Employment : Innovation + Job News

Startups can be inherently rewarding. They can also be extraordinarily financially rewarding. But they can also be a slog, and they’ll fail more often than they’ll succeed. It can make for some pretty dark nights of the soul.

So Startup Canada has decided a little wining and winning might be just the thing for the Canadian startup community.

The Toronto-based organization, founded in 2012, has just announced the inaugural Startup Canada Awards to be given to individuals, organizations, communities, and institutions in recognition of the various sorts of excellence these kinds of projects can evince.

There will be 17 awards in all, ranging from the Entrepreneurial Effect Award through Incubator of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement award.

"Starting a company is a difficult task; entrepreneurs need a variety of elements to be successful including mentorship, encouragement, talented people, funding, and a network of contacts," said Victoria Lennox, Startup Canada’s CEO.

"It is important to recognize and celebrate those working to advance entrepreneurship in Canada; increase awareness of the importance of strengthening Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and culture; and elevate the ambitions of the Canadian entrepreneurial community.”

Semifinalists will be selected regionally and announced at various fetes held in Halifax, Montreal, London, Calgary and Vancouver throughout May. The final awards will be handed out at a Wolf Blass-sponsored gala at the CN Tower on June 12.

Nominations are open until April 12 at the awards website.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Victoria Lennox

The most interesting of the opportunities we've seen this week:

First up is FreshBooks, the local startup that provides financial services to small businesses. Freshbooks is looking to fill a number of key posts. They are seeking a director of advertising to take the lead on advertising in all traditional media (print, radio, and television). They are also hiring a copywriter with at least three years of experience, to work on both marketing and product projects. And finally, they are on the hunt for a project manager who can handle both client relations and internal project development.

For those with an interest in fundraising and marketing, Doctors Without Borders is hiring a direct marketing coordinator. The post is for a one year contract, and candidates should have three to five years of relevant experience. Also, political engagement organization Samara is currently seeking a director of fundraising and events - a newly created position for someone to expand those functions within the charity. Candidates should have at least six years of progressive experience, and a demonstrated commitment to citizen engagement.

If event services are primarily of interest, Yonge-Dundas Square is right now hiring a full-time event services coordinator to coordinate with third-party event organizers and provide other support as needed. And urban nature organization Evergreen is hiring a part-time event and client services coordinator to help them manage the more than 250 events that take place at their site each year.

If you have an interest in local food and also some technology skills The Big Carrot, the natural and health food store on the Danforth, is in need of an IT tech to support, maintain, and update their hardware, software, and networks.

Major granting institution the Ontario Trillium Foundation is seeking a new executive assistant to support two of their vice-presidents. Candidates should have at least five years of senior office administration experience.

And finally, in executive searches, Engineers Without Borders is looking for a new CEO to direct strategy, drive revenue growth, and oversee a complement of more than 100 full-time staff and volunteers.

Do you know of a creative and innovative job opportunity? Let us know!

Last week, the provincial government announced that it would be be investing an extra $3 million over the next two years in its pre-apprenticeship training program, creating spots for 200 new participants. (A total of 1,100 pre-apprentices are participating in the program this year.) The impetus: the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, and the massive infrastructure projects that are underway to prepare for those Games.

"it's something that's going to build a stronger workforce for us in the years ahead," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, while announcing the program expansion, "but it also provides young people in our province with an opportunity for a new career."

The pre-apprenticeship training program is designed to help would-be apprentices prepare and develop the trade-specific skills they need in order to be eligible for full-fledged apprenticeships. An individual participant may be involved in the program—which is free, and also covers program-related related costs such as textbooks—for up to a year. Pre-apprentices may find themselves taking safety courses, doing in-school training, and in short-term work placements, depending on their goals and needs.

