Posts tagged ‘OCE’

Troubling facts about MaRS Discovery District (Part 3.5 of 4)

April 22nd, 2010 by Greg Boutin
Interior of the MaRS Discovery District resear...

Image via Wikipedia

In my previous posts, I took a good look at MaRS Discovery District, to raise attention about the meager $400+K salary of the institution’s CEO, the restrictive $130M in subsidies, the crystal transparency of grant decisions, the real estate successes, the tireless dedication of a selfless network of underpaid advisors mostly stemming from the visible minorities of our beloved city, the fantastic public-private partnership and synergies of the hub with private incubators and providers, and the focus on supporting actual start-ups as opposed to associating with companies on a proven winning trajectory that could make for great political advertising.

Well, I am glad to report today that Waterloo’s Communitech, too, is on its way to becoming a success story itself. Not to be left behind in the “space” race with MaRS, it is adding an impressive tool to its arsenal, one that will without a doubt propel Canada from its position of innovation laggard to that of superstar: yes, it has secured the lease to a building! (more…)

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Starting a Venture in Canada?

February 9th, 2009 by Greg Boutin

Jacqui Murphy of Tech Capital wrote a fascinating blog post today, listing the top resources any venture in Canada should be aware and possibly take advantage of in this downturn economy. Quote:

  1. There is amazing talent on the street right now. Many of these folks have received severance packages and are approaching the job market with “flexibility” in mind. Reach out to these people and engage with them as advisors, employees who are interested in working for equity, and/or potential co-founders/partners. (more…)

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