BEDC E-Newsletter
May - June
MoneySense  Magazine Best Places to Live 2016!
For the fourth consecutive year, Burlington has been ranked Canada's #1 mid-sized city, and 2nd best city overall in MoneySense magazine's Best Places to Live 2016. The methodology spans thirty-five categories, utilizing data sources such as Statistics Canada and Environics Analytics.
 
We were so excited, we designed an infographic showcasing the many reasons Burlington continues to prosper as one of the best places to live and grow!
BEDC Spotlight: Python's Pit Winner Nicole Mortimer, Founder of Laifa Baby 


Laifa Baby was founded in 2015 by Nicole with the goal of creating products for newborns that are simple, intuitive and add real value for new parents. Laifa Baby sleepers are the company's first, and signature product. Nicole's patent-pending design combines two zippers in a single garment. Learn more about the design  here .

This  innovative and creative design landed Nicole one of  the top two finalist spots at this year's Python's Pit Finale, where she ultimately took home the first place prize of $15,000. BEDC is  very excited to continue watching Nicole grow and expand Laifa Baby within the Burlington community. 
About Python's Pit: Python's Pit is an entrepreneurial contest open to residents and students of the Halton Region. The contest provides an avenue for participants to  pitch their business concepts and product ideas in front of a live audience (of more than 400 people) and a panel of real business moguls from the community (the Pythons). The goal of Python's Pit is to foster innovation, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit through mentorship, investment opportunities and raising funds to support Rotary's Camp Enterprise.  BEDC is thrilled to sponsor this event and encourage  entrepreneurial growth in Halton Region. 
We caught up with Nicole to discuss her  experience  in Python's Pit and to share some advice for other entrepreneurs in our community!
BEDC: What is next for Laifa  Baby?
BEDC: How has the experience of being in the Python's Pit influenced you as an entrepreneur?
BEDC: Do you have any advice for other entrepreneurs looking to start up in our community?
Nicole: With the financial and mentoring support that we received from Pythons Pit, we're really excited to accelerate our entry into the marketplace. We're finalizing prints  for our next order and are partnering with retailers in Canada and  are exploring options in  the USA as well.


Nicole: Being a part of Python's Pit was an incredible experience. There are so many people that come together to make this event such a success. I was particularly influenced seeing all the mentors for all the finalists. They are all successful entrepreneurs in their own right and are so committed to giving back to the new entrepreneurs to get their businesses on the right path.
Nicole: Halton is a community that fosters and encourages entrepreneurship at every level. If you have a great idea, product or service, combined with focus and persistence, there are so many community resources available to you to help grow your business. 


Ready to Locate, Expand or Start-up in Burlington? We can help.
Over the past four years Burlington has had substantial growth and continues to offer diverse opportunities for companies to locate, start-up and expand locally.  We have approximately   800 acres  of land left to develop. Let BEDC help you find the perfect location to start, locate or expand your business in Burlington.
 
Ready to start the conversation?
Step 1: Explore our fully updated vacant land  under the "layers" tab of   BurlingtonSites, found here. 
Step 2: Complete our short online form  here  to start the conversation.
 
That's it!
Stay in the Loop!
FreshInsights has moved to the Halton Hive! Newly situated in one of Burlington's great entrepreneurial communities, our team of top graduates and expert mentors will continue offering fresh perspectives and expert guidance to companies across the Golden Horseshoe and GTA. If you are interested in becoming a mentor with the program, or you're looking for a fresh perspective on your business, visit FreshInsightsConsulting.ca. 

The Ontario government introduced the Red Tape Challenge this past March. This project encourages participants to anonymously contribute their ideas on rules and regulations affecting various government-to-business services to encourage outcome-focused and evidence-based regulations. This project is scheduled to last until July 2018 and cover six different sectors that are afflicted with outdated, redundant, or unnecessarily costly regulatory requirements. 
The City of Burlington selected fifteen employees to participate in Mohawk College Enterprise's (MCE) Future Ready Leadership program.The MCE Program helps the City of Burlington participants better prepare the city with skills and expertise required to succeed in today's fast-paced world. MCE highlights the importance in developing and investing in human capital. 



Upcoming Events 

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Innovation Factory have partnered once again to present  LiONʼS LAIR.  


This annual competition brings together entrepreneurs and innovators in the Hamilton community. The competition gives ten companies the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of our city's top business experts - the "Lions" - for a chance to win over  $100,000 in cash and resources ! Take a look at this year's finalists here. 

Past Events 

Halton Futures Summit was held on June 2nd and brought together Halton's technology innovation community to connect, collaborate and celebrate new technologies. The evening concluded with an awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing the significant accomplishments of technology companies in Halton Region. Burlington's own Adblib Software was honoured with an award for their innovative and commercially successful work. 

Angel One Investor Network held their annual Founders and Funders event June 16th at the Ron Joyce Centre. The evening was filled with networking, an investee showcase and the Pauli Award Ceremony. Our Executive Director, Frank McKeown had the pleasure of delivering the opening remarks. 

We would like to once again congratulate the winners;  Bogdan Fursina from Dejero as Founder of the Year, Blake Laufer as Contributor of the Year and Natalie Townsend as Funder of the Year. In 2015, 25 Angel One Investors invested $1.4 million in 17 different companies helping grow the Canadian economy and making it the location for innovation!
  Blake Laufer (left), Natalie Townsend (center) and Brian Crann (right) 
CEO of Dejero, accepting the award on Fursina's behalf. 
On June 21 st,  Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Burlington Chamber of Commerce joined together to present the second annual Bay Area Economic Summit. This sold out event hosted at the Royal Botanical Gardens focused on 'Leading Change in a Regional Age,' by encouraging inter-connectivity and prosperity between the two cities. With over fifty speakers, panelists and moderators including a keynote address by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn, this summit fostered lively conversation on innovation and transformation between Hamilton and Burlington. To learn more about the Summit, visit bayareasummit.ca .

Mayor of Hamilton Fred Eisenberger (left) and Rick Goldring (right) Mayor of Burlington together at Bay Area Economic Summit. 

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