case by case basis;

Investment

The cost of the program is approximately $1,800. This includes weekly sessions taught by business leaders and industry experts, access to FWE’s resources and materials and a complimentary ticket to the e-series graduation gala. Full payment can be made up front or via a payment plan (6 payments from January until June ).

Application Process & Deadline

To apply for e-series, fill out this application form
Application deadline is October 18th, 2010. Interviews will take place in November.

Contact FWE

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She was formerly the President of Wired Woman Vancouver. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

To kick off small business month, Small Business BC is hosting INSPIRE - The Freshest Business Fair of 2010! Join Small Business BC and local entrepreneurs for a dynamic afternoon of activities, exhibits and education to get your juices flowing with fresh ideas for your business or to inspire new business ideas!

Date: Friday, October 1st, 2010
Time: 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Location: 390 - 601 West Cordova Street (Waterfront Station Building), Vancouver, BC
Tickets: $25 (refreshments & snacks provided)
BUY TICKETS NOW!

Event Itinerary:
     1:00-1:30pm   Welcome / Entrepreneur Exposé
     1:30-2:15pm   Seminar "Branding Tips for Small Business"
     2:30-3:15pm   Seminar "Effective Marketing for Small Business"
     3:30-4:30pm   Interactive workshop & networking (Public Speaking and Image Consulting)
     4:30 onward    Join us afterward for the Small Business BC Open House event

Featured Speakers:

     Angela Bains, CA Design
     Fiona Walsh, FM Walsh & Associates
     Dean Barbour, Public Speaking Consultant
     Giovanni Amenta, Pink & Grey Style & Image Consulting
     Bilijana Vasiljevic, Exhibit Cre8ive

INSPIRE will highlight the success stories of local entrepreneurs and their businesses through a mini business exposé. This jam packed afternoon provides a great opportunity to:

• Learn from industry professionals about effective branding and marketing for your business
• Perfect your image and business pitch with tips from public speaking and image consultants 
• Network, share ideas and experiences, and HAVE FUN!!

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She was formerly the President of Wired Woman Vancouver. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

The Canary Foundation tagline is very clear: Stopping cancer early = the best possible investment. This is a core belief for Canadian technology success Don Listwin, and the key motivating factor underscoring the work of his family foundation, which he has made his second career. The Canary Derby is a way we can all get involved. In a unique play on words and ideas, the Canary in question relates to ‘the canary in the mine shaft’ concept of ‘early detection and warning’.

After the loss of his Mother to misdiagnosed ovarian cancer, Don discovered that most of the money spent on cancer research in North America was invested in treatment options as opposed to early detection. He has committed his time, energy and considerable resources – his personal network being high on the list – to turning that around. His goal is to connect “the very best cancer researchers with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists so that their breakthroughs will have the best chances of saving lives.” To that end, Don has gathered an exceptional group of scientific and business leaders on his team.

Five years ago, this gave rise to The Canary Derby, a soap-box-derby styled race to raise funds for cancer research.

“Canary Derby cars are built by corporate or private teams and are unpowered, relying completely upon gravity. We provide a guideline for the construction of cars, then you build and race them! Each team pledges and raises money—all to support cancer early detection.” This brings together teams of competitors and rivals, competing in two races, one in Victoria in June and the other in Vancouver on September 25th.

One of those teams, in early years, was sponsored by Vancouver tech company Webnames.ca, which is how Cybele Negris first came to be involved. One of the most dedicated and hardworking businesswomen I know, Cybele puts her heart and soul into everything she does, and this year’s Canary Derby is no exception. Now chairing the Event Organizing Committee, Cybele tells me their goal is to best the 2009 mark of $242,000 (every penny of which goes directly to research).

You will find Cybele and her colleagues, along with competitors from eleven other teams, at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby for a fun-filled day in this family-friendly space. Mark September 25th on your calendar now – you don’t want to miss it!

By Cybele Negris

Join Small Business BC for an amazing 'OSCARS inspired' evening of awards and networking, as the four winners are announced for this year’s 2010 Successful You - Small Business Awards, June 10th, 2010 @ The Birks Jewellery Store (5-8pm), Vancouver.

YOUR TICKET INCLUDES:

- Delicious wines, appetizers and samples
- Mingle with the four "2010 Successful You" award winners
- Network with 300+ local business professionals
- Amazing keynote speakers (Click here to learn more) & door prizes

TICKET PRICES:

Regular Tickets           $60 (each)

Buy 1 Early Bird          $49 (each)

Buy 2 Early Bird          $39 (each)

Buy 3 Early Bird          $36 (each)

**Early-bird tickets held over until June 7 - end of business**

BONUS!!!  REGISTER TODAY AND RECEIVE!

