Calgary Start-up Community

CALGARY's START-UP COMMUNITY: AN OUTLINE OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT
INTRODUCTION
Calgary has many resources and opportunities to support entrepreneurs at all stages in their ventures’ development. Community supports exists for all the hurdles that growing ventures must overcome, whether your business is at the conceptual stage and you need help getting it off the ground, or your venture is growing fast and you need advice or support with bringing employees onboard, marketing your product or service, or finding the right investors. This blog post provides a non-exhaustive rundown of places and services in Calgary that can support entrepreneurs on their journey..
 
RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
School provides a unique opportunity to learn theory and develop skills across a variety of disciplines, and to network and collaborate with like-minded people, in and out of the classroom.  While these opportunities can help students come up with novel and creative business ideas, often a little more help is needed to take an idea from concept to reality. Many post secondary institutions in Calgary provide resources to help students get their ideas off the ground.

• Hunter Hub

The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary has many regularly scheduled and special events for budding entrepreneurs. The Hub offers Touch Down Tuesdays, where students can get drop-in support from experts in business and innovation. Hunter Hub also offers a Summer Incubator program that runs from May to September each year and provides selected graduate students with the resources and training needed to grow their start-up. In November, Hunter Hub celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week, bringing together aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators to celebrate and share ideas. And of course, the weekly drop-in legal clinic hosted by the BLG Business Venture Clinic on Friday mornings is a great place to get information on issues like intellectual property, business incorporation, employment agreements and much more. Click here to learn more about Hunter Hub.

• WannaB Wednesdays

Bow Valley College hosts bi-monthly ‘Lunch and Learns’ that teach attendees how to tackle many of the problems facing entrepreneurs. Over a free lunch, participants learn about how to generate revenue, choose the right business name, set themselves apart from their competitors and most effectively reach their target market.  Although spaces are reserved for Bow Valley students until three days before each session, any remaining spots are open to the public at no cost. Two weeks after the event, participants apply the tools they have learned by helping a social start-up or struggling social entrepreneur solve a problem they are facing. Find out more here.

• 150 Startups

150 Startups is a province-wide entrepreneurship development program for post-secondary students. Over the course of the program, students have the opportunity to develop, validate, and launch their ventures, as well as collaborate with each other, and compete for cash and prizes in a series of challenges. Lean more here.
 
COWORKING SPACES
In addition to providing a means to keep overhead costs down and maintain flexibility in the early stages of a company’s growth, coworking spaces allow entrepreneurs to connect with one another, sharing skills, costs, connections and ideas. There are many coworking spaces across the city, forming a diverse range of entrepreneurial communities.

• Infusion Coworking

Infusion Coworking is conveniently located downtown. Infusion integrates its members and itself into the broader start-up community by establishing networks with key partners in the city, and with university, private, and venture capital organizations. Infusion offers several different levels of membership, which offer technological amenities like conferencing and AV services, and facility perks such as bike storage, 24-hour access and security, and free coffee and tea. Also available are business consulting services, weekly development programs, and community building events with strategic contacts such as investors and tech specialists. Just need a place to work for a day? They’ve got that too.

• ​Work Nicer

With three locations in inner-city Calgary and one in downtown Edmonton, Work Nicer is Alberta’s largest coworking community. In addition to the basics like mail handling, meeting rooms and printing services, Work Nicer also has perks like pet-friendly areas, beer on tap, and fitness facilities. Work Nicer’s credo is that no one succeeds alone. To that end, the organization carefully curates its membership to bring together people with complementary strengths and a desire to help each other, fostering innovation, and keep costs down, and letting each entrepreneur spend more time focusing on the work that really matters.

• Fuse 33 Makerspace

Fuse 33 Makerspace in southeast Calgary caters to the hands-on creative crowd, providing access to hand and power tools, welding equipment, sewing and electronics labs, embroidery machines and 3D printing. Weekly workshops and certification classes ensure users can operate equipment safely and effectively. Fuse 33 is open seven days per week, so work can be done whenever it’s convenient, and some membership plans even offer temporary storage, guaranteeing projects that can’t be finished all at once remain safe between sessions.

• Trico Changemakers

The Trico Changemakers Studio at Mount Royal University is a coworking and learning space for social entrepreneurs, innovators, activists and artists. Members of the co-working space include entrepreneurs within the for-profit and non-profit sectors who are driving change through innovative products, services and business models. Entrepreneurs can engage with the Studio community to broaden their networks and learn more about applying their skills and passions toward positive, sustainable change across multiple sectors. The space also regularly hosts events for the social entrepreneurship communities of Calgary and beyond. The Trico Changemakers Studio is the combined effort of the Institute for Community Prosperity, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Bissett School of Business at MRU. Click here to learn more, and join their newsletter for regular event updates.
 
FOR THE LADIES

• Chic Geek

Chic Geek is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a welcoming environment for women at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. This is done in several ways. Chic Geek facilitates a mentorship program, and hosts events and workshops that allow participants to connect with experts and the community at large, learning about topics like coding and robotic process automation. There is also an annual ‘Geeky Summit’, featuring speakers with expertise in engineering, blockchain, media, finance and more. Learn how you can get involved here.

• YYC Girl Gang

Girl Gang connects female small business owners, providing an avenue to network and share skills, stories and support. Girl Gang hosts 6 events and 6 workshops per year, alternating each month. Previous themes include how to collaborate with influencers to use social media as a business tool, bookkeeping, and how to price your products. There’s just enough time to sign up for the  Tax Tips for Sole Proprietors workshop on April 16th.
 
MORE RESOURCES

• Platform Calgary

Platform Calgary, formerly known as Calgary Technologies Inc., aims to put a focus on innovation in downtown Calgary. Along with the new name comes a new location at the Hillier Block in East Village. Platform Calgary is working to make innovation more accessible, by providing access to space, programs, mentorship and capital. It welcomes first-time entrepreneurs and established companies alike, ensuring innovators have access to the coaching and resources needed at all stages of their business. Platform Calgary works with the University of Calgary, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the City of Calgary, building strategic partnerships and leveraging the city’s entrepreneurial drive.
 
Nothing in this post quite right for you? Don’t worry, there’s more. Click here and here for more extensive lists of resources, events, spaces, meetup groups, and accelerator programs  Getting to know the community is the best way to identify which spaces and programs can provide the advice, support, people or partnerships to elevate your business.

Lastly, please remember that the BLG Business Venture Clinic is always happy to help. Fill out a request form here and we will get in touch to find out how we can help.

Melanie Bowman is a member of the BLG Business Venture Clinic, and is a 2rd year student at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary.