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An$800,000donationby theRoyalBankof Canada
Foundation, announced inOctober,will support
programs in theEntrepreneurshipPracticeand
InnovationCentre (EPICentre) tohelpstudentsand
recentgraduatesstartandgrownewbusinessventures.
EPICentre supportsWindsor-Essexyouth—
postsecondary studentsand recent graduates—by
providingopportunities for studentsand faculty toconnect
withbusinessesandotherpartners inorder toencourage
development of new technologiesandproducts.
The investmentwill support theRBCEPICFounders
Program, an intensive, 12-weekopportunity that givesup to
12youngentrepreneurs$6,000each in funds todevelop their
business idea.At theendof the session, participantshavean
opportunity to showcase theirwork tomentors, supporters,
andpotential investorsduringDemoDay,where the team
with themost viablebusiness ideawill receive the$3,500
RBCTopFounderAward tohelp them take theirbusiness
to thenext level.
All FoundersProgramparticipantscanalsoapply tobe
part of anon-campus, business incubator that gives them
sixmonthsof free rent, aswell asadviceand support from
business facultyand industrymentors. Incubatorbusinesses
areeligible toparticipate in thenewRBCBusinessModel
Competition, announcedat the same time.
Thecompetitionwill allow studentsandalumni the
opportunity to test themarket-readinessof theirbusiness
idea,withagoal of helpingyoungentrepreneursdevelop
a strongbusinessmodel for their venture.TheRBCEPIC
BusinessModelAwardwill provide$10,000and$2,500,
respectively, to the two top-performingbusinesses.
Aswell, twoof EPICentre’s incubationmoduleswill now
beknownas theRBC InnovationSpace.
MargaretCorio, RBC regionalVP forWindsor-Essex, says
theRBCFoundation isdelighted to support innovationand
entrepreneurshipatUniversityof Windsor.
“The learning thatwill takeplaceheregoesbeyond the
traditional classroomandwill enrichour community for years
tocome,” she says.
Royal Bank of Canada isCanada’s largest bank. It
supports a broad range of community initiatives through
donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities.
ROYAL BANK DONATION SUPPORTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
RoyalBankofCanadaexecutiveFrancineDyksterhuissignsabigcheque to fundanewprogram insupport of youngentrepreneurs.
