VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jan 31, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Six months out of BCIC’s entrepreneurship@UVic program, a business
accelerator program supported by federal and provincial partners, a
Victoria-based startup called YUPIQ is already finding success. Late
last year, the company announced a partnership with prairieFyre
Software, a global leader in delivering business communication
solutions for enterprise telephony, call center and business process
automation.

YUPIQ offers a suite of social media tools to help companies engage
online customers and increase sales. Through integration with
Facebook, Twitter and more, YUPIQ will work with prairieFyre to make
it possible for contact centre agents to manage their company’s
social media presence and respond to customers directly using social
media.

“Supporting new graduates and young entrepreneurs in their endeavors
is crucial to building a competitive business climate and jobs for
the future,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for
Western Economic Diversification. “Our Government is proud of the
entrepreneurial ambitions of dynamic emerging companies like YUPIQ,
who will undoubtedly make an important contribution to the economy of
tomorrow.”

prairieFyre, with headquarters in Ottawa, Ont., has more than 7,000
customers in 60 countries worldwide. The company is already testing
integration with YUPIQ in international markets including the UK,
Australia and North America, increasing the young, innovative
company’s credibility.

“YUPIQ is a perfect example of why our BC Jobs Plan has identified
high-tech as one of our province’s eight key sectors we can nurture
to support job creation by tapping into growing markets around the
world,” said Moira Stilwell, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry,
Research and Innovation. “In just a few months since finishing the
entrepreneurship@UVic program, YUPIQ has doubled its staff from four
to eight – with great potential for more jobs to come through this
partnership with prairieFyre.”

YUPIQ’s entry into the worldwide communications software business is
only the beginning. The startup recently finished working with
Canadian recording artist Jann Arden to manage the online promotion
of her new book ‘Falling Backwards.’ Given a goal of engaging her fan
base to share the first chapter of her book through Facebook and
Twitter, the campaign reached more than double its target on the
first day and achieved 24 times higher than normal engagement for a
community of Jann Arden’s size. YUPIQ’s success has opened the door
to work with other internationally recognized performers from Canada
and the United States.

“The entrepreneurship@UVic program has been instrumental in helping
us get to where we are today,” said Will Fraser, Marketing Director
at YUPIQ. “We are pleased to be the first example of success stemming
from this program, none of which would have been possible without all
the working parts from the leadership, training, office space and
solid leadership provided by our advisors at the Alacrity
Foundation.”

entrepreneurship@UVic, developed by the BC Innovation Council (BCIC)
in partnership with the University of Victoria, premier investment
group Wesley Clover and the Alacrity Foundation, with support from
Western Economic Diversification Canada in 2009, offers engineering
graduates specialized entrepreneurship training, guidance and
mentorship as they develop their own companies. YUPIQ is the first
fully formed company to emerge from the two year program. Currently
there are another two teams in various stages of the program.

For more information, visit:

http://alacrityfoundation.com/canada/programs

entrepreneurship@UVic is now one of six entrepreneurship@ programs
created by BCIC to launch and grow new, sustainable technology
companies in BC. Other entrepreneurship@ programs are currently in
operation at Accelerate Okanagan (AO), The Alacrity Foundation, SFU,
UBC and Wavefront.

About Western Economic Diversification Canada

Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces,
industry associations and communities to promote the development and
diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic
activities in the West and advances the interests of western
Canadians in national decision making. For more information about WD,
please visit
www.wd.gc.ca .

About YUPIQ

YUPIQ provides a suite of tools to help companies find and engage
their customer through social media. With a focus on honest brand
advocacy, increasing sales through social media and tracking the
results, YUPIQ is dedicated to helping companies achieve real
business value from social media.

About BCIC

The BC Innovation Council develops entrepreneurial talent and
commercializes technology. BCIC focuses on competitively positioning
British Columbia in today’s global knowledge economy in order to
provide significant employment opportunities and a high standard of
living for British Columbians. BCIC is a Crown Agency of the Province
of British Columbia. For more information visit
www.bcic.ca or
Twitter.

About the Alacrity Foundation

The Alacrity Foundation Graduate Entrepreneurship Training Programs
have been designed to teach promising young engineering and business
graduates how to build successful technology companies. The program
is designed to provide the graduates with industry experience, by
being assigned to projects that form an opportunity to work with a
real technology product. The Foundation facilitates industry sponsors
to bring known problems from the marketplace to the project teams,
who then design products to solve these real-world business issues.
If successful, the project team will have created an opportunity to
start a commercial relationship with the industry sponsor. Together
they will form a new technology company and in doing so, give the
graduates an incredible head start to their entrepreneurial future.

