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CFDCCO Announces Business Development Internship

The CFDCCO is pleased to announce that they have created a new Business Development Internship. The Business Development Intern will have an opportunity to learn, to help, to develop and to implement strategies, programs and services for community economic development, business training, business advisory and loan services for clients and projects consistent with the CFDCCO Strategic Plan and Annual Operating Plan.

The position is a diverse multi‐faceted position that will help you develop a wide range of skills. Our focus in hiring will be to identify candidates with a mix of business and entrepreneurial education and/or experience along with the attitude and aptitude that is required to become an excellent Business Developer.

click here for job description and hiring process information

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Jeff Hoffart wins ChangeUP Entrepreneurial Award for ED-ucation

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Graduate of Community Futures Business Plan Development Program - Jeff Hoffart

Jeff Hoffart of ED-ucation Publishing received recognition for his company from the Okanagan business community.  ChangeUP, an initiative of Okanagan Changemakers oversaw awards handed out to the most innovative initiatives for effective, positive change.  Twelve finalists pitched their projects to a sold-out audience of voters at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.  Jeff was awarded $1,000 for ED-ucation Publishing.  Congratulations to Jeff on his achievement.

Jeff co-founded ED-ucation Publishing and collaborates with social entrepreneurs within the start-up and accelerator culture in Kelowna in order to facilitate youth action.ED-ucation Publishing is founded on the premise that people learn from stories. The company creates books and curriculum to teach and empower the next generation of youth change agents. Its first published book is A is for Action and the next 10 print and eBooks are ready to launch.

With Jeff’s strong sense of community, it was a natural fit for him to connect with Community Futures during his business start-up.  Writing a business plan with Community Futures support “...helped to clarify all the core business aspects of ED-ucation Publishing in order for us to move forward in the most strategic, informed and successful manner”. 

Thanks for letting us catch up with you, Jeff and all the best with your book launch!

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NovaRae - Grand Tommie Award for 2013 Okanagan Residential Renovator of the Year

novaraelogo2 Gold Tommie awards & 3 Silvers, including the Grand Tommie for 2013 Okanagan Residential Renovator of the Year.  This is a significant recognition of their business in our Okanagan Valley and we congratulate Novarae Interiors on their success!

NovaRae is active in the business community. They launched the first BNI chapter in Lake Country BC, where co-owner Lee-Anne currently holds an executive position. Co-owner Julie sits on the board of directors with Kelowna Women in Business where she facilitated the Better your Business/Better Yourself conference at Sparkling Hill Resort. They are currently in the throes of moving into new office space/Design Centre so things are hopping.

Lee-Anne and Julie started their NovaRae partnership with a Community Futures business plan in 2009 and have had upward growth since then. Julie says “We are very Grateful for the opportunities that the Community Futures program presented us with. We walked away from the program with the winning combination of determination, a well researched plan, connections, mentors & invaluable follow up support. Without it I can honestly say we may not be where we are today!” Julie Russell.

Congratulations again, NovaRae! 

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Kelowna-Based Lemonade Labs Partners with Germany-Based Queen Games

lemonade labsA Kelowna-based game studio has announced a pan-Atlantic gaming partnership as Lemonade GameLabs Ltd. entered an agreement with Queen Games GmbH of Troisdorf Germany to operate globally as their development studio division. This partnership brings to Kelowna a publisher with a catalog of over 200 designer games.

About Queen Digital Games

News of the partnership leaked out a week ago in an online forum, and was confirmed by both parties the week.

The first game under development by Lemonade Labs will be an action/adventure style game based on the wildly popular tabletop game “Escape: The Curse of the Temple”. In an interview with Meepletown.com, game designer Kristian Amundsen Østby described some of the challenges in translating a game to an electronic version:

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Start-up Week Okanagan

Startup Week – 10 Days of Awesome

The second annual Startup Week Okanagan offers a unique convergence of music, education, art, entertainment, business and technology. With over 30 events over 10 days, fostering creative growth, community connections and showcasing the tremendous professional talent in the valley, Startup Week Okanagan 2014 is ten energy-fueled days of action!

With nearly thirty different events happening over 10 days, navigating the Startup Week Okanagan schedule can be a daunting task. Let us present the comprehensive guide to Startup Week Okanagan, with events tailored to your interests. Check out these events if…

…you are a living, breathing human over the age of 19:

…you are interested in spending the day at Big White and calling it “networking”

…you want to learn from some of the most exciting entrepreneurs around

…you want to make a difference in the world

…you have an idea for a startup and don’t know what to do next

…you want to learn to use technology to benefit your business:

…you are fanatic about good design:

…you like video games

…you like art with a technology and/or gaming twist

For more info on all of these events and more, check out the Startup Week Okanagan website.

or contact:

Brea Retzlaff

Community Manager  |  Accelerate Okanagan
250.870.9028 ext.2114 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.accelerateokanagan.com  |  www.twitter.com/accelerateok
Kelowna Innovation Centre, 1405 St. Paul Street, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1Y 2E4.
Our mission: to increase the number of technology companies that start and grow in the Okanagan.


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