Because of the Pan Am Games' many infrastructure projects, skilled construction workers are needed in large numbers; the hope is this program expansion will provide participants with on-the-job learning opportunities, while helping to ensure those projects are delivered on schedule.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

The most interesting of the opportunities we've seen this week:

First up, a trio of opportunities from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. First off, they are looking for a senior specialist in digital advocacy to work on public affairs and government relations to work on social media advocacy campaigns. They are also looking for a senior support analyst for digital applications to serve as the primary point of contact for application development; candidates should have at least 5-7 years experience. Finally, the organization is looking for a manager of program execution to help support the national community engagement team.

The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion (CIDI) helps employers, diversity workers, and human resources practitioners tackle workplace equity and inclusion issues. CIDI is currently seeking a director of learning. The successful candidate will report directly to the CEO, and should have at least five years of educational development of social justice work experience.

Social Venture Partners Toronto is a network of philanthropists interested in long-term social change, and part of a much larger international network concerned with the same issue. The Toronto branch of SVP is currently seeking a director to oversee all daily operations. Volunteer management experience is essential, as is at least five years of program or social enterprise management.

Ontario EcoSchools works on environmental programs within the provincial school system at all grades. They are currently seeking to fill two posts: a communications and outreach coordinator and a program coordinator to help support schools as they implement the EcoSchools program. Both positions are for a one-year contract with the possibility of extension. Also for those with an interest in green issues, urban environmental organization Evergreen is looking for a development coordinator with at least three years of sales or fundraising experience.

Finally, if you have fond memories of Girl Guides mint chocolate cookies—or a general appreciation for the organization—they are looking for a permanent part-time archivist to develop and maintain their large collection of materials.

Do you know of a creative and innovative job opportunity? Let us know!

Entrepreneurs, we are often told—by venture capitalists, by mentors, by incubators—need experience. One of the key factors that goes into making a new venture viable is the founder's know-how, familiarity with their market, and business skill set.

So what do you do if you're 15 or 16 years old and have a great idea, but haven't had a chance to develop that kind of experience? One option: enter the Province of Ontario's second annual Make Your Pitch contest. It's open to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants who are full-time high school students, and returning to the school in the fall. You can enter as an individual or a team (of up to four), and your goal is to create a two minute video explaining your entrepreneurial idea.

Make Your Pitch is looking specifically for innovative ideas that fall into one of the following categories: technology, environment, social enterprise, retail, service, or arts and culture. Video pitches can be whatever inspires you—live, animated, slideshows—and the deadline for submitting them is Friday, March 28.

Videos will be judged both by an expert panel and by members of the public—that'll whittle the list to 18 finalists, all of whom will receive admission to the Ontario Centre's of Excellence Discovery conference in May, some networking opportunities, and a bit of mentorship advice. At the conference, those finalists will make pitches in-person; six ultimate winners will be chosen. In store for those winners: help developing a business plan, additional mentorship, a grant of up to $3,000 to start the business, and reserved entry in the province's Summer Company program, another initiative that helps support small student businesses.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment

The most interesting of the opportunities we've seen this week:

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a global network that supports Canada's research community, is seeking a new programs department coordinator. The successful candidate will be providing administrative support, and help ensure the smooth operation of the office of the Vice Presidents’ of Research; applicants should have some senior administrative experience.

For those with a specific interest in health science, a few particular opportunities of note. The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is hiring an IT manager to help meet their corporate IT needs. Candidates with at least 7 years of relevant experience are preferred. The Canadian Cancer Society also has several vacancies at the moment. Two in particular of note: they are looking for a senior manager of communications to lead all communications strategy within the organization's Ontario division; and they are looking for a marketing assistant to help provide support for national marketing strategies.

The East Scarborough Storefront, a community development organization, is currently filling two vacancies. One is a maternity leave opening for a local economic opportunities specialist to support existing local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in the community. The other is a permanent position for a community employment specialist, whose role will be to help local residents connect to job opportunities and pursue meaningful career development.

For those with an interest in the environment, TREC Renewable Energy Cooperative needs an accounts coordinator with strong data management and mathematical skils. Another environmental group needing some office support: Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. The non-profit works to preserve and improve the health of our great lake, and is looking for a secretary to fill a three month contract, with a possibility of renewal.