About prairieFyre

prairieFyre Software Inc. is a Microsoft(R) Gold Certified Partner
developing .NET-based telecommunications products including contact
center, call accounting, and customer relationship management
solutions. These products are built on Microsoft best practices for
software design and Mitel and Microsoft’s portfolios of leading
telephony platforms and technologies. prairieFyre brings integrity,
innovative minds, and leading-edge technology to the development
process and is committed to delivering dynamic Internet-based
software solutions to customers. For more information, visit

www.prairiefyre.com .

        
        Contacts:
        Western Economic Diversification Canada
        Jaime Burke
        Regional Communications Manager
        604-666-1318
 
www.wd.gc.ca            
        BCIC
        Lindsay Thom
        Media Manager
        604-602-5249
 
www.bcic.ca            
        
        

SOURCE: British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC) and Western Economic Diversification Canada

http://www.wd.gc.ca


http://www.bcic.ca

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/entrepreneurship-program-catalyst-for-bc-startups-success-2012-01-31

Fashion designer Tory Burch took center stage at the Raytheon Theater at Northeastern University earlier this afternoon to chat with a room brimming with budding entrepreneurs. The Philadelphia native was invited to serve on the board of Startup America Partnership, with much credit to her efforts through her namesake foundation, The Tory Burch Foundation, and fashion and accessories label, Tory Burch LLC, for which she currently serves at CEO and CCO.

Since Burch’s foundation and the theme of the day is to share the tools of knowledge and financial support with the next generation of business-savvy savants, we asked for a few words of advice for our readers.

So Startup America seems to be an ideal fit for you and your foundation.
It’s a great fit, and it wasn’t much of a decision for me after just seeing what exciting things they were doing.

Is there anything you wish you knew going into the business?
Just how hard it would be. I think that it is hard and I often talk to entrepreneurs about that. I tell them to know that it’s going to be fulfilling and exciting but also know that it’s going to be a tremendous amount of work. You need to be super passionate and super focused. Also, you need to have a unique idea.

As someone with a strong brand, what advice do you have for these young entrepreneurs when it comes to developing what their brand will be and stand for?
I don’t think mine was started from the very moment from what I started about it. I think it’s a lot of trial and error and being flexible enough to move on for when it’s not working.

What are the next steps for the Tory Burch Foundation?
I think we’re just starting, just like a company. We still have so much to do. The more women we can help in business the better.

Are there any great young start-up ideas that you’re very excited about?
I just met with eight here [at the event] today that sound like they all have legs. These girls are bright, tenacious and sound like they really want to build great companies.

Since you’ve arrived in Boston, do you think you have a good sense of the city?
Well I’ve been to Boston many times. I love Boston.

But do you think we’re stylish?
I think Boston has its own style, it reminds me of Philadelphia in a way. It’s slanted a bit more conservative but it has other elements as well. It’s such a great young college town.

What rule do you think all businesses — start-up or not — should follow?
Always be transparent.

In terms of being transparent, you have a very socially and social media active business. Do you think any young businesses run into any pitfalls when pursuing these fields?
Probably all the time! [Laughs] I think social media is something everyone is always learning and we’re learning as we go as well. We’re very interested in being in the forefront of social media in general. Moving into China, for instance, Sina Weibo (China’s microblogging answer to Twitter and Facebook) is something we’re interested in. Twitter is something I personally do myself, but Facebook is something our team works on. It’s a fine balance of what you can say on Twitter but I think authenticity is really what it’s all about in social media.

[Top image courtesy of Tory Burch]

Article source: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/stylephile/2012/01/tory_burch_entrepreneurship_at_northeastern_university.html

In June 2005, YouthBridge and the Skandalaris Center each pledged $500,000 to fund a five-year initiative to develop a program to stimulate social entrepreneurship. The program, then called the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition, was an opportunity for nonprofits to learn business skills, collaborate, receive feedback and compete annually for more than $100,000 in awards.

In August 2009, YouthBridge renewed its partnership with the Skandalaris Center and pledged to fund the annual YouthBridge SEIC on an ongoing basis.

The YouthBridge SEIC is unique in St. Louis, and in terms of monetary awards, is one of the largest competitions of its kind in the United States.

Since its inception in 2005, the competition has awarded more than $732,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to 28 social ventures, including an annual $5,000 prize to the best student-founded or supported team.

Additional sponsors of the Skandalaris Center are the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association; St. Louis Commerce Magazine; RubinBrown LLP; Polsinelli Shughart PC; and Lopata Flegel Company LLP.

