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Start-up companies in Halton Region will be networking and drawing inspiration from other entrepreneurs, supporters and funders when Entrepreneur Week in the Region gets under way the week of November 14^th. Halton’s Entrepreneur Week is sponsored by the Region of Halton Small Business Centre, HalTech Regional Innovation Centre and Sheridan College, and all events will be held at Sheridan College’s Oakville campus at 1430 Trafalgar Road.

“To compete in today’s world, we need to make innovation the driver of our economy,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation. “Innovative entrepreneurs bring great ideas to market and create prosperity and jobs for Ontario families in communities across Ontario.”

HalTech, the regional innovation centre supporting start-up ventures, hosts HalTech Connect on the evening of Thursday, November 17th, providing an opportunity for start-ups to connect with peers, established companies, angel investors and all those who support innovation and the start-up business community in Halton.

“The goal of the week is to draw attention to innovation happening in our local tech community and to take a ‘time out’ from the 24/7 activity of start-up enterprises to enable entrepreneurs to share experiences, draw from others’ expertise, and network with other founders and funders,” said Jim Beretta, Executive Director of HalTech.

Beretta acknowledged sponsors without whom Entrepreneur Week would not be possible, including: the Royal Bank, Region of Halton and  Sheridan College, along with the municipalities of Oakville, Halton Hills, Burlington, and Milton. Other community support is provided from Angel One, Bit Net, and Silicon Halton.

Highlights of the Halton Entrepreneur Week include:

Tuesday, Nov. 15: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Entrepreneur Boot Camp on Branding and Communications featuring Sanjay Singhal from FuseNet, David Ciccarelli from Voices.com, Shelley McQuade of Sales Fertilizer, and Craig Postons, Pathway Communications, Branding Through Your Employees

Wednesday, Nov. 16: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Pitch-deck Camp: start-ups apply for free participation to perfect their pitch — featuring speakers Donna Parr, Greg Barratt, and judging panel Karen Grant, Donna Parr, Greg Barratt and Darren Lawless

Thursday, Nov. 17: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Applied Social Media For Entrepreneurs featuring speakers Julia Rosien of Social North, Robin Hooper from Awareness Inc., and Richard Bolton of Centricity 360

Thursday, Nov. 17: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Angel 101: How to be an Angel With Karen Grant from Angel One speaking on how to be a funder within the start-up community

Thursday, Nov. 17: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
HalTech Connect Start-up company networking opportunity to connect entrepreneurs, supporters, and funders

Registrants should refer to the Eventbrite sites for details of events including cost, location, and what is included at each venue.