A new support system is being offered to entrepreneurs in the region.
The WEtech Alliance is teaming up with Libro Credit Union to establish so-called Innovation Outposts across Chatham-Kent and Essex County. The idea is to use businesses and community spaces in rural areas to connect the people running local startups with established business owners.
“We realize that our region’s entrepreneurs, particularly those in more rural areas, have access to fewer resources than their peers in urban areas and face greater challenges in starting and scaling their companies,” said Adam Frye, Director of Operations and Partnerships at WEtech Alliance.
As part of the three-year program, Innovation Outposts will be set up in Chatham-Kent, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, and Kingsville, offering entrepreneurial training, space rental, catering, and event hosting, among other supports.
“This is about creating opportunities to succeed, and making sure people with great ideas can make them work, wherever they are,” Natalie Close, Libro Regional Manager for Lambton, Kent and Middlesex Counties said. “It’s vital for rural economies to have supports like this, and it aligns well with Libro’s many years working with the rural community, especially in agriculture.”
A launch networking event is scheduled at each location, starting with SOAR Innovation in Chatham on May 25, with an open invitation to entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, potential entrepreneurs, students, and community members.