Bridging the worlds of nature and culture, the McMichael Art Collection offers visitors the opportunity to engage both with Canadian art and the Canadian landscape. They are looking for an arts and special programs coordinator, to help develop and implement school, corporate, and other public programming.

Finally, for those who simply love Toronto and have a deep understanding of the city,  Walk T.O., a pedestrian-based tour guide company, is looking for part-time educational tour guides. The walks are environmentally and socially conscious, and the audience will be students in grades 5-12.

Do you know of a creative and innovative job opportunity? Let us know!

Every city and region has its challenges and often the best authorities—both on the nature of the problems and the value of potential solutions—lies within the local community, the residents who encounter these issues first-hand. That's the principle underlying communityBUILD, an ongoing collaboration between VentureLAB, a York Region innovation accelerator; York University; and United Way York Region. It is "is a partnership from three very different organizations," says VentureLAB project lead Heather Crosbie, "and the partnership itself breeds quite a unique approach to what we're tying to do, which is tackle York Region social issues through the lens of social entrepreneurship."

That ongoing project has an upcoming major event: communityBUILD Mash-UP, a two day intensive workshop to help better understand some specific challenges within York Region, and to spur local social entrepreneurs to develop innovative approaches to tackling those issues. By the end of the Mash-Up, some participants will be selected for a prize pack that includes mentoring, office space, and other in-kind support.

With the help of the United Way, two specific social problems were identified: food insecurity and youth unemployment. The goal of the Mash-Up is to spend "two intense days to work on solutions to two of these 'grand challenges,'" explains Crosbie. 

One of the features that makes this event unique, she says, is "you can apply to be a collaborator, to join an existing team, as well as pitch as a team or an existing early-stage project." Applications for partipating in either capacity are being accepted online until March 8. A panel of local experts will winnow down the list of applicants; those selected will participate in the two-day workshop, which runs March 27-28.

After that, says Crosbie, there are "three hurdles to get over" before the winners are selected: whether the proposal is relevant to one of the "grand challenges"; whether the team proposing an initiative "has experience in either living the reality or working on the problem"; and whether everyone else participating in the Mash-Up sees merit in the proposal.

The workshop will begin with everyone pitching their ideas and it'll be up to the Mash-Up participants to select which of those ideas seem most promising. Those will be the ones that teams will work on over the course of the two days—developing business plans, rollout schedules, and the like. A panel of four or five entrepreneurs will determine the "viability, scalability, and sustainability" of the fleshed-out proposals, and select the ultimate winner.

It's one of many new initiatives the organizing partners hope to develop over time. "The long-term objective," says Crosbie, "is to build out an ecosystem of social entrepreneurs tackling social issues in York Region specifically."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Heather Crosbie, VentureLAB project lead

A new study examining the state of foreign investment in the Toronto region—Roadmap to Revizalization—includes some important calls to action for spurring local economic development. The Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), a public-private partnership, released the study last  month. Among its members: all the municipalities and regions that make up the GTA, along with private and public sector partners. 

"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is accelerating as a key driver of economic growth," reports the Roadmap. "Over the period 1990 to 2011, FDI globally grew 75 per cent faster than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When foreign firms open up shop here they create jobs and capital investment, and generate tax revenue that feeds back into the Canadian economy."

There are also knock-on effects: an influx of talented workers, and a more dynamic, innovative economic environment in general. And crucially, these benefits spill across municipal borders: it's not a question of pitting one city in the region against another in an attempt to attract a new office HQ, for instance, but understanding that as soon as one foreign investor sets up here, the benefits will be distributed, which is why the report's key conclusion is so crucial.

"The GTA currently lacks effective regional coordination," writes the Roadmap, in attracting FDI. Multiple organizations and levels of government all try and tackle this issue, but they are not working in concert, and in some cases find themselves at odds. If the Toronto region is to strengthen its capacity to attract foreign investment, in short, we need to start pulling together in a coordinated and organized way.