Article source: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23344.aspx

CHICAGO, Jan 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Akoo International Inc., a media and technology innovator, today
announced that Niko Drakoulis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has
been named to the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame by the Institute for
Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The
prestigious award recognizes innovators and business leaders in the
Chicago area who have demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit by
founding and growing their respective businesses.

Drakoulis is an accomplished executive leader, successful serial
entrepreneur, five-time patent holder, and investor who has raised more
than $95 million during his career to found and lead innovative,
high-growth companies at the forefront of media and technology.

Most recently, as founder and CEO of Akoo International, Drakoulis has
transformed his vision into an interactive technology that has been
recognized for its innovative nature and awarded patents in major global
markets, including the United States, China, and Japan. The interactive
technology first envisioned by Drakoulis currently powers Akoo
International’s flagship out-of-home television network, AkooTV, rated
by the Nielsen Co. as the largest audience of any out-of-home television
network in the U.S.

As of January 2012, AkooTV is available in 165 Akoo Pavilions, which
attract 64 million consumers each month in the most highly trafficked
seating environments across the nation’s premier shopping malls. In
addition to making on-demand content selections on AkooTV with their
mobile devices — via free mobile app or text messaging — Akoo Pavilion
visitors can connect with friends via Facebook and Twitter, download
mobile coupons, and participate in special promotions during an average
20 minutes of seated dwell time. As a result, an on-demand consumer
transaction occurs on the network every four seconds.

Recognized for his leadership and growth of Akoo, Drakoulis has been
honored by the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) as a CEO of the
Year nominee and finalist for two consecutive years, in 2010 and 2011.
He has also been recognized as a global change maker by Northwestern
University’s Kellogg School of Management as a delegate to the Kellogg
Innovation Network in 2010.

Prior to founding Akoo International, Drakoulis founded and led a
Chicago-based technology company that was awarded multiple patents for
its proprietary technology. There he led the successful
commercialization of a consumer digital music product; a proprietary RF
wireless technology for home entertainment applications; and an online
interactive technology for end-user personalization of Internet radio
and digital music. For his pioneering efforts, he was named one of the
“50 Hottest People in Streaming” in 2001 by leading industry publication Streaming
Magazine. He sold his interest in the company to a shareholder group
in 2001.

Drakoulis began his career in the wireless industry at the dawn of the
mobile era. He built one of the most successful consumer retail and
business-to-business distribution networks for Ameritech Mobile
Communications, becoming one of the Top 15 dealers in the Midwest and
serving on Ameritech’s prestigious Dealer’s Council, the youngest board
member ever to serve in this capacity. Drakoulis honed his business and
technical skills at a young age, working at local ethnic media companies
owned by his grandfather, Peter Koutsopanagos, which included
television, radio, print and cinema.

Drakoulis will be inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in
February and recognized during the annual Hall of Fame Dinner on March
15 at the Chicago Hilton.

About Akoo International Inc.

Akoo
International Inc. is a global media and technology innovator. The
Company’s flagship television network, AkooTV,
integrates television, mobile, social, and local retail to deliver the
most magnetic and rewarding consumer entertainment experiences. AkooTV
is rated by Nielsen as the largest average minute audience of any
out-of-home television network (reporting age 12+) and is available
throughout the U.S. in 165 Akoo Pavilions, the most highly trafficked
seating environments across the nation’s premier shopping malls. Each
month, 64 million consumers visit Akoo Pavilions and spend an average 20
minutes seated in front of the network’s entertainment programming.

To maximize engagement, Akoo’s proprietary interactive technology
enables viewers to make on-demand content requests, connect with friends
via Facebook and Twitter, and access mobile coupons and exclusive
special offers via their mobile devices and tablets. As a result, Akoo
drives unmatched marketing effectiveness and ROI for the world’s leading
brand advertisers.

SOURCE: Akoo International Inc.

        
        Akoo International Inc. 
        Andy Stankiewicz, 847.737.4570 
        andy@akoo.com
        

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/akoo-international-ceo-niko-drakoulis-named-to-the-university-of-illinois-entrpreneurship-hall-of-fame-2012-01-30

It has been widely accepted that investment in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) is vital if the UAE, and the Gulf in general, wants to increase the number of nationals working in the private sector.

Achieving that goal requires the development of a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation as well as investment in infrastructure. While this may seem an inopportune time to be learning lessons from the once widely-admired European model, given the current economic crisis inside the EU, a way forward is perhaps suggested by the burgeoning social enterprise sector in the UK and elsewhere. These countries are neatly fusing entrepreneurial zeal and innovative thinking with a social conscience.

