Launching the 2023 Discovery Foundation’s Rise and Thrive Startup Coaching Program!
VANCOUVER, BC, Volition is proud to announce that we have been awarded $50,000 as an Agent of the Discovery Foundation’s Technology Education Program (TEP). This award recognizes the work that Volition has done to build connectivity, capacity, and knowledge within startup ecosystems within and beyond B.C.
The Discovery Foundation, a registered charity founded in 1979, is committed to facilitating the inclusive development and sustainability of BC’s technology sector. In 2010 the Discovery Foundation launched the Technology Education Program, which funds agent-run programs and events across BC that serve to promote and accelerate tech entrepreneurship in the province.
This partnership builds on the success of Volition’s 2021 and 2022 programming, and enables us to scale our regional impact with the 2023 Discovery Foundation’s Rise and Thrive Startup Coaching Program. The program will serve BC-based tech/tech-enabled startups that are looking for resources and support to accelerate their business and investment readiness skills, and features two core program pillars: Startup Business Advising and, Founder Cafe’s.
“We are grateful for the continued support of Discovery Foundation, allowing us to develop and deliver new and consistent programming each year. Combining the learnings of our previous programs plus actively listening to the needs of the communities we serve, we have developed our Rise & Thrive program, which features both short and long-term advising engagements, and Founder Cafés–spaces for founders to connect and learn from one another. The goal is to serve founders and their teams who are looking for resources and support to accelerate their business.”
Whether you are ready to launch and looking for guidance on your sales, marketing, or revenue model, or you are actively seeking capital and need help with your fundraising or investor strategy, this program is for you.
While programming will be open to all entrepreneurs in the province, priority will be given to those from historically and systematically marginalized groups in the startup ecosystem, with at least 50% of funding dedicated to support and advance entrepreneurs who identify within the intersectional spectrum of womanhood.
We will be accepting applications for each program element on a rolling basis. Fill out this form to be added to the waitlist, and be the first to hear about the program launch, or reach out to our Managing Partner, Melanie Ewan, for more information about the initiative or partnerships opportunities: melanie@volitionadvisors.com.
“Over the past two years we had the privilege of partnering with Discovery Foundation to support over 350 startups with 300 hours of coaching, seventeen masterminds and bootcamps, and six BC Startup Showcases. It has been an incredible learning experience, and an honour to work alongside and watch these startups grow. As we enter yet another year of uncertainty, I am grateful for the opportunity to offer accessible startup advising and opportunities for face-to-face connection for founders across B.C. We look forward to creating impact together in 2023!”
About the Discovery Foundation
A registered charity, the Discovery Foundation has been a committed champion and enabler of the science and technology sector in BC since its formation in 1979. Its principal activity is the delivery of the Technology Education Program via agents that provide education and guidance to entrepreneurs in BC. When possible, the Foundation also provides funds for research and scholarship.
About Volition
At Volition, we help founders and their teams address those inevitable “now what?” moments on their entrepreneurial journeys. We do this through working with ecosystem partners to provide tailored advisory services and educational programming to meet the needs of their community. Our team of 19 advisors each specializes in a common pain point or knowledge gap for founders, and brings lived expertise as teachers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
