Superangel.ca

NEWS: Shopify has announced the winner of their Build-A-Biz Competition

After 6 months of fierce competition, Shopify names DODOcase the Winner

Congrats to all 500+ contestants who built their shops, w/ revenues over $3.5 Mil

Click links for STATS, Tim Ferriss’ Blog, & NYTimes Article

Since 2007, I have participated as a mentor in OCRI’s Summer Company program

This summer’s cohort seems especially strong & I am really thrilled to be advising them

Here is the announcement of the 2010 Summer Program (+ overview)

These are the sorts of initiatives that make Ottawa a true entrepreneurial hub

From Commencement Addresses to Political Speeches…

Here is a list of 50 speeches that should not be missed

Find them free & online HERE

An excerpt from “How to Move Minds” by TheSkinnyOn.com

Very cool example of how to soften one’s pitch – A great lesson

Click logo above or HERE for article

Kentin Waits from WiseBread.com posted this article

Great food for thought –  have a read by clicking HERE or on the above logo

Prior to taking the LSAT and applying to law school, and in an effort to evaluate whether I was fit for the legal profession, I had the chance to work at a really great business law firm in Montreal, namely Greenspoon Perreault. Most notably I had the unique opportunity to work with one of the sharpest guys I know (and a founding partner at the firm), Howard Greenspoon, who in my opinion combines an exceptional blend of entrepreneurial drive with a second to none understanding of the law – this particular synergy has led me to look to Howard often as a mentor whenever I have needed guidance with my own ventures.

Howard teamed up with fellow lawyer Lionel Perez in 1998, and created what I believe is a ‘game changer’ of a company – CorporationCentre.ca. Today the company is Canada’s leading online incorporation and corporate maintenance services provider, offering a full range of affordable, easy-to-use and convenient business formation and legal document filing services geared for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The company has been recognized by many leading Canadian business magazines (including Profit Magazine Profit 100, Profit Magazine Hot 50, Enterprise Magazine, and L’Actualité Magazine), the company has helped tens of thousands of Canadian small businesses by simplifying and streamlining business formation and maintenance, saving them time and money. From their site, users can easily complete incorporations, business registrations, name searches and reports, government filings, trademark applications and more. They provide extensive information on starting and managing a business, and they post really great video presentations and FAQs that further simplify and explain the ins-and-outs of maintaining a business in Canada. I believe CorporationCentre.ca is a wonderful example of taking a fairly traditional/conventional type of procedure and coupling it with strong contemporary innovation to create what is sure to become the new paradigm for business incorporations. Have a look @ CorporationCentre.ca

Exploriem.org & OCRI are Hosting the 2nd Annual ‘Bootstrap Awards‘ on February 12th

‘Celebrating Entrepreneurship in Our Community’

Get Your Submissons in Now by Clicking  HERE

In 2007 I had the fortunate opportunity of being introduced to Ian Graham and to TheCodeFactory, Ottawa’s leading business incubator and start-up co-working space. I was immediately impressed with Ian’s passion for start-ups and his unique expertise in business innovation, and this interest subsequently led to my becoming an adviser to Ian’s company and to us developing a really strong and supportive working relationship. I recently asked Ian about current student-entrepreneur initiatives/programs at TheCodeFactory, and below is his reply. On a side note I strongly suggest that any start-up entrepreneurs in the Ottawa region, student or otherwise, (who don’t already know him) get in touch with Ian for one of his ‘famous’ coffee-side chats and mentoring sessions – well worth your while.

“The best example I can give with regard to student entrepreneurs is our “Students and Start-ups” event. This event is based on the premise that students want meaningful and relevant work experience, and start-ups want energetic and enthusiastic employees. Putting the two groups together seems like a match made in heaven. We have had 3 ‘Students and Start-ups’ at TheCodeFactory resulting in 8 hires (I witnessed the latest one today first hand), with more expected within the next few weeks. When people hire, what they are really looking for is attitude and personality; however, traditional hiring processes focus exclusively on skills. ‘Students and Start-ups’ provides a matching based on attitude and passion, free of resume bias. It is really more about you, the person, and less about how good you look on paper. Start with some introductions, add a couple of team-based challenges and the result is students getting hired and matched with great companies. This event adds value to all of the participants and is just one of the ways TheCodeFactory adds value to students and entrepreneurs.”

