Wednesday July 10, 2019 – The sixth annual Summer Company-Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day took place today at Staples Thunder Bay. The tradeshow showcased this year’s participants of Summer Company – Ontario’s flagship youth entrepreneurship program which is administered through the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre every summer. The program is designed to help enterprising students between the ages of 15 and 29 start and run their own businesses over the summer months. This year, there are nine students taking part in Summer Company.

“The students benefit from the education, experience and mentoring provided by Summer Company,” said Ryan Moore, Development Officer for the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and Coordinator of the Entrepreneur Centre (EC). “Many Summer Company participants use their new found skills from this program to develop into full-time entrepreneurs.”

The annual event first started in Thunder Bay, in 2014, but is now a province-wide initiative between Staples Canada and Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBECs) across Ontario. Staples Manager Pasquale Coccimiglio says, “The Staples culture is to support and promote entrepreneurship.  The Entrepreneur Centre shares our passion for building and cultivating entrepreneurship and preparing youth for a successful future while encouraging the importance of education.” 

Each summer the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC) administers the Summer Company program which is an Ontario Government initiative for youth entrepreneurship and employment. The program is designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in students 15 to 29 years of age who are returning to school in the fall. In place of a summer job, students have the opportunity to be their own boss.

Summer Company is a grant program funded by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade through the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC). The program is designed to assist enterprising young people while continuing their education.

“Summer Company offers students an opportunity to realize their dreams,” said Bill Mauro, City of Thunder Bay Mayor. “These students have taken on the task of getting a business up and running and to make it profitable within a few short months. This experience will help them become our future entrepreneurs.”

Summer Company applicants can earn up to $1,500 to assist with their business start-up costs and up to an additional $1,500 in the fall for completing the program. Each business owner is required to comply with provincial regulations for Small Business. Mentoring by the Thunder

Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC) is ongoing throughout the program.

More information about this program can be obtained at: www.ontario.ca/summercompany or by contacting the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC) by email at rmoore@thunderbay.ca or by telephone at 625-3960

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Contact: Ryan Moore, Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC), 807-625-3960 or rmoore@thunderbay.ca

About CEDC: The CEDC is responsible for business development, retention and expansion, entrepreneurial support, opportunity promotion, and the collection and assessment of key business data. The CEDC receives formal proposals for projects that will contribute to economic development. It responds quickly to new opportunities and initiatives to attract direct financial involvement from the government and private sectors. For more information, visit www.ThunderBayCEDC.ca.

About Staples: Staples makes it easy to make more happen with more products and more ways to shop. Through its world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples lets customers shop however and whenever they want, whether it’s in-store, online or on mobile devices. Staples offers more products than ever, such as technology, facilities and breakroom supplies, furniture, safety supplies, medical supplies, and Copy and Print services. Headquartered outside of Boston in the United States with offices in Toronto, Canada, Staples operates throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.  More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com and www.staples.ca. 

About the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC): The Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre is funded through a partnership between the Province of Ontario and the City of Thunder Bay. We exist to offer free and confidential small business counselling services to both new and existing small businesses. Our services vary from providing information on various business topics to one-on-one consultation with a Small Business Counsellor.

About Summer Company: Summer Company provides hands-on business training and mentoring, and up to $3,000 in awards to help students (aged 15 to 29) start and run their own summer businesses. Participants also keep all profits generated by their business. 

To learn more, visit www.ontario.ca/summercompany.