-  A  FREE 1-year ZipCar Business Membership with each ticket purchase (value $75)

** BUY YOUR EARLY-BIRD TICKETS TODAY! **

www.successfulyou.ca

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She was formerly the President of Wired Woman Vancouver. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

Join Wired Woman Vancouver members as they sip, nibble and chat while learning about the latest in audio, web, video conferencing and collaborating technologies.  Yes, men are always welcome!

When: Wednesday May 26, 2010 6 to 8 pm
Where: Momentum Conferencing, The Burrard Building (Suite 1111 - 1030 W. Georgia, Vancouver)
                 Take escalator to 2nd floor where you will be greeted
Parking: Available on Alberni Street. Please use Burrard Street entrance between Alberni & Georgia.
Tickets: FREE for members but pre-registration required

Wired Woman Membership: Also free! Click here to join the community with chapters in Vancouver and Toronto.

About Wired Woman

Network. Educate. Mentor. These three words have guided Wired Woman since its inception and remain the foundation of Wired Woman. Wired Woman’s mission is to create an environment that encourages women to explore opportunities in technology, science and new media and to build successful careers that will allow them to become a driving force in these expanding sectors.

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She was formerly the President of Wired Woman Vancouver. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

DigiBC, the industry organization which represents over 1,000 digital media and wireless companies in BC, has launched a new website www.VIDWeek.com. The site provides information and registration services for Vancouver Interactive Digital Week (VIDWeek) 2010 which will take place at multiple Vancouver locations during the week of May 25 to 28.

VIDWeek combines several well-established digital media and wireless events into the most ambitious and wide-ranging event ever staged for the industry in Canada. Those events include:

CONVERGENCE - includes interactive workshops, expert panels on animation, VFX, video games, wireless health and technology, education and sustainability, the role of design in interactive technologies, the role of women in the games industry, plus many networking opportunities.

Vancouver Interactive Partnering Forum (VIPF) - provides venue for hundreds of meetings between digital content providers and content publishers or buyers, such as Paramount, Electronic Arts, Nokia. Microsoft Games Studios, CAPCOM, Real Games and Media Sense have confirmed.

Fusion Salon Investment Forum - gives selected companies the opportunity to pitch their projects and to have one-on-one meetings with venture capitalists from Silicon Valley and around the world.

Pacific Northwest Wireless Summit - brings global wireless and digital media industry leaders, visionaries and venture capitalists together to share knowledge and resources and to promote the industry's growth and sustainability.

Digital Kung Fu - 2nd annual "crash course in digital martial arts" presented by Vancouver's Centre for Digital Media. Interactive workshop on transforming ideas into realizable, marketable goals.

PechaKucha (pronounced peh ‘chak cha, from a Japanese colloquialism for "chit-chat") -  Special Edition, 'Living in the Real Virtual World'.  A select group of 12 local instigators are on stage with 20 slides x 20 seconds to deliver inspiration and insight on human experiences in the on-line and off-line world. Some call it TED on speed!

"VIDWeek 2010 will put us on the world map of digital media and wireless innovation and convergence. We already have plans for 2011 to add the Canadian Video Games and Digital Arts Awards, GDC Canada, PICNIC Salon, and other highly successful events. I urge all interested companies or individuals to visit VIDWeek.com and register as delegates, speakers, or sponsors," says Michael Bidu, President of DigiBC.

Register for 1, 2 or 4 day conference passes at http://www.vidweek.com/registration.html 

Preferred rates available for students and many other groups.

About DigiBC

DigiBC — The Digital Media + Wireless Association of BC – is a member-supported, non-profit organization, based in Vancouver, BC Canada. Members include world-class companies such as EA (Electronic Arts), Disney Interactive, Rainmaker Entertainment, Nokia Vancouver, Sierra Wireless and others. There are over 1,300 companies in the sector, creating innovative products in wireless and mobile, video gaming, animation and VFX, web 2.0 and social media, interactive marketing and e-learning. Collectively, this sector employs 22,000 people and generates revenues of $3 billion a year – making it one of the most significant contributors to British Columbia's economic well-being. Visit www.digibc.org for more information.

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

The 3rd annual Grape Juice Wine Auction is taking place on May 6th at the V lounge in Yaletown. Come bid on unique and exclusive wines from around the world while enjoying hors d'oeuvres for a worthy cause.

