learn more about the niagara falls ryerson innovation hub
Covid-19 and government restrictions may have slowed things down but it didn't stop us from doing what we do BEST - help entrepreneurs and support our community!
It would be an understatement to say that life has looked a little different for all of us since mid-March when the COVID-19 pandemic thrust us into a lockdown. For many, our homes became our offices, classrooms, and gyms. For others who worked courageously on the frontlines of the pandemic, life became a lot more stressful and unpredictable.
We at Spark Niagara fared no differently than most. Mandated by governmental restrictions, we had to close our physical doors for four months and only recently reopened them in mid-July. Not being in the office didn’t stop us though from continuing to do what we do BEST while helping our community! Below are some highlights from our summer.
Over the past few months, Spark has been lucky enough to welcome some awesome new founders into our community of entrepreneurs. Some of our new members include:
The pandemic really highlighted the importance of small businesses to our economy and our community. At Spark, we helped businesses adapt to COVID-19 through moving many of our services online to our newly launched Member Portal. These virtual member service include:
We also worked on supporting our small business community through COVID-19 by working closely with the Niagara Falls Business Improvement Association on various initiatives including:
At Spark, we understand how important it is to give back, especially in a time of need. To support our community, we:
Despite not being able to host events and workshops in the Spark Event space as we once did, we still had some amazing virtual events. Our webinar series featured industry and in-house experts to discuss various topics relevant to entrepreneurs, such as:
Missed a webinar? No problem! All past and future webinars can be found on our YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCI6NlVo23i6wGe8jcpRkNQ/featured?view_as=subscriber
In this new virtual workplace, we still found ways to keep in touch, meet new people and make new connections. FIKA Friday turned our weekly morning coffee meeting into an exciting networking opportunity. Over 276 people attended our FIKA Friday networking sessions, including Spark staff, member companies, Niagara Falls Ryerson Innovation Hub (NFRIH) cohort companies, partner organizations, entrepreneurs from across the globe, businesses owners and local service providers. Missed a FIKA Friday? No worries — we’ll be running these virtual events through the Fall.
While the past few months have brought many unexpected challenges, we have also celebrated our member companies’ successes and growth. Below are just a few highlights:
We’ve also been working away at bringing our members more exciting opportunities this Fall! Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
So as you can see, it’s been a very busy summer finding innovative ways to invest and support entrepreneurs and our greater community. What about you? Have you been stretching your innovative muscles? Let us know how! Wanna know more about the services we offer? Reach out!
Our memberships are all-inclusive pricing which means W.I.F.I, Utilities, Janitorial service, coffee and many other amenities are included. They start at 3 months! Memberships also offer business services including business coaching, perks and discounts, access to Spark’s Member Portal, events and workshops, and much more!
Unlike many other incubators, Spark is here for you in the long run. You're welcome to participate in our entrepreneurial community as long as you'd like.
We work with Ryerson University and the City of Niagara Falls on the Niagara Falls Ryerson Innovation Hub. This initiative is for tech-based startups in or looking to move to Niagara Falls, Canada to grow and scale their business.
We are happy to help provide guidance on the necessary steps towards receiving external investments. That being said, we will not invest in your business nor are we affiliated as partners in your business.
Spark stands by the mission of building our future with collective impact. We accept entrepreneurs whether they are affiliated with another incubator or not. We aspire to bring together the best talent in Niagara regardless of background.
We offer a free 7 day trial for serious applicants only.