"The Toronto region is the primary engine for FDI attraction in Ontario and in Canada, representing 52 per cent and 24 per cent respectively of all FDI activity," the Roadmap explains. We perform relatively well compared to other North American regions, but globally we are ranked 18th of 27 cities. And this, says the report, has a lot to do with how we pitch ourselves.

It isn't that the Toronto region lacks the relevant, appealing qualities foreign investors look for: "This performance is at odds with the Toronto region’s relative attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment. For example, on a global basis the Toronto region ranks high in terms of key FDI drivers such as size, location, demographics, economic growth, skilled labour, infrastructure, ease of doing business and the provincial and federal fiscal policy environment."

So how do we improve? Among the recommendations: 

• Increased resources in attracting FDI. (The study found that Toronto spends considerably less, per capita, on attracting foreign investment than many other comparable cities.)
   
• Coordinated, clearly planned out strategies which give all stakeholders defined roles in attracting FDI. This should include agreement on strategically selected "target sectors and markets"—ideally about 9 or 10 of them.

• More extensive private sector involvement, which is lower here compared to many other regions.

"The Toronto region is significantly underperforming relative to its potential," the report concludes. "The opportunity is significant, and the ROI is clear. But money alone will not be enough to fix the current situation. Significantly improved collaboration and coordination of efforts across a broad range of organizations is needed."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source:Roadmap to Revitalization (report)

Major news out of Cisco today: Toronto is one of the four cities internationally that has been selected to host a new Internet of Everything Innovation Centre. (The other cities on the list: Rio de Janeiro; Songdo, South Korea; and a yet-to-be-named city in Germany.)

The 15,000 square foot facility will be part of Cisco's new headquarters, slated to open as part of RBC WaterPark Place in 2015. The $100 million investment in the innovation centre will be spent over 10 years, encompassing design and infrastructure, start-up costs, and ongoing staff and operations.

What, you may be wondering, is the "Internet of Everything"? It's basically just Cisco's term for the growing integration of new systems and aspects of daily life into the internet—the next iteration of the internet's penetration into our lives, and the next layer of connectivity that will generate.

"Today less than one per cent of the things that could be connected, are connected on the internet," explained Cisco Canada president Nitin Kawale when announcing the investment Wednesday morning. "Imagine what's possible if the remaining 99 per cent of things were connected."

The innovation centre will be devoted to exploring some of that potential new connectivity, "a place for our partners, customers, established companies, and start-ups from across North America to work together," Kawale said. "Toronto is a world-class community of creativity and talent. This facility will be a global hub of innovation for the Internet of Everything technologies. It puts Toronto and Cisco on the world stage."

Back in December Cisco also announced that it would be creating "up to 1,700 high tech jobs" in Toronto, with a total employee base of up to 5,000 in the region.

Toronto's Deputy Mayor, Norm Kelly, was on hand for the announcement. "When I look around this room to see the sampling of the technology that you're working with today and what it might be like tomorrow—it's mind-boggling. It really is."

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Cisco Canada

The most interesting of the opportunities we've come across this week:

Ecommerce company Shopify, though based in Ottawa, has several openings right now in their Toronto office. Among the positions available: a Ruby and a front-end developer, in the engineering department; a designer, an SEO manager, and a product manager.

Looking for some serious strategic technical help: Bell Media, which is on the hunt for a new manager of digital platforms for TSN. Also in media, the CBC is seeking a new media librarian to research, manage, and catalogue audio content.

In the cultural sector, the Toronto Fringe is looking for a youth outreach coordinator; the post is a full-time seasonal opportunity (April to July) for an emerging arts administrator with less than five years of experience. Meanwhile Ballet Jörgen Canada, a Toronto-based company that also has hubs in Ottawa and Halifax, is looking for a marketing services coordinator.

Finally, local cycling magazine dandyhorse has two opportunities for new journalists—the positions aren't fully compensated, but do come with small stipends. The first opening is for a web editor who is available for about 10 hours a week; the second is for an assistant editor/production manager to help with the spring/summer issue, and has at least 10 hours a week to contribute from March to June.

