A “new era” for the Innovation Cluster – Peterborough and the Kawarthas began Thursday morning (March 20), punctuated by the unveiling of a new logo and brand.
Whether by accident or design, the announcement event at the Venture North building in downtown Peterborough was synced with spring’s arrival — a time when many look forward to a new beginning with fresh enthusiasm.
There was no shortage of the latter as Innovation Cluster board members and staff gathered to celebrate the non-profit’s mission to drive innovation forward via a renewed focus on meeting the varied needs of technology-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the fields of clean tech, health/medical tech, agri-tech, nuclear tech, and digital IT.
The Innovation Cluster’s new logo, which coincides with the launch of a fresh-look website at innovationcluster.ca, features green, red, and yellow arrows merging in an interlocking pattern, with a larger blue arrow — representative of sustainable forward momentum and long-term success — branching off from the grouping and pointing upwards.
The arrow colour choices are purposeful, with green acknowledging the Innovation Cluster’s history and its business accelerator program, red symbolic of mentoring and advising, and yellow representative of skill- and knowledge-building programming essential to sustained growth.
But while the new logo is the eye-catcher, substance in the form of the Innovation Cluster’s continued empowerment of entrepreneurs to achieve their potential and, in turn, contribute to the local economy was also celebrated.
“Over the past two years, we have undergone a remarkable transformation: expanding our programming, deepening our impact, and sharpening our focus on the unique needs of technology-based small and medium enterprises,” said Innovation Cluster board chair Nicole Stephenson.
“However, we recognized that while our work had evolved, the way we were perceived had not kept pace. It became clear our identity needed to reflect better who we are today — what differentiates us, the value we bring, and the future we are building together.”
That value can be found in the launch of digital-first programming in the three areas listed below, which are designed to complement and reinforce each other in a bid to maximize client impact and benefits.
- Educational programming featuring new workshops, boot camps and mastering series programs that build the breadth and depth of the skills and knowledge that entrepreneurs need.
- Mentoring and advising with an expanded roster of experts in residence — including kawarthaNOW owner, CEO, and publisher Jeannine Taylor — and business advisors, including new serial entrepreneurs, investors, and vertical industry experts.
- Business accelerator programming for specific company growth stages that complement existing LevelUp and StartUp Visa programs.
Stephenson later told kawarthaNOW that current times make the Innovation Cluster’s renewed direction not only more relevant for its clients, but vital for the health of the regional economy.
“We have to make sure that we’re taking care of our Canadian businesses, and those are small and medium enterprises here in Peterborough,” she said. “They are already incorporated. They already have a product and they have a business plan. They’re trying to take their business to the next level, either scale their sales or commercialize their product.”
“We’re here to let them know we’re here. We have the resources you need, we have the experts you need, including people like myself who are entrepreneurs who understand what it means to be an entrepreneur, who understand when there’s a shift in political energy. We feel it and we need to keep serving our clients to be able to stay in business.”
Stephenson notes, when all is said and done, the goal is to reduce the flow of local start-ups which “want to be in Peterborough” leaving the region to set up operations in other communities.
“We want to say to them ‘You can stay in Peterborough. We have the experts you need. We have the resources you need. Come to the Innovation Cluster, and see what’s available for you and your business. We’re here to help you. We walk your walk, and we want to walk with you.'”
Andrew Nokes, who founded the custom software development company Creativity By Code Inc., was on hand to lend his support to an organization that he says was key to his getting his enterprise off the ground.
He says coming from a software and engineering background, he “didn’t really have the business knowledge.” Enter the Innovation Cluster and, in particular, its close affiliation with the LevelUp business accelerator program.
“That equipped me with all the different skills that are needed, like ‘Here’s something that you need to do’ I wouldn’t have even thought about. I still have, at the very least, weekly phone calls and emails with my business advisor, which has been extremely helpful. If I hadn’t been in that program, I would be trying to figure it out still.”
Nokes adds his presence at the launch was rooted in a desire to show support for an organization that was key in the initial development of his business, and is still paying dividends in a current project: developing a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for Habitat for Humanity to aid its management of relationships with its partner families.
Also on hand was Jay Amer, the executive director of Ontario East Economic Development. He provided some historical context for kawarthaNOW, reflecting on the Innovation Cluster’s evolution from an idea to a reality.
“The GPA EDC (Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation) was instrumental at the time in bringing the university (Trent), college (Fleming)m and other entities together to form an innovation centre, initially focused on water and the environment — things that Peterborough had companies involved in,” reflects Amer, adding it smartly evolved “to meet the needs of start-ups and entry level companies.”
As successful as that has been, Amer noted “This innovation cluster should have been a (provincially funded) regional innovation cluster a long time ago.”
“I’m sure the province is looking at this as a great opportunity to start up a new regional innovation cluster. All the pieces are here, the need is here, and it aligns with the new government’s policy of creating jobs supporting innovation.”
Whether that comes to pass no one knows for sure, but Stephenson says there is certainty in the fact that the Innovation Cluster, now refreshed and refocused, aims to continue pursuing its day-one core objectives to the great benefit of its clients.
“If it’s funding you need, we have access to funders. If it’s advice you need, whether it’s cash flow advice or sales force strategy, we have those people to help you. An entrepreneur can’t be all things to all people, but they can be all things to themselves. The way to do that is to have the right team around you. We are that team for you.”
Also on hand for the launch were Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Peterborough County Deputy Warden Sherry Senis, both of whom spoke from the podium, praising the Innovation Cluster’s past work and its increasing important role in the region’s economic health.
Other faces in the crowd included Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri and the City of Peterborough’s new economic development director Daryl Julott.
