News Release

2005-04-12 15:29:20

UW Innovate holds Business Start-Up Boot Camp

WATERLOO, Ont. -- UW Innovate's fourth annual Business Start-Up Boot Camp is gearing up for the last week of April at the University of Waterloo.

The business camp will be held April 25-28 at the St. Jerome's University Conference Centre on the UW campus. UW Innovate is a not-for-profit entity, wholly-owned by the university.

The camp attracts enterprising undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty and alumni from all academic programs, as well as enterprising individuals from the local community. The program is aimed at anyone with definite plans to launch or participate in a new venture.

The insights and networking gained at the camp will help participants assess their business opportunities and prepare them to launch and operate their ventures.

Most of the 90 participants from the past three years have given rave reviews to UW Innovate as the organizer and to the more than 20 individuals representing the local business community.

Professional speakers and discussion leaders lead the participants through the camp's focused, practical business start-up topics each day. The past camps, and the follow-on services coordinated by UW Innovate, have helped many previous participants to get their new ventures off the ground.

Other camp participants have reported that they are still using the information and insights gained at the camp to assist in their planning for a future business start-up.

A limited number of participants are admitted into each camp. Participants will spend four intensive days in discussions and at hands-on workshops. For prices, camp details and for past participant comments, visit www.innovate.uwaterloo.ca/bootcamp2005.htm.

The fourth annual camp is part of a series of programs to provide students, alumni, faculty and staff at UW with the tools, and year-round support they need, to turn their business ideas into new operating companies. This year, True North Consulting joins as a sponsor of the camp.

UW Innovate's mission is to encourage the commercialization of innovative product and service ideas for the benefit of the university's entrepreneurs, the university, the community and investors. Its office is located in Needles Hall, Room 1007; (519) 888-4567, ext. 6065.

Resources

Contact:
Ana Rosa, Office Manager, UW Innovate, (519) 888-4567, ext. 6065
John Morris, UW Media Relations, (519) 888-4435; jmorris@uwaterloo.ca
Release no. 96 -- April 12, 2005

2005-04-12 15:29:20