CameronMcNeill.com and McNeill Nakamoto created Grape Juice to raise much needed funds to facilitate the matching process for over 100 at risk young girls on the Big Sisters waitlist.

Big Sisters of BC lower Mainland matches volunteer mentors with young girls who face a multitude of challenges. Many of the young children suffer from low-self esteem and social isolation due to poverty, abuse or neglect. For every Little Sister that is successfully matched with a volunteer mentor, a quiet revolution of hope takes place. It costs $2,000 to make and maintain one Big & Little Sister match for one year.

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010
5 TO 8PM

By Cybele Negris

My company Webnames.ca has been proud to support the BCTIA Technology Impact Awards for a number of years. The 2010 awards are taking place June 8th from 5:30 to 9:30 pm at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Get your early bird tickets now for $175 or $225 after May 28th.

Buy tickets online now or call 604-683-6159 for more information.

The Technology Impact Awards was created to celebrate the successes of BC's technology industry including the companies, people and innovation that continue to put British Columbia on the map. Over 700 senior representatives of the technology and business community will be attending.

Award categories include:

TECHNOLOGY AWARDS
Most Promising Pre-Commercial Technology
Excellence in Product Innovation
Best Application of Technology

COMPANY AWARDS
Most Promising Start-up
Emerging Company of the Year
Company of the Year

PERSONAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
Team of the Year
Community Leadership
Person of the Year

More information about BCTIA

BCTIA is an industry-funded organization supporting the growth of British Columbia’s strong knowledge economy. Membership includes a network of 2100+ member companies of all sizes and from all technology sectors and collectively employ over 70,000 workers in BC.

BCTIA deliver programs and services that directly influence the growth and success of technology companies, such as PODIUM, their industry promotion program, Xcelerate, their executive education program, and PEER2PEER groups, where members connect to share and learn.

As the voice of the technology industry, the BCTIA is committed to the ongoing growth, sustainability and prosperity of the technology industry and the transformation of British Columbia to a knowledge-based economy.

Website – www.bctia.org

Digital Business card – bctia.tel

Related Posts:

Business & the Olympics – Part V of Series -Interview with Pascal Spothelfer, President, BCTIA by Cybele Negris

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

With all the medals Canada has won during the Olympics and Paralympics, now it is your turn to show what you've got! If you have a business or knows someone who does, here’s a great opportunity to get some recognition and exposure by entering the Small Business BC “Successful You Awards.”

PROVINCE-WIDE SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS

SUBMIT YOUR BUSINESS PLAN (or) NOMINATION TODAY! 

DEADLINE: MARCH 31^st, 2010

Small Business BC and the Insurance Bureau of Canada are hosting the 7^th annual Successful You – Small Business Awards. Submit your business plan (or) nominate yourself or someone you know into one of our four Award Categories:

                1). Business Concept Award                       (business plan required)

                2). Business Growth Award                        (business plan required)

                3). Business Champion Award                   (nomination based)

                4). Company of the Year Award                (nomination based)

Related Posts:

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part IV of Series – Interview with George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC by Cybele Negris

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

Last week we ran a poll at MetroBlenzNewsSquad.com and at BlenzCommunity.com "Who do you think is Canada’s star of the 2010 Winter Games?" and the results are in!

The people have spoken and the most popular choices are in the following order (#1 being most popular):

Sidney Crosby voted as top Canadian star (photo by S. Yume licensed under the Creative Commons)

1. Sidney Crosby – scores winning goal in men’s hockey giving Canada the most gold medals in history of Winter Games
2. Joannie Rochette – wins bronze days after her mother’s death
3. Maelle Ricker -  1^st woman to win gold
4. Alexandre Bilodeau -  1^st to win gold on home soil

People were also given the opportunity to pick their own favorites. Another popular choice included Tessa Virtue who secured a gold medal finish in ice dancing with her partner Scott Moir. Other notables included Jasey Jay Anderson who won gold at the men’s parallel giant slalom event, the Women's Hockey team for their on ice celebrations (described by one poll taker as "so very Canadian") and even Olympic Mascot Mukmuk!

I'm not surprised Sidney Crosby was first choice given Canada's love-affair with hockey. Personally, I thought it was really tough to pick one star. The Canadian athletes together were phenomenal and really demonstrated great sportsmanship and of course huge success.

