Innovatus Entrepreneurship Education Centre is a not-for-profit innovation hub and a business incubator located in Ontario that was brought to life by a group of Indigenous students at Ryerson University and is headquartered at Ryerson Student Union (RSU) Student Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Innoavatus has assisted Indigenous youth entrepreneurs in their new ventures and startups. As a business incubator, we provide management training, office space, and mentorship in the crucial early stages of creating and launching a successful company. We have emphasized supporting Canada’s Indigenous and at-risk youth. Among the main objectives of the organization is to enable startup companies predominantly run by Indigenous youth and entrepreneurs to access much-needed resources, experience, and networks. Our incubation services will help businesses get over the initial hurdles when starting a business. These hurdles include space, funding, legal, accounting, computer services, and any other prerequisites to running a successful company.

Many youth and Indigenous groups are forgotten when it comes to access to support services. Our organization will help eliminate this discrepancy by creating an accessible space in communities that need them the most. We believe in a Canada with no barriers and with no community left behind. We want to acknowledge their great potential by our commitment to First Nations communities.

Innovatus aims to make incubation services accessible for youth in all Indigenous communities. Our organization wishes to serve as the link between First Nations and their integration to conducting business. Our team consists of over 35 expert advisors, industry, academic, and government partners. The team helps companies to commercialize their products and get them to market faster.

The Innovatus Centres focus is to be a dynamic catalyst for tech or other companies launched primarily by Indigenous and at-risk youth and Indigenous entrepreneurs. We help our Indigenous-owned companies grow faster and stronger and succeed in Canada and globally.

We believe that competent mentorship is integral in establishing oneself in a new business. It is especially true in case of new businesses run by Indigenous youth and entrepreneurs who require guidance and mentorship of not only successful Canadian entrepreneurs, but mentorship of established and successful Indigenous entrepreneurs. We ensure to provide a smooth transition with expert service to ensure limited barriers to starting a business in Canada. Our organization holds a very high degree of service  standards because we understand the vulnerability of our participants and the critical choices one is set to face in their new ventures.

Our team specializes in problem-solving and connecting youth and First Nations people to the vital resources that they need to become successful in their business. We pride ourselves on our commitment to society which is to make sure that our members’ startup business ideas and experience are efficient and success-producing and equip them with the knowledge and skills pivotal for a business idea to grow into a successful business.

All registered companies get a customized plan built in conjunction with the Innovatus Centre’s business mentors to help accelerate their growth. The services we provide depend on the stage of growth and the goals of any specific business. Find out more about the services we  offer for startups, growth-ready companies, and companies preparing  to scale.

Innovatus provides accessible services to young entrepreneurs in the field of business incubation and acceleration while concentrating on youth and Indigenous communities and their entrepreneurs.

Our vision at Innovatus is to give back and support at-risk youth and First Nations communities through business incubation services. This initiative is vital in establishing a company’s foundation. We work towards providing knowledge and access to services. Firstly, we will help to plan a business by turning a great idea into a business plan. Secondly, we will help launching one’s business by turning the plan into reality by registering and starting to conduct business. Moreover, we will help manage the business by helping master day-to-day operations and prepare for success. Furthermore, we aim to help grow the business by finding new funding, locations, and customers when the business is established and it is time to expand.

Our business incubator is a program that gives very early stage youth and Indigenous entrepreneurs access to mentorship, investors, and other support to help them get established. We also will have a strong focus on the sectors of technology and innovation. Companies that use business incubators are start-ups in their “seed” phase, meaning they have just launched and are still defining their operational models and goals. Businesses that have moved beyond the incubator stage would instead use a business accelerator for support. We would like to provide both essential services with our comprehensive program which aims to nurture and further help grow our participants’ companies. In addition to mentorship and investment opportunities, our business incubator gives young companies access to logistical and technical resources as well as shared office space.

Because every company develops at its own pace, our incubator program can last anywhere from several months to years. Our incubator operates as a non-profit organization and will not exchange for equity positions (i.e., ownership) in the companies. Most Indigenous and at-risk youth face difficult challenges when it comes to accessing services. Our organization offers tailored mentorship to individual First Nations companies, people, groups, and organizations faced with business challenges or questions. Through individual sessions and educational workshops, Indigenous and youth participants will receive the support and tools needed to manage the challenges of everyday business life, including how to seek financing, manage the business, handle the workload, day-to-day operations, and other transitions, etc.

Innovatus is a national non-profit organization, based in the Greater Toronto Area. Innovatus aims to empower youth and First Nations people to develop the skills and acquire the necessary knowledge to manage and run a successful business in Canada. Innovatus believes in the power of diversity and inclusion to foster change, nurture progress and move society forward. We are located in Ontario and we collaborate with numerous partners, educational institutions, financing organizations, and social services sector organizations throughout Canada also making us accessible to many First Nations communities and at-risk youth.

Note: All of our services are always confidential