Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship ... Everywhere Joel Young
Dear readers, I have been presenting to you stories, information and educational pieces for close to five years now and have been within the world of entrepreneurship in Canada and the U.S.A. for more than 25 years - a lifetime for sure. The significance of my personal journey really stems from the creation of a National Entrepreneurship Policy & Strategy which the Mulroney Tory government created within the developed national society in the late 1990s. Here we are to-day in the interior of British Columbia and, after almost five years of exploring, searching, researching with some pleading thrown in for spice, I am excitedly declaring that we, as a regional economy, are about to turn the corner toward a new level of collaboration amongst all relevant stakeholder organizations in the Okanagan.
This week, I would like to share two very important initiatives with you that may contribute to changing the face of our region, our province, and yes, our beloved Canada. Before my wife and I moved to the Okanagan, about five years ago, I spent a great deal of time visiting with Valley Mayors and community leaders and one of those special people was Mayor Sharon Shepherd. I told the Mayor about my world of entrepreneurship and the initiative I had developed and implemented in my home province, Saskatchewan. It was during an NDP government and the purpose was to prompt a province-wide entrepreneurship gameplan for progressive change.
I presented to Mayor Shepherd that initial day a concept proposal for an Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurship Roundtable, which would be an open forum of stakeholders exploring the potential for a first-ever valley-wide entrepreneurship strategy. Although with the Mayor expressing an element of support, I wasn't ready just yet to embark on that journey and so, I shelved the Roundtable notion and then moved forward the idea to create an Entrepreneurship Society, as a regional non-profit entity to light the candle, so to speak, for the entrepreneurial zealots and expressions of interest of which I was continually confronted. The Society was started and, to-day after close to three years, we are an established multi-faceted socio-economic organization. While establishing my roots in the Valley floor, I obtained letters of support for an entrepreneurship strategy from nearly every Mayor from Vernon to Penticton. And so, my readers, when, after mulling my revisitation to the Roundtable initiative, I had an occasion to once again visit Mayor Shepherd in her City Hall office whereas when I brought up my thought that maybe the time was ripe to bring together a cross section of Valley stakeholders to explore a strategy development, the Mayor didn't hesitate to remind me in the insightful manner she is famous for - that a few years earlier, I preached to her the Roundtable goals and that I ought to cease discussing and go get it done. And that a Roundtable was a solid vehicle to seek change of attitude and behaviour in the Valley.
So, June 6, the Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society enjoyed a major media conference at the main door of Kelowna City Hall with a representative of the Roundtable sponsor we were able to secure from Calgary, the Harvest Group of Companies, a leading western Canadian commercial real estate investment entity with their CEO, Frank Lonardelli confirming his keynote address at the Roundtable luncheon which was memorably shared by all. Well, dear readers, we did it - yes, on September 7, 2011 at the Delta Grand Hotel in Kelowna, we were able to complete a wonderfully productive Roundtable with an innovative facilitation model led by David Church of Winnipeg, a consultant of repute who is moving to the Okanagan for half of the year, will set up a western Canadian training centre and has collaborated with two marketing and business coaches, Clint Best and Colin Parker, who have so graciously assisted, along with a wonderful Roundtable team, in making the Roundtable come to life.
In a seemingly short day, we were able to accumulate 257 ideas, (amazing outcome) that will be screened, categorized and form the nucleus of a report that will be shared with everyone in the Roundtable database inviting the formation of a working group to investigate the development of a first-ever regional entrepreneurship strategy & action agenda. Am I excited, you bet, long time coming, but never too late…..the world around us within the region, the province, the nation and beyond is and has been extolling the socio-economic virtues of entrepreneurial development for sometime now in bits and pieces. Now, such declaration appears to be everywhere.
That's not all for this week's joyful announcement about "entrepreneurship everywhere" …Our Roundtable is our Entrepreneurship Society's contribution to Global Entrepreneurship Week that runs from November 14-20, 2011 led by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation of which our society is a Community Partner in the Okanagan. This major international initiative began a few short years ago with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Carl Schramm, CEO, Kaufmann Entrepreneurship Foundation, U.S.A. The core essence of this celebratory week is the discovery that leaders around the world are looking to reinvigorate their economies by focusing on ways to stimulate new venture creation. Global Entrepreneurship Week helps map the entrepreneurial ecosystem in all participating nations and enjoys the support and participation of presidents and prime ministers on every continent - to-day, totalling more than 100 nations, 40,000 events ( as our Roundtable) and 10 million people. WOW.. no Sunday picnic….
What an incredible achievment in a short space of time…And, to close this tidal wave of entrepreneurial waterfall, in February, 2011, Prime Minister Harper declared 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur throughout Canada. as part of our Government's efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of entrepreneurs to Canada's economy and pay tribute to their drive and dedication. ( Could this columnist be any happier?) The Prime Minister is quoted: " Canada's entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, creating jobs and driving economic growth in communities, large and small across our landscape. They invest themselves completely in their ventures, working countless hours on every possible aspect of their enterprise - from research and development to creation, marketing and delivery. This is what makes our nation, our Canada, strong and lasting.
In closing, Global Entrepreneurship Week , through Canadian Youth Business Foundation has a wonderful national competition called YOU Innovate that has $ 25,000 in cash awards with 14 regional winners who may also win a trip to the United Kingdom. Information and application may be obtained through our Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society quickly please.
Yes, dear friends, entrepreneurship IS everywhere….
Joel Young is an entrepreneurial leadership consultant, coach and educator and Founder of Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.