Here is a comprehensive recap of all the medalists from the 2010 Olympics from all countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2010_Winter_Olympics_medal_winners

One could argue though that the real star was Canadians as a whole who rallied together in never-seen-before national pride. I can still hear the chants in my head... "Go Canada Go!..."

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

I recently had the pleasure of getting a tour of Light House Sustainable Building Centre. The new 5,400-square-foot facility at 2060 Pine Street in Vancouver is designed to inspire and provide advice and practical skills for sustainable building projects large and small. The facility showcases the newest innovations in green building technologies and serves as an education and resource centre.

Light House was instrumental in the greening of the Olympic Games, coordinating the integrated design process for the Vancouver athletes’ village and providing technical assistance to Whistler’s athletes’ village as it worked towards meeting the Whistler Green standard. Light House staff continue to undertake research and consulting projects helping to shape policies throughout BC, including projects for the City of Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver.

Whether you are a home owner looking to renovate your home or a builder/contractor, Light House has something for you. The Light House website includes comprehensive information about everything related to sustainable building including:

• a directory of architects and contractors that specialize in sustainable building
• a directory of green building products from appliances to lighting and flooring and more
• information about grants and incentives for homeowners or developers
• green jobs if you are looking for work in the industry
• upcoming events, workshops and seminars
• and so much more

 Of special note is the 2010 Green Building Challenge, an initiative that began in 2008. Light House proposed a challenge to homeowners, small business owners, and strata councils to green their homes and workplaces in time for the Vancouver Winter Olympics following a stringent set of energy, water, and waste reduction targets and strategies. A draw took place and 10 British Columbians were chosen to receive free technical assistance for their renovations.

Light House has now put together case studies and reporting on the reductions achieved by each project. In addition, they are hosting a series of workshops summarizing findings from the projects as well as tours of some of the completed projects. 

Click on a date below for more information or to register: 

March 6: Green Retrofits for Small Businesses workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of the Wood Co-op

March 13: Home Heating workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of the Moore-Babicki Residence

March 18: Green Building for Stratas workshop (6-8pm)

March 20: Green Building Rating Systems for Homes workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of a LEED for Homes pilot project

March 27: Prefab and Laneway Homes workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of a laneway home project

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

Further to my recent post in February about the launch of CleanWorks BC (the new brand and marketing campaign to promote the $100 billion investment opportunity in BC's clean technology and clean energy sectors), the BC Government announced today that out of the record number of major construction projects proposed in BC, nine of the 10 top-valued projects focus on clean energy.

Among the clean energy projects planned or underway across the province are: 

• Rocky Creek Wind Energy Project in Tumbler Ridge – $1.2 billion
• Machmell River Hydropower Project in Campbell River – $900 million 
• Metro Vancouver Waste-to-Energy Incineration Facility – $500 million
• Upper Lillooet River Hydroelectric Project in Pemberton – $222 million
• Bronson Slope Hydropower Project in the Stewart Region – $216 million
• Tzoonie River Hydropower Project in Sechelt – $186 million
• Lower Wood River Hydropower Project in Mica – $144 million
• Hurley River Hydroelectric Project in Pemberton – $138 million
• Gun Creek Hydroelectric Project in Pemberton – $108 million

Click here to see the full press release

Related post:

BC Climate & Clean Energy Reception by Cybele Negris

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

During the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, I was invited to attended an Olympic related event at PricewaterhouseCoopers. I was impressed by the level of planning and execution of the event held in the PwC Olympic Lounge where attendees were invited to network, watch the women’s hockey game (Canada vs Switzerland) and to take part in a wine tasting. 

After the event, I was curious as to what holding an event like this meant for a company like PwC. I took the opportunity to find out more about what PwC was doing to leverage off the Olympics and determine whether hosting these types of events gives such companies a return on their investment. I was also interested in whether there were motivations beyond business for PwC to support the Olympics.

It seems support for the Winter Olympics and Canada’s athletes has long been a part of PwC’s culture. They were one of the official supporters of Canada’s bid for the 2010 Winter Games during 2002-2003. PwC is also the exclusive auditor, tax and business advisor to Alpine Canada Alpin (the governing body for alpine ski racing in Canada) and they provide financial and in-kind support to the ACA Podium Club. They sponsored individual skiers Jean-Philippe Roy and Geneviève Simard who unfortunately both had to pull out of this year’s Olympic Games due to prior injury.