When I moved to Toronto last year, it was strongly suggested to me that I meet with the Maple Leaf Angels. Although our paths had crossed informally at numerous venture and start-up events, I didn’t fully grasp the extent of their dynamic model. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Craig Hayashi, who is a one of their principals (and sits on their Board of Directors), for a lengthy chat about how the group operates and how they invest. Below is a brief summary of our dialogue. I must say that besides being a friend of the SuperAngel team, Craig is also a great guy and I highly recommend their dynamic group to any start-ups seeking fresh capital and experienced advice.

Maple Leaf Angels is Ontario’s leading angel investment group with over 40 investors and $6 million in financings closed since its inception in 2007. Maple Leaf Angels holds 10 investment events a year where high potential early stage companies in the high tech, medical device, and cleantech sectors are presented to their group of investors. Maple Leaf Angels’ members are experienced business professionals that have strong operational expertise and business networks (with an accompanying track record to prove it). In addition to financing capital, members help investee companies by taking board seats or advisory roles. The following provides a detailed Q/A with Craig and Rob Koturbash, who is the Managing Director of the group – click HERE.

Vanity Fair’s Bathany Mclean on Goldman Sachs – Lessons & Leadership

An Excellent Perspective & Interesting Article - January 2010 Sneak Peak

Click Logo or HERE for Full Article

Forbes.com’s Article on Seven Types of Angel Investors to Avoid

Click Logo or Here

For those of you who don’t know her, SPB, also known as Steph Paris Berks, has been throwing some of Montreal’s most popular student parties for a number of years. Concurrently, and along with partner Seth, she has built one of the leading student event promotion companies in the city, and has used her own academic path as the vehicle for creating an extremely far reaching customer base. Moreover, she has removed the separation that typically exists between a company and its managers, as she herself has become an extension of her business and the Fresh Productions brand. She has also parlayed her own unique identity into a quasi trademark that thousands of students, and her loyal Facebook / Twitter disciples, look to in order to get on the proverbial guest list at ‘tonight’s hot party’. She is a good example of the potential in student-backed businesses.

Here are a few words from SPB about Fresh Productions: “FRESH has been one of the largest student event planning, production & promotion companies in Montreal for the past ten years. We are the only university events company that also caters to local Montrealers, and for the past 3 years Seth Buchman and I have been hosting some of the biggest weekly events in the Montreal downtown area. Keeping our reputation strong with the promise to always deliver a banging party, we two best friends and business partners seem to run along yelling, T.G.I.F. (Thank God Its FRESH). Make sure to catch us weekly at Tokyo Thursdays or at our larger events, most recently the Kid Cudi concert at Time Supperclub. We work with the likes of Steve Aoki, DJ Klever, Barletta, Team Canada, Cobra Krames, Dj AM, LazRtag (LA), and Caroline D’Amore (LA Supermodel). Learn more and check us out at: Fresh Productions“. Make her your friend here.

Jordan’s Article in This Week’s Ottawa Business Journal

Click HERE or Logo for Article

Dan Shiff, a McGill B.Comm (1996) Graduate who worked most of his life on Wall Street at major firms including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley was unfortunately laid off during the recent financial crisis. Dan did what many newly terminated Wall Streeters did, he took a little time off and then hit the streets to find a job. Little did Dan know that his next job would be in a very different field with an ironic similarity.

“Dan started with YEP! Interactive in January of 2009, and is currently a Partner and Chief Capital Markets and Biz Dev Guy. What the heck does that mean? Well, to start, check out yepinteractive & yeprevenue. But from Dan’s perspective, YEP! has three businesses: 1) an affiliate network, 2) a social currency platform, and 3) a media platform. How did Dan become a Partner in 9 months? A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF DEDICATION, HARD WORK, and a little OCD, and MOST IMPORTANTLY….. his conviction and ability to call upon relationships that go back to when he started not only McGill, but every business card he has ever picked up. “I live by a few mottos. The first one is ‘Clients first, company second, and me third. The second is: ALWAYS (no matter what) UNDERPROMISE and OVERDELIVER. Finally, always keep up with your rolodex and NEVER be afraid to pick up the phone. If you are, take a step back and ask why.”

