Camp Startup returning for young entrepreneurs
Do you ever have a business idea — but have no idea where to start?
FastStart Peterborough is coming back for its fourth year with a new and improved Camp Startup experience for young entrepreneurs.
“Our unique entrepreneurship programming allows for young entrepreneurs to get out of their comfort zone and learn in a different environment,” explained Rosalea Terry, marketing manager and senior innovator specialist at the Innovation Cluster.
The program was created by FastStart Peterborough, a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College and the Innovative Cluster.
This year is will run from Sept. 14 to 16 at Camp Kawartha, on Stoney Lake north of Lakefield.
This is the first year FastStart is hosting the event at Camp Kawartha where the campers will get to spend two overnights, Friday and Saturday.
Camp Kawartha has recently received the Accessibility Champion Award for making their facility and programming more accessible for all. FastStart hopes this will ensure a safe place for the event and attract all members of the community.
In previous years, Terry said, the background setting only allowed for limited workshops in the outdoors.
Twenty applicants between the ages of 18 and 29 will be chosen for the weekend camp event and will have free entry to help reduce any possible barriers.
“Once we have collected all applications, a private review committee carefully reviews each submission and scores the application based on the responses,” Terry said.
“The committee’s score will determine the 20 that will be attending Camp Startup.”
The weekend will start when the applicants arrive at Camp Kawartha on Sept.
14. The evening will be dedicated for all the entrepreneurs to get to know one another.
Saturday and Sunday will consist of workshops and activities, including pitching, canoeing, high ropes course, and a traditional event of the program, the creative campfire rap battle.
The event will end Sunday with a final pitching challenge that the participants will be working on throughout the weekend. The winning team will win a $500 cash prize.
The activities planned for the event are to help the young entrepreneurs build on their knowledge of, pitching, finances and how to successfully apply for grant applications, according to the Innovative Cluster.
“We have seen incredible business and teams emerge from this experience in the past,” Terry said.
FastStart receives, on average, more than 50 applications each year. This year’s deadline is July 26 at midnight.