Calling all Yukon entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers—Startup Your Community

WHITEHORSE—Do you have a great idea? Do you want to support innovation in your community? If you answered yes to either of these questions (co)space and Yukon College are looking for you.
All Yukoners are invited to muster their creativity and passion, and enter the Startup Your Community Contest.

“This contest is open to all types of ideas—if you can imagine it, we want to hear your pitch,” said Alison Anderson, Technology Innovation Officer, Cold Climate Innovation (CCI) at Yukon College. “We are here to support local innovation.”

To enter, create a one-minute video explaining your idea and upload it to the contest website at cospacenorth.com. Submissions will be judged on their potential for positive impact on the community, the presenter’s enthusiasm, and the originality of the idea.

The winner will join the Yukon contingent at the country’s largest annual national entrepreneurship event, Startup Canada’s Grand Finale, which will be held in Ottawa from October 18-19, 2017.
“We look forward to hosting Yukon’s entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative minds in Ottawa, and championing the Startup community amongst Canada’s leading entrepreneurs, investors, national media, and decision makers,” said Kathryn Forrest Startup Canada’s Communications, Marketing, Research, and Policy Manager.

“Attending an event like this could be a really big first step for getting local exposure, and an opportunity to connect with national players,” said Lauren Manekin-Beille, the Coworking Director at (co)space, one of the hubs for innovation and launching new ideas in the Yukon. “We’re looking for people who have the passion and drive to make their ideas a reality.”

The contest will kick off at the Startup Canada Awards (North), which will be held at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse on Tuesday, September 19. CCI is one of the sponsors of the event, which will be hosted by Startup Whitehorse, (co)space, and YuKonstruct. Tickets are available online.

Entries for the Startup Your Community Contest will be accepted from 9 a.m. PST on September 18 until October 2 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Full rules and regulations are available on the contest website.

Air North, Yukon's Airline’s is sponsoring roundtrip airfare for the winner, from Whitehorse to Ottawa.

About CCI: Cold Climate Innovation aims to improve the lives of Northerners through research, innovation, and commercialization. They offer support to Yukon innovators and entrepreneurs in business planning and mentoring, prototype development, patent advice, and marketing. In 2016, CCI won the Entrepreneur Support Award from Startup Canada for British Columbia and the North.