Do you know of a creative and innovative job opportunity? Let us know!

When Kathleen Wynne's government unveiled its first budget last year, one focus was on youth jobs initiatives: it included $295 million over two years to boost youth employment, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Among the projects in that youth job strategy: a Youth Investment Accelerator Fund, which would give up to $250,000 each to tech-based companies whose founders are less than 30 years old.

This month, the Youth IAF announced the first four recipients of funding through the program—all of which are based in Toronto. Those recipients:

• PUSH, which is working on wearable devices that help athletes train more effectively by providing real-time feedback about their performance. PUSH is an alumni of MaRS.
• Rubikloud, a B2B tool which uses e-commerce data to yield insights into purchasing patterns, sales conversions, traffic changes, and more. Rubikloud also came up through MaRS.
• SoapBox, an employee engagement tool that was developed with the support of Ryerson's Digital Media Zone and whose clients now include RBC and and Indigo.
• Greengage, which comes out of Rotman's Creative Destruction Lab. Greengage focuses on helping organizations meet their sustainability goals by giving employees the tools to do things like monitor and reduce the environmental impact of their behaviours.

The Youth IAF's main goal is to accelerate commercialization of young tech-based companies, and in particular those "that have graduated from recognized accelerator programs within the province and Ontario Universities and colleges, or are enrolled with a Regional Innovation Centre under the ONE program."

Applications are available online and accepted on a rolling basis.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Ministry of Research and Innovation

Found in 2012, the Youth Social Innovation Capital Fund (YSI) has been offering micro-loans, as well as non-financial resources, to help support social entrepreneurs as they develop their ventures. An impact investment fund, YSI focuses on what's called a triple bottom line: ventures that generate social and environmental returns, as well as financial ones.

YSI is currently accepting applications for a new round of potential investment recipients; the deadline to submit applications is nearing. However, you have until February 28 to make your case.

One previous recipient provides a case study for the kinds of projects YSI aims to support: a Toronto organic farm called Fresh City Farms. The farm grows and delivers pesticide-free produce to Torontonians, but was facing several barriers to growth. They received a $10,000 loan from YSI in 2013, which enabled them to both improve their packaging and develop a new online ordering system to reduce costs and improve their customers' experience.

In order to be eligible, YSI applicants must be between 18 and 25, and must already be operating a social enterprise, either not-for-profit or profit. Successful applicants will receive between $1,000 and $10,000 in investment, along with mentorship and other forms of support.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Syeda Zaki, Finance Director, Youth Social Innovation Capital Fund

The most intriguing of the opportunities we've seen this week:

The Pan Am Path is one of the legacy projects those games will leave for Toronto: a continuous trail for biking, walking, and recreational activites running through from one end of Toronto to the other. PanAmPath.org, which is spearheading the legacy project, is looking for a fundraising and partnerships consultant to develop high-level strategy, work on grant applications, and develop sponsorship packages.

Another community-led initiative: Cycle Toronto, which tackles cycling issues in the city. They are looking for a membership and ward advocacy manager to help meet general growth targets and foster engagement in specific parts of Toronto.

TechSoup helps lower the barriers for social change organizatons who are trying to make the most of technology. They are looking for an administrative assistant to help with day-to-day operations—ideally someone with facility in French. Also looking for administrative support is urban forestry group LEAF, which is hiring a residential plantings program assistant to handle front-line service, data entry, and other office tasks.

Non-profit Street Kids International needs some help right now. They are looking for a finance and operations manager to handle all budgeting and risk-mitigation; candidates should have two to five years of relevant experience.

Toronto's getting a new major cultural institution this year: the Aga Khan Museum, dedicated to Islamic culture and art, is opening its doors later in 2014. They are hiring a technical director to oversee all technical needs with regards to performing arts that will be taking place there. The initial placement is for a three-month part time stint; if things go well this can lead to permanent full-time work as the facility opens to the public.

A cultural institution that's already well-established, the Gardiner Museum, has two openings right now: one is for a marketing coordinator, for a 12-month contract position, and the other is a development and programs assistant,
to support the organization's fundraising efforts.