Social enterprises can be characterised as businesses that serve some social function (be it working with disadvantaged communities or people, improving health or dealing with environmental issues). While on the surface they share much in common with charities, as with traditional businesses they aim to make a profit through their activities.

Social entrepreneurship is not only an ideal focus of SME development. There are three other key areas where social entrepreneurism should be considered fully as adding value to an economy, such as with the UAE, in the growth and development stage. The first is the ongoing attempt to diversify the economy, as outlined in the various government initiatives, including Plan Abu Dhabi 2030. In a 2007 survey, it was estimated there were 62,00 social enterprises in the UK contributing £24 billion (Dh138.21bn) to the economy and employing 800,000 people. Median turnover for those businesses was £240,000.

Social enterprise can also contribute to reducing the percentage of the workforce in public-sector employment. The large disparity between the proportion of the local population employed in the public sector and the private sector is economically unsustainable. Gulf governments, including in the UAE, have long worked for the nationalisation of the jobs market, to varying degrees of success. For local economies to remain stable in the long-term, and mitigate the socio-economic challenges that accompany economic success, governments have realised the need to ultimately cut the size of the public sector, and at the same time, provide job opportunities where locals can flourish and be productive.

In the UK there have been a large number of services moved out of public sector ownership that are now run as for-profit social enterprises. These include a health provider that moved from the National Health Service and is now responsible for half a million people in northern England, providing a range of primary health services. Another such is a thriving sports management service that runs more than 100 leisure centres across the country. It started life as a failing local authority service. Furthermore, data from the UK shows social enterprises employ more people relative to turnover than other small businesses and so could have a disproportionately large impact on creating jobs than their numbers would indicate.

Finally, both research and experience show social enterprise provides opportunities for creating opportunities for female citizens. In the UAE, this constituency is both willing and able to play a role in the development of the economy and the renationalisation of the home workforce. All the more so as Emirati women are at least as well educated as men and make up a larger proportion of recent university graduates. But they still find it difficult to break into traditional sectors of the economy. Today, an estimated 69 per cent of all university graduates are female, but only 12 per cent of the workforce consists of women. Social enterprise offers a viable way of addressing this deficit because it builds on traditional female roles in education and medicine but does so by adopting a private-sector approach that could result in a new class of female social entrepreneurs. It is striking to note among UK social enterprises, 86 per cent of leadership teams include at least one female director.

To capitalise on these opportunities, the UAE should provide students (male and female) with the social entrepreneurship skills to set up their own businesses as an alternative to becoming public employees. Education is an important component required to enable a seamless transition.

A recent study into entrepreneurs and business owners in UAE showed higher education correlated with the likelihood of starting up a business. Many of those same practical skills required for success in any private venture – basic accountancy, business law, basic economics, marketing and advertising – are also vital for social enterprise.

The creation and development of an active social entrepreneurship sector in the UAE will be gradual and take a number of years to achieve. However, it is a sector where almost all those employed will be nationals and if done properly will provide real potential to generate jobs and increase productivity.

At the same time, it will help reduce the size of the public sector, while reinforcing both a community spirit and national identity within the population. Although not offering a panacea to problems of employment and diversifying the economy, exploring social entrepreneurship does seem to offer a number of solutions that have been proven to work elsewhere. They may well, therefore, play an important role in addressing these challenges in the Gulf.

Professor Rory Miller is the director of Middle East and Mediterranean studies at King’s College in London, Mark Napier is the managing director of the UK’s Centre for Public Innovation, and Ghanem Nuseibeh is the founder of Cornerstone Global Associates in London

Article source: http://www.albawaba.com/uae-can-learn-how-little-goes-long-way-411007

Amid political wrangling over how to meet low-income Americans’ growing need for social services, social entrepreneurs like Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver are creating their own solutions.

In response to increased demand for affordable housing, the group is expanding its services beyond the construction of single-family homes to help revitalize entire neighborhoods.

That effort begins here this year with the launch of Habitat of Metro Denver’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative to help existing homeowners maintain and repair their homes.

It’s always been part of Habitat’s mission statement that affordable housing benefits entire communities — not just individual homeowners. Affordable homes attract

jobs and support local businesses. Residents who work and live in their neighborhoods also reduce carbon footprints from commuting, while children perform better in school (and adults in jobs) with the stability of home ownership.

So far, Habitat of Metro Denver’s emphasis has been on new home construction: It recruits volunteers to build houses, then acts as mortgage lender so low-income families can purchase the homes with zero-interest loans. Recipients also contribute 250 hours of sweat equity to help build their homes.

“It’s