The Community Innovation Hub is coming to Markham to support social entrepreneurs in getting their non-profit or social enterprise off the ground. If you are thinking of starting up a new social idea, we’d love to help!
What type of ideas work?
Is there an issue in the community that needs to be addressed that is important to you? For example:
· Do you like sewing? You could teach others how to make clothing.
· Do you believe that broken items should be fixed instead of thrown out? You could launch a repair clinic.
What is the Community Innovation Hub?
Markham’s Community Innovation Hub is support place for social entrepreneurs. They are supported through:
· Business Coaching: One day a week a volunteer business coach will be present to support the social entrepreneurs. You can bounce ideas off of them and keep your initiative moving.
· Business Mentoring: Each social entrepreneur will be paired with a mentor for 6 months. This will be based on whatever your gap is from strategy to fundraising to event planning to sales.
· Workshops: Workshops catered to the needs of social initiatives will be available once a month with experts.
· Co-Working Space: Collaborative space, workshop space, and co-working space is available. Whatever your social idea needs to get off the ground in terms of space is available. In addition to space, there is Internet and access to printing.
· Networking: The Hub is here for you to connect with other like-minded individuals: with each other, the coaches, and potential volunteers and donors.
· Showcasing: Your work is important and people need to know about it. The Hub will showcase your initiative through their community as well as through the Markham Main Street’s Farmers Market and other BIA events.
