The sheer volume of resources are infinite. There are books, websites, podcasts,  conferences even Instagram accounts that a budding business person can consult on “How to be an Entrepreneur.” Simply search that exact phrase and 174 Million results pop up.

So how does a startup get practical, sound advice that new entrepreneurs can use, to help lay the foundation of a successful company? The answer: our Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR).

An EIR has “walked the walk” in the battlefield of growing a business and they have the scars to prove it.  They are a teacher, a coach, a cheerleader, sometimes antagonist and a voice of reason for start-ups. At Invest Ottawa, our EIR’s work one-on-one with portfolio companies, giving them concrete and executable advice that won’t be found in a YouTube Video.

Stephen Beamish runs BlackTusk Business Solutions, leveraging his 25 years of marketing and strategic leadership.  As VP of Global Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at Mitel, he spearheaded partnerships with Oracle®, Microsoft® Google® and Blackberry® to deliver best-of-breed communications solutions. He has an International MBA and holds a patent in ROI Business Modeling. Stephen speaks at many industry events and has published a number of business and technology white papers.
 

Dane Bedward is the founder of NeuroBot Inc. He helps biopharmaceutical and medical device businesses with strategic guidance and financing. Throughout his career, Dane has worked with other companies such as Nordion, Johnson and Johnson (Canada and Europe), Flow Laboratories and McMaster University. He serves on the Board of Governors for the University of Ottawa and has served on the boards of the New England Canada Business Council, the Ottawa Life Sciences Council and Neurobiotec.
 

Parm Gill is Managing Partner of the Gill Group and acts as a strategic advisor, mentor, investor, and connector for startup companies. Throughout his career, he has founded, grown and sold more than half a dozen technology companies such as Cyberus Online Inc, ToPeer Corporation, Funeral Exchange Inc and  Layered Technologies. Parm is actively involved with the angel investment community and has served as Executive Director of the Capital Angel Network in Ottawa. 

Chris Johnson has two decades of executive experience in software and communications. He founded dna13, a SaaS software company sold in early 2010 to PR Newswire.  During his tenure at dna13, Chris consulted with some of the world’s largest organizations including: Starbucks, RBC, Scotiabank, AEGON, Scottish Equitable, MasterCard, Manulife/John Hancock, BHP Billiton, Alcan, EnCana, NHL and Wal-Mart. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications from Carleton University’s School of Journalism. 

Sam Khan is VP of Operations and Development for iSTORM New Media Inc. He brings 14 years of experience in the management of small-, medium- and large-scale enterprise organizations. Sam has worked with many Government of Canada clients such as Environment Canada, DFAIT, Industry Canada, Canadian Heritage, Treasury Board of Canada, and PWGSC. He has also worked in are telecom, life sciences, publishing and retail. 

Sandy MacPherson has both large corporate and startup experience across North America. Early in his career he was the Senior Marketing Manager for Labatt’s Blue and the SVP General Manager for Mead Johnson Nutrition’s U.S. consumer and medical nutrition business. Sandy has been at the helm of several entrepreneurial companies, raising capital, leading their turn around, getting the balance sheet in the black or successful commercialization. He now runs his own consulting company. 

Andrew Moffat is CEO of Keshet Technologies Inc. For over a decade, he has helped startups with financing and strategic guidance. Andy was a founder of EDUCOM, an independent software vendor, developing solutions for the email archive market space. He led EDUCOM to establish a global network of approximately 70 resellers, representing 100+ certified technicians and 200+ sales people. He strategically aligned himself with industry giants, such as IBM and Microsoft.  

Jacques Renaud brings more than twenty-five years of wide ranging technology experience and transferable industry insights. Early in his career, Jacques turned around underperforming divisions for large multinationals such as Coca-Cola. Jacques was recently co-founder of Privasoft, an international software company which he sold in 2011. He sits on various economic development committees promoting the creation of a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ontario. 

Visit the Invest Ottawa website for how you can access our mentorship services.