Press Release: Nine Rhyze Ventures Pitch Finalists Announced!

Guelph, ON, September 22, 2020 – Innovation Guelph’s first cohort of Rhyze Ventures programming culminates in a public pitch competition with nine companies competing on October 21, 2020, from 5pm to 9pm.

The pitch event also kicks off cohort two with opportunities to connect with new program participants, Rhyze Ventures alumni, program partners, volunteer mentors, industry specialists, facilitators and community leaders! The winners will have an opportunity to be interviewed on the Zonecast podcast that features entrepreneurs, professionals and academics.

Of the 61 Rhyze Ventures participants who started the program, the nine pitch finalists are:

Scalable ($25,000)

Arla Kasaj-deJonge
AcuMade Corp.

Denise Gavin
Awarewear

Jane Ong
Neophyto Foods Inc.

Esteemed pitch competition judges include:

• Rina Carlini, President & CEO at Optimal Innovation Group
• Debora Bielecki, CEO & Partner at Bielecki & Associates Incorporated
• Sandra Hinojosa Verdin, Industrial Technology Advisor at the National Research Council Canada
• Jordan Jocius, Director of Founder Institute
• Donna Litt, Chief Operating Officer at Kiite and Uvaro

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 delivery partners: Business Centre Guelph-Wellington, GreenHouse, Waterloo Region Small Business Centre, 10C and Pollinate.

Register on Eventbrite: https://rhyzeventures-kickoff-publicpitch.eventbrite.ca

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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

Rhyze Ventures received an investment of over $1.8 million through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. FedDev Ontario has actively 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. Read more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario.

For more information:
Katherine Laycock, Program Manager
katherine.laycock@innovationguelph.ca 519-265-4495