Finally in the cultural sector: the heart of comedy in Toronto, The Second City, is looking for a part-time marketing and communications coordinator. It's a junior position; applicants should have one year of relevant experience.

Do you know of a creative and innovative job opportunity? Let us know!

The Global City Indicators Facility, a research program based at the University of Toronto, has just released a study looking at the Toronto region's competitiveness and prosperity. The goal: offer a regional perspective on economic development opportunities in the GTA. The challenge: it's very hard to actually know how we are placed, as a region, because the Toronto region is a patchwork of municipalities, and there isn't an established, consistent way of reporting and sharing relevant data.

The Toronto region is made up of dozens of municipalities, with different governing structures. Some are single-tier, like Toronto, which operates as its own city. Others are dual-tier, for instance Ajax, which falls under Durham Region. This patchwork of systems makes it very difficult to aggregate data for the region and conduct the kind of analyses we need, the report found.

"The uneven distribution of characteristics across [a] region," reports the study, "can point to areas where improvements can be made to increase the competitiveness of the region as  a whole." For instance, one map the study put together "shows how commercial and industrial areas are distributed across municipalities, which can point to strategic locations for international firms and also places where local governments might want to make land available to improve employment opportunities."

That's precisely the sort of analysis we need to be able to do more of, if we are to grow as a region, rather than fall prey to intra-regional fights—as sometimes happens when various GTA municipalities vie, for instance, to be the home of a new corporate head office.

In the absence of this robust data, it's difficult to fully assess the local picture and identify opportunities for regional enhancement, much less compare the Toronto region to economic activity elsewhere: "The Pilot has demonstrated the need for a coordinated data platform for municipalities in Ontario," the study says.

As a next step, the Global City Indicators Facility is calling for the creation of an Ontario Municipal Open Data Platform, which "will become a strategic base of data and information to guide policy on trade and investment and build globally competitive cities in Ontario."  It would pull information from all levels of government and relevant agencies—ranging from Statistics Canada, to provincial ministries, to local municipalities, to regional initiatives like the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI)—and use it to generate widely available data sets that would allow for open, and sophisticated, regional economic analysis.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Data, Boundaries, Competitiveness: The Toronto Urban Region in Global Context (Study)
Correction: We originally mistyped OMBI as OMB, which refers to an entirely different agency. We regret the error.

The most interesting of the opportunities we've seen this week:

Innovative food security organization The Stop has two posts open right now. One is a 12-month contract position for a greenhouse coordinator, to oversee their 3,000 square foot facility; knowledge of organic growing practices is a must. They are also looking for a full-time outreach and engagement coordinator with a minimum of three years of relevant experience.

For those with an interest in higher education, York has a couple of interesting opportunities right now. The University needs an assistant director of recruitment for the executive MBA program; applicants should have at least five years of relevant experience (which can include sales or business development) and must be comfortable with frequent travel. The Faculty of Graduate Studies is also looking for a communications manager; that post also requires at least five years of experience.

In publishing, Penguin Random House is looking for a digital project coordinator, to help organize new digital development and outreach.

The Ontario Nonprofit Network, which works with over 46,000 nonprofits across the province, is hiring a labour force project lead to oversee the implementation of ONN's labour force strategy. The position is for an 18-month, part-time contract.

There are also a slew of organizations looking for communications and marketing help right now. First up is the Ronald McDonald House, which provides accomodation for children and their families when they come into town for medical treatment. They are looking for a communications officer to handle all facets of their communications, including social media. Tides Canada, which works on environmental issues across the country, is hiring a communications and marketing manager for a one year parental leave vacancy. The year's key projects will be overseeing the development of a new organizational website, and the roll-out of a new visual identity. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is seeking an online marketing and communications officer with at least three years of experience, to handle both internal and external engagement. Finally, Harbourfront Centre is looking for a communications and marketing assistant, specifically to promote year-round literary programming.

Do you know an innovative or creative job opportunity in Toronto? Let us know!