Ever since 2014 the Wood Centre has been supporting student and alumni entrepreneurs who want to take the next step with their business idea! We are proud to be working with our 21st cohort of startups representing 6 different industries all with the underlying mission to Improve Life. The Hub Incubator is a new-venture business incubator designed to support early-stage business ideas with high-potential, but unproven business models.
This summer we are thrilled to be working with 14 student and alumni led start-ups. We have an exciting mix of industries represented all with the mission to improve life. When the Wood Centre started out on this journey to support student and alumni led start-ups back in 2014 we had no idea how incredible this community of entrepreneurs would be. Each week we gather to learn some foundational skills and have the opportunity to connect with mentors and peers.
The John F. Wood Centre would like to congratulate Bree Johnson as the 2021 recipient of the Johnson Entrepreneurship Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student registered in a major offered by the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics and have completed a minimum of 15 credits.
The John F. Wood Centre would like to congratulate Laura Fallowfield as the 2021 recipient of the Janet Aizenstros Social Impact and Sustainability Scholarship Prize. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually to a student registered in any major of the Bachelor of Commerce program with demonstrated social entrepreneurship and innovation through academic and community experience or registered in the minor in Entrepreneurship.
The John F. Wood Centre is excited to announce that Jessie Kennedy has joined the John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise as the new Program Coordinator: Marketing, Events and External Relationships. Jessie has a passion for innovation and helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life!
It is with great pleasure that we get to congratulate our winner, Well Baked Box, of their success in winning the Warren and Deborah Jestin Impact Award! This award is given to a business in the Hub Incubator program that demonstrates the highest environmental, community and social benefit along with a sustainable and profitable business model.
Co-founded by Josh Dhanapala and Ben Brunt, RentASkill provides busy households with a simple and efficient way to meet their “Help Wanted” needs by connecting them with motivated local workers! With the introduction of its new app, RentASkill connects local youth in search of work with members of their community who have household-oriented tasks or work to be completed. RentASkill has incorporated and has most recently launched its App on the Google Play Store and the App Store!
Founded by Sheila Boudreau, SpruceLab is a Toronto planning and landscape architecture social enterprise that focuses on nature-based solutions for vibrant and resilient communities, and to support Indigenous-led initiatives and emerging professionals. Building on over 25 years of professional experience in the private and public sectors, they connect with others to form strategic and unique collaborations for place-based work, grounded in caring for the land, waters, and all creatures.
Cats Cider Co. bridges together the collective experiences of farmer Keshia Krucker and brewer Zach Vernon. Together they turned a year of excess apple production on Keshia’s family farm, Manorun, into a creative endeavour. Their philosophy is quality, sustainability, and community. Three Cats Cider company focuses on sustainability from sourcing ingredients directly from her family farm, to responsibly packaging and using environmental cleaning solutions. Their business will launch with a bottle shop and expand into a taproom offering on-farm experiences.
