The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) are pleased to announce the establishment of a new office in Kingston to better support the commercialization and scaling of start-ups in Eastern Ontario.
OCI has hired a Business Development and Commercialization Manager for the Eastern Ontario region, Cher Powers, who will be based out of KEDCO’s offices in Kingston. Cher will work closely with both OCI and KEDCO’s teams to drive Ontario’s economy to greater prosperity, health, and sustainability by supporting companies.
Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of OCI, expressed her excitement about Cher’s engagement in extensive ecosystem networking to identify and engage potential industry and academic partners, entrepreneurs, investors, and others, fostering collaborations and linking to support programs offered by OCI and its partners. Cher will also support collaborations between industry and academia, encouraging entrepreneurs and company leaders to aspire to create globally scalable products and services by providing clients with insight, mentoring, coaching, and support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and high-growth companies, acting as a connector, facilitating the introduction of people and companies to share business, technical knowledge, and experience.
Donna Gillespie, CEO of KEDCO, stated that they have been working closely with OCI to support new and scaling businesses, and it is exciting to see that a dedicated Kingston office and commercialization manager are now in place. She further mentioned that co-locating OCI’s Kingston office with the KEDCO team is a natural fit and furthers centralized support and services for entrepreneurs. For more information about OCI’s programs, visit oc-innovation.ca.
The Ontario Centre of Innovation has been operating in the province and the region for more than three decades, and its new office in Kingston will make it more accessible and raise its profile. The centre assists small and medium-sized business entrepreneurs and researchers in scaling up their work with commercialization as the end goal. By acting as a conduit for entrepreneurs and researchers, OCI helps them access funding through government programs and attract private investors. It also provides funding for its own grant programs, which offer non-dilutive grant funding to start-ups and SMEs to help them commercialize their technologies.
Fire Reign in Napanee is another business that OCI has helped support, and its fire suppressant is now used internationally. Powers says she’s been busy with a new OCI program that involves a consultant assessment aimed at helping businesses assess their technology needs to improve and expand their business and provides funding to help with costs.
This program has been appealing to local manufacturers, cabinet makers, farmers, and construction businesses, which are groups that OCI has not traditionally worked with. KEDCO’s Gilispe, emphasizes the significance of the two organizations’ efforts to work closely together to provide support and services for entrepreneurs in the region.
For more information about OCI’s programs visit oc-innovation.ca and to learn more about Investing in Kington please visit www.investkingston.ca
