Guelph, ON April 25, 2022 – Innovation Guelph’s third cohort of Rhyze Ventures programming culminates in a public pitch competition with nine companies competing on May 12, 2022, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Rhyze & Shine pitch event also kicks off the fourth cohort with opportunities to connect with new program participants, Rhyze Ventures alumni, program partners, volunteer mentors, industry specialists, facilitators and community leaders!
Of the 57 Rhyze Ventures participants who started the program, the nine pitch finalists are:
Small Business
- iHeart Fat Fudge Foods Inc – Alice Grey
- The Speak Boutique – Tali Kellerstein
- The Travelling Physio – Katie Skyvington
Social Enterprise
- Green Care Farms Inc. – Rebekah Churchyard
- HomeBAnx– Kay Valley
- SpruceLab – Sheila Boudreau
Scalable
- ETP Canada – Debbie Stanley
- Healing Mama Co. – Rhowena Adolfo Patel
- Split Rail Brewing Company – Susan Snelling
Esteemed qualifying pitch competition judges include:
- Colleen James, Principal Consultant & CEO of Divonify
- Elizabeth Pringle, SR&ED and Business Tax Incentives with EY
- Kavita Srivastava, Fractional CFO, Mentor – She Raises Capital, and SheEO Activator
- Sandra Hinojosa Verdin, Industrial Technology Advisor with the National Research Council Canada
- Valerie Healy, Area Manager with TD Business Banking
Rhyze Ventures is a program that balances in-class learning, hands-on project work, mentorship, and peer networking to address women entrepreneurs’ biggest business challenges. It is an eight-month program delivered in three streams with the following delivery partners: Business Centre Guelph-Wellington, GreenHouse, Waterloo Region Small Business Centre, 10C and Pollinate. Innovation Guelph’s Rhyze Ventures received a Government of Canada investment of over $1.8 million through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
“Congratulations to another cohort of the Rhyze Ventures program and pitch finalists. The Government of Canada is proud to support partners like Innovation Guelph through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund,” said the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “Our government will continue to make investments that ensure women entrepreneurs have the tools they need to succeed and to grow the participation of women in Canada’s economy.”
“Innovation Guelph’s Rhyze Ventures continues to provide a venue for Guelph-area women entrepreneurs to learn and foster their business ideas,” said Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph. “Congratulations to the nine finalists, the Government of Canada is proud to support this initiative.”
Register on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pfuysrTkuG9wCCpbjEGtRGsrGptJlaFUR
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Innovation Guelph is building prosperity for community well-being by providing mentorship and business support programs and services to help innovative enterprises start, grow and thrive. Innovation Guelph’s business acceleration programs are designed for high-potential start-ups, small- to medium-sized enterprises and women-led businesses across southern Ontario. Innovation Guelph also serves as a one-stop point of access to business support programs and services across the province. www.innovationguelph.ca
About FedDev Ontario
For more than 12 years, FedDev Ontario has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the Agency’s impact in southern Ontario by exploring Southern Ontario Spotlight, pivotal projects, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
For more information:
Katherine Laycock, Program Manager
katherine.laycock@innovationguelph.ca
Monica Granados, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