The affiliate network, YEP! Revenue, is just like a stock/bond trading floor, but instead of securities it trades “offers”, like beauty, diet, dating, financial, business opportunities, and mobile. Essentially all the display that advertisers need on the internet to secure real estate on the internet. That is where YEP! Revenue comes in. YEP! Revenue acts as a BROKER by putting advertisers together on a cost per action basis and earning a commission in the interim. YEP! Social is all things Twitter, Facebook, Video Games, and Virtual Worlds. If a user has the ability to use a credit card and spend money to “do premium things” in a virtual concept, YEP! Social can monetize that traffic. Finally, there has been some strong buzz about YEP! Media, and Wall Street is already talking, look out for big things to come.”

And Dan? He is nuts. He lives in Venice Beach, CA with his Bulldog Dr. Freud. Hit him up on Facebook or LinkedIn. I know he would love to hear from you. Oy ya, Dan is a hobby POV movie director/producer/editor (who knows where he gets the time!). Check out his latest film here about his most recent trip to Wall Street. Click here for his other film.

A few months ago I began hearing about WallStCheatSheet, currently the fastest growing financial media site on the web. Interested in learning more about their venture, I recently caught up with their CEO, Derek Hoffman, and asked why they launched their site and what has been the key to their success. Below is his response.

“We started our business after achieving an excellent track record (63% return versus a -48% return for the S&P) picking stocks on a blog through the bull market as well as the collapse. We watched good friends and family lose hard earned money while the financial media said, “Hang in there. Everything will be fine.” Well, it wasn’t.

We’ve stepped into a market where investors now demand responsible and objective reporting. Luckily for us, it has been like offering someone gas for $1 a few days after paying $4. Beyond that, they experience elation after reading our Premium Newsletter and finding both an entry AND exit strategy to help them properly take profits while cutting losses — something you won’t find on CNBC. We have assembled a veteran Board of Directors including Larry Kramer, the co-founder and former CEO of MarketWatch and Tracy Sigler, a former VP at Motley Fool. With their help, we are quickly staking our claim as the new media guys in finance rather than an enhanced version of the old [paragidm].”

My good friend, Kyle Brack, recently left his post at E&Y in Toronto to move to Boston where he is currently an MBA student at Harvard Business School. Although I speak to him quite regularly, I asked him to send me an article every few weeks on his experiences there, and below is his first submission titled “Getting my Bearings” – a SuperAngel Exclusive. Having completed my own MBA only 12 weeks ago, I really wanted to get a sense of what is the ‘Harvard difference’.

Part 1: “Getting my bearings” – I arrived at Harvard Business School (HBS) as a Canadian student a little unsure of what to expect, not to mention having never lived in the US before. The first week, before classes even started, was very busy as I was getting settled in my new apartment, learning my way around campus, and organizing the 200 or so cases that I would be studying throughout the first semester. Then of course came the numerous student organized social events, including a 500 person boat cruise and themed costume parties (who knew?). The night before the first day of classes, we got an email announcing our section placements. The section experience is one of the most important aspects at HBS, as we are divided into 10 sections of 90 students with whom we spend every day with for our entire first year. In my section (Section C!), we have 28 countries represented with some of the most talented and diverse individuals I have ever met. The section bonding continues outside the classroom and extends into nightly section social events, retreats, dinners and trips. With section mates, I have already traveled to Las Vegas, Colombia, and have plans for upcoming trips to India and Brazil.

For the 5 courses that we take during the first semester, my professors range from ex-CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to ex-Mossad agents (very cool). In addition, we have been fortunate enough to have weekly teleconferences with current international CEOs, and often find top executives actually sitting in on our classes and taking questions as we discuss case studies that they were involved with and which include the likes of Black and Decker, Zappos.com, Eden McCallum and Sun Microsystems.There are student clubs that cater to almost every professional and personal interest, of which I am a member of 6, and each one organizes speakers, conferences, social events and trips. It is truly an unforgettable and transformational experience with so many opportunities, the biggest problem I have it trying to fit them all in. Study, Social or Sleep…good thing I don’t need much sleep.

Part 2 to come: How HBS inspires the entrepreneurial spirit.

I recently asked David about his company, YourKloset.com, and his business model, below is his response.

