Cape Breton University hires first entrepreneur-in-residence
U.K. businessman Permjot Valia will be based out of Island Sandbox
Students at Cape Breton University will have another avenue for business mentoring with the introduction of its first entrepreneur-in-residence.
Permjot Valia, who is from London, England, has founded his own startups and has invested in more than 25 companies on three continents.
He will be based at the Island Sandbox, a joint venture between CBU and the Nova Scotia Community College Marconi campus that promotes economic development.
“The university made it very clear that they don’t see my role as being exclusive to (the Island Sandbox),” said Valia, 45.
“Yes, it is the main role but anything I can do to help anyone really from Cape Breton, it’s all good.”
Valia has served as a mentor for the Uhma Institute of Technology’s startup immersion program, which is based out of the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation in north end Sydney.
Dale Keefe, CBU’s vice-president of academic and provost, said Valia’s experience in business development and his connections to the international startup community will be of great value to students and the community as a whole.
“Just last week, he was a presenter during Global Entrepreneurship Week and it was clear that his knowledge and insights are going to make an impact,” Keefe said in a statement Tuesday.
Valia said he plans to help connect local entrepreneurs to people from around the world who are able to assist burgeoning startup companies advance their business.
One way he intends to do this is by bringing one of his mentor camps to Cape Breton in 2016.
Valia is founder of Mentorcamp.ca, a multi-day event that connects promising startup communities with talented mentors who have the expertise they need.
“They are really well connected experts who can actually help startups grow rapidly and make connections and introductions. If they’re the right companies they can obviously help raise funding as well.”
He said the startup community is in a “healthy state” but very much in its infancy.
Valia fell in love with Cape Breton, particularly its summers, which give off a “fantastic vibe,” he said.
He’ll hope to attract high profile startup mentors to spend a few days here to get a sense of the community.
“It’s very easy to come in, be impressed by everyone’s friendliness and then leave again. It’s only when you’re there for two or three days, you see that friendliness translated into real things.”
Valia said he’d be initially commuting to Sydney from Halifax, where his family lives, and likely move to Cape Breton in the summer.