Young Entrepreneurs Forum for West Prince

The eighth annual West Prince Young Entrepreneurs Forum will be held at the Mill River Resort on March 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hosted by CBDC West Prince Ventures Ltd., the forum is for youth ages 15 to 34.

The forum is offered free of charge but interested participants must preregister by this Friday.

CBDC West Prince Ventures has received $15,000 in funding through ACOA’s Business Development Program to assist with the youth forum on March 21 and a general forum in April. Other funding partners have also come on board. “Forums like this one provide opportunities for anyone to explore entrepreneurship as a career option, whether it’s a first career choice, a change in career, or as a retirement business,” said Bobby Morrissey, member of Parliament for Egmont.

Patrick Ledwell, a well-known Island comic and regular on CBC Radio’s “The Debaters,” is returning as the master of ceremonies for the youth forum.

Special guests include Savvy Simon from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick, Island musician Liam Corcoran, Ann Worth, as well as a panel of entrepreneurs: Jeff Noye, Valley Pearl Oysters; Moyna Matheson, Samuel’s Coffee House, Julia Taylor Small Print Board Game Café, and Wayne Linkletter, Linkletter Welding. Elsiopgtog is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker. She has been named one of the Top 20 female change makers in Canada by Canadian Living Magazine. She performed as an Indigenous dancer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Corcoran will provide entertainment during the noon luncheon and share his story of entrepreneurship in the entertainment industry. He is program manager for Holland College’s School of Performing Arts and students from the program will be accompanying him at the forum.

Worth will present a workshop on digital online marketing for business.

“Events like this lend strength to the Island’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by allowing young people to explore ideas for new businesses and to learn about the challenges of being your own boss,” said Chris Palmer, minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

To register, call or email forum co-ordinator Michelle Penwarden at (902)853-3616, michelle.penwarden@cbdc.ca, by March 16.