“Who we are and what we are about can best be summed up in three words: fashion, style and lifestyle; while bringing to university students and young professionals (18 – 30 years old, male and female) the latest styles and trends from our global kloset. Established in May 2009, yourKloset.com is already an accredited media outlet. Its unique voice and refreshing approach to sharing information makes yourKloset.com a welcomed addition to the new media world. With a combination of industry professionals and style-driven students posting blogs daily, yourKloset.com aims to be the point of reference for elements of style, not force fed trends.”

Review: Montreal Fashion Week Update: Produced and presented by Sensation Mode, the semi-annual Montréal Fashion Week (MFW) is confirming as a rendez-vous of choice for national and international buyers. By generating the attention of leading networks, alternative environments and parallel circuits with id leading design framework, MFW has carved out a unique reputation for itself, appealing to prestigious buyers from all over the world. The 17th edition of Montréal Fashion Week showcased more than 20 great local, national and international designers introducing their Spring-Summer collections for 2010.

Enterprize Live: Starting Up Your New Venture is an interactive Q&A that will be streamed live to students, professors, entrepreneurs, and business professionals across Canada on October 24, 2009 at 1:00pm PST. Held in partnership with TechVibes, a technology blog community with over 50,000 members in Canada and the US, the webcast will feature three panelists, with specializations in serial entrepreneurship, web technology, and venture capital, fielding and discussing 30 second video questions about about all aspects of starting up a new venture from the audience.

The webcast will feature host SuperAngel.ca’s Harley Finkelstein and panelists discussing audience-submitted questions about entrepreneurship, web technology, and venture capital. Joining Finkelstein this week is Chide.it’s Aydin Mirzaee – an avid technologist and passionate entrepreneur. Mirzaee is a graduate of the Electrical Engineering & Management program at the University of Ottawa and has co-founded a number of companies in the tech sector.

Viewers are encouraged to submit their questions prior by midnight on October 23rd. The questions can be written or in video, and should be emailed to live@enterprizecanada.org. In the case of video, please upload video questions to YouTube and include a link to the video in your email – be sure to limit to 30 seconds.

Click LOGO at Top for Further Details or See Video.

Last week, Nathaniel Devine and Pablo Salzman unveiled their Weee product line that allows men to play soccer, hockey or football while they pee. The duo focused in on the concept last fall as the recession began, identifying the simple game as a powerful but affordable product for bars, restaurants, hotels and more. “At $7.99 most buy it on sight. Reaching their hundreds or thousands of customers with a memorable and talking point experience for under $20 is a no-brainer for any manager or owner” comments CEO Pablo Salzman. “Getting their clientele laughing, having fun and telling their friends is valuable stuff” adds COO Nathaniel Devine.

From TV celebrity chefs, to jazz bars, to Irish pubs, to pro sports teams everybody is getting in on the fun. Several high end corporate offices have also caught on to The Weee and are offering male employees a chance to de-stress during the busy day with the game. “R&D is working hard on developing a product for the female workforce.” jokes operations chief Nathaniel Devine. The Weee’s, impressive digital presence allows fans and the growing following of self accredited professional urinal gamers to share tactics, add pictures and tales from the field, watch some of The Weee’s own short video bits, or follow breaking news on a blog. “It’s remarkable to see. The word of mouth and the wow factors inherent with The Weee games are making it spread really quickly.” adds Salzman. “Every day of our lives is so special, laughing a little more, enjoying the little things in life a little more is so important …. we feel The Weee can play a small part in making a ton of guys laugh a lot more everyday ” concludes Devine. For more information visit TheWeee.com

A few days ago I received a press release that Yogavive was being featured on the health foods segment of Good Morning America. Impressed as I was, I emailed one of my best friends and fellow entrepreneur Michael Blicher to see how he accomplished this, below is his response.

MB: “I got Yogavive products featured on Good Morning America with the help of superior PR services. We engaged a PR firm in LA who has particular press contacts around the country, albeit at a premium. We were exhibiting at the Natural Products Expo East in Boston at the end of September and our PR firm reached out to a plethora of media outlets to come review our brand at the show. The team who was doing the Healthy Living segment from ABC’s GMA came by our booth at the show to discuss our products – USDA organic ‘popped’ apple chips available in 5 flavors – Yogachips – and they decided to feature them based on the fact that our products have no added sugar. It was a common scenario of being at the right place at the right time, and we fit the bill perfectly. Moreover, the combination of a superior product that speaks to the market and the right voice to get the word out to the public got us featured on GMA”.