Interestingly, they also have a number of Olympians at PwC and some retired staff who have competed in the past. To name a few, John Larsen, a retired partner, competed in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games in the Rowing competition. Nic Youngblud, an associate in the Calgary office, achieved a personal goal by being part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as a member of the Canadian National Men’s Water Polo Team. So for PwC, support of the Olympics certainly goes beyond purely for business reasons.

For the 2010 Winter Games, they started planning operations and their involvement about 18 months ago. They had 3 main priorities during the Olympics—staff engagement in the Games, maintaining a high level of client service, and reducing vehicle trips into downtown Vancouver. They hosted events for staff and partners “to celebrate this once in a lifetime sporting and cultural event.” Big screen TVs were also installed in their lunch room for staff to drop by and watch events and they also had staff draws for tickets and prizes. "The Winter Olympic Games offer a unique opportunity to host key clients and get to know strategic targets. We converted part of one of our floors into a client hosting lounge area for meetings with clients and business networking receptions.”

Since the PwC building downtown is located near the Convention Centre where the International Broadcast Centre and Main Media Centre for the Olympics were located, the Olympics road closures impacted PwC. Let’s not forget the timing of the Olympics overlaps with the busiest 2 to 3 weeks of the year for more than half of PwC’s staff who provide audit services, tax support and regulatory filings for corporate clients.

However, they decided to "embrace this once in a lifetime opportunity." They maintained a high level of client service during the Olympics by using some creative methods. For uninterrupted client service plus reduction of trips downtown, they leased temporary office space in south Richmond and encouraged staff that live south of Vancouver to use this facility instead of the downtown office. This office was accessible by the Canada Line. Some of the staff even worked at their client’s sites if they were outside of the downtown core. Staff were encouraged to work from home where possible, or leave their cars at home and take transit, walk or bike to work. Their goal was to reduce vehicle trips into downtown Vancouver by more than 50%. “We recently implemented a number of technology solutions that enable our people to work uninterrupted from home, our Richmond site or at a client’s office.” 

As to whether PwC has been able to leverage off the Olympics successfully to drive more business, well, it is too early too tell. Their main reason to set up their hosting lounge and organize various business development and networking events onsite was to get together with clients, Alumni and other contacts and celebrate Canada’s achievements in the Olympic Games. “Professional services are a relationship-oriented business and it is important to create some very valuable face-time with clients and local business and community leaders.”

Having said that, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Private Company Services group created quite a buzz during the Games with their "in the red campaign”. They put large sign outside the Vancouver office (Granville Square) situated in the heart of the Olympic action and asked people to share their photos. Thousands stopped to take pictures in their Canadian colours with the PwC sign and some of the best shots are being posted on a photo album on the PwC website.

PwC's in the red campaign - "Just this once, we're happy to see everyone in the red. Go Canada"

More information

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services. In Canada, PwC (www.pwc.com/ca) and its related entities have more than 5,300 partners and staff in offices across the country.

Related Posts:

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics- Part I of Series – Eclipse Awards by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part II of Series – Forum for Women Entrepreneurs by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part III of Series – Residential Construction Industry by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part IV of Series – Interview with George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC by Cybele Negris

Business & the Olympics – Part V of Series -Interview with Pascal Spothelfer, President, BCTIA by Cybele Negris

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

In the eyes of most Canadians today, Canada truly does "own the podium". Fourteen gold medals; the most gold ever in a winter Olympics and the most gold ever won by a host country! 

During one of the performances at the Olympics closing ceremonies, Comedian Catherine O'Hara  poked fun at how Canadians say "sorry" alot.  Well, let's not apologize for truly owning the gold! Yes, we have shown the world that a large country with diverse cultures and backgrounds can come together; whether it is on public transit or just out on the streets, singing the Canadian National Anthem. Yes, we have shown the world we can laugh at ourselves (nice touch by closing ceremonies producers playing off the opening ceremonies mechanical failure).

Now we can show the world Canada is at the top. Canada is the best. We are a nation of winners and "I believe..." this experience has transformed us forever!

Image of Canadian Flag by Jared Grove

More about the Own the Podium Program:

http://www.ownthepodium2010.com/

Related Posts:

Gold Gold Gold  By Richard Earl

Who Owns the Podium Now  By Howard Olsen

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

By Cybele Negris

Continuing in my series around the Olympics and business, I spoke with Pascal Spothelfer , President & CEO of the BC Technology Industry Association, the organization that supports a membership of over 2100 companies from the diverse BC technology sector which collectively employs over 70,000 people in BC.

Spothelfer has been extremely busy attending receptions and events during the Olympics but was gracious to take time out of his schedule to speak with me. One of the key programs being run by BCTIA during the Olympics is the PODIUM program and I wanted to highlight the benefits and goals of what they are trying to achieve.  PODIUM is an Outreach Program designed to connect Olympic guests and media with potential business opportunities and media stories about the local technology sector.

The focus of the program is the PODIUM digital guide. This guide profiles over 140 technology companies in BC to showcase the talent and innovation that makes British Columbia a great place to live, work, study and invest. 

Spothelfer recognizes the attention and opportunity that the Olympics is bringing to BC but “the attention span is very short.  People are here for a short time and here primarily for the sports; business is the secondary consideration.  BCTIA has designed the program to capture sufficient bandwidth while people are here but will be combining it with proper follow-up afterwards.” He hopes the number of featured companies will increase from 140 to over 1000. The digital guide has already been distributed to consulates and governments around the world.

Spothelfer, President of BCTIA has a PhD in law and an MBA. He was previously President & CEO of Spectrum Signal Processing, a Vancouver-based provider of advanced wireless communication systems.

I was interested in Spothelfer’s perspective on the state of the technology sector in BC currently and where he thinks things will go post Olympics. "Based on the talent survey BCTIA completed recently, technology executives expect to reabsorb the people who were let go in 2008 and 2009 during the recession with recovery to 2007 levels."  He feels the sector is very vibrant and describes the “entrepreneurial groundswell.” He says, "the VC [venture capitalist] community has to now reload. Private equity funds may pick up some of the slack with access to very cheap money right now." He thinks good companies will continue to get funded but it is taking longer and it is harder to get the money. "CEO’s are spending more time getting funding and less time adding value to the company."

While BC is a beautiful place to live, Spothelfer, like so many in the business community feel the key for growth in the sector is to ensure we create an even more competitive environment for companies to operate.  He points out SR&ED [The Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program – federal tax credit program to incent companies to do research/R&D in Canada] as a positive example.

BCTIA also advocates for the removal of section 116 of the federal income tax act which Spothelfer says hinders foreign (in particular US) venture capital investment. He's not the only one who thinks this. Iain Black, Minister of Technology & Small Business talked about this same issue in his speech later that day at the PODIUM Exchange event which BCTIA hosted.

Iain Black Minister of Technology & Small Business at the PODIUM Exchange event aimed at bringing together PODIUM participants and visiting companies

Another challenge Spothelfer identifies is being able to sustain a talent pool of highly qualified workers in technology in BC. One key ingredient to ensure success of the sector is to grow our crew of qualified management and executives. He describes the end of the road syndrome in Vancouver where high level executives have very few options after they leave one big company. He hopes as the industry grows, executives have opportunities to move to other companies without having to go to the US. We need more experienced management and executives who have grown companies from $5 to $20 million and beyond. 

Therefore, beyond building awareness about the importance of the tech industry to our province or playing a key advocacy role in removing barriers, BCTIA is providing direct support to grow qualified management from a skills standpoint. The Xcelerate Program for example uses coaches with industry experience to teach business skills, leadership, strategy and more to help local companies build stronger management teams. Look for more to come from BCTIA in 2010 as they further develop their experts in residence and training programs, outreach programs and business intelligence programs.

More information about BCTIA

BCTIA is an industry-funded organization supporting the growth of British Columbia’s strong knowledge economy. Membership includes a network of 2100+ member companies of all sizes and from all technology sectors and collectively employ over 70,000 workers in BC.

BCTIA deliver programs and services that directly influence the growth and success of technology companies, such as PODIUM, their industry promotion program, Xcelerate, their executive education program, and PEER2PEER groups, where members connect to share and learn.    

As the voice of the technology industry, the BCTIA is committed to the ongoing growth, sustainability and prosperity of the technology industry and the transformation of British Columbia to a knowledge-based economy.

Website – www.bctia.org

Digital Business card – bctia.tel

2010 Business Outreach Coordinator

BCTIA has a coordinator working closely with Federal, Provincial and local governments to connect to connect businesses with BC companies and business hosting programs being delivered during the Games. Follow-up will continue post games.  Interested parties should contact Zachary Cohen regarding PODIUM at zcohen@bctia.org or 604 374-4465. 

Related Posts:

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics- Part I of Series – Eclipse Awards by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part II of Series – Forum for Women Entrepreneurs by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part III of Series – Residential Construction Industry by Cybele Negris

Vancouver Small Business & the Olympics – Part IV of Series – Interview with George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC by Cybele Negris

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames