Steve McCartney | Mentoring Start-ups: The Mistakes and Successes Of Emerging Tech Companies
AQ's Blog & Grill
English - February 24, 2017 20:48 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingEntrepreneurship Business Marketing business quarry alan alanquarry alanquarryblog alanquarrypodcast aqblogrill aqsblogandgrill aqsbloggrill branding Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
One of the greatest start-up accelerators in Canada lies in the Waterloo Region. Communitech is nestled in a reclaimed factory building and is home to over 350 emerging companies. Our guest, Steve McCartney is the VP of Start-up Services at this powerful hub. Steve came to the AQ studio to tell us a bit about the business side of running an incubator.
Steve walks us through the process of joining Communitech as a start-up, whether coming with an idea, a work in process, or a fully operational product. He explains the funding process, from early stage to venture capital and discusses big mistakes he has witnessed in young emerging companies. Steve remarks on the common denominator found in successful start-ups and how growing companies can find and keep talent.
The Waterloo Region has become a mecca for technology start-ups and Steve credits this to the collaborative nature rarely found elsewhere, especially in metropolitan areas. “No one has ever said no to helping a young company when asked,” Steve states.
About Our Guest
Steve McCartney is the Vice President of Start-up Services at Communitech, where he is responsible for the growth and development of startup-focused programming. Steve is also the Director and Chair at Energy Plus and Bering Media Inc. He is very involved in helping emerging technology companies find growth and success in the Waterloo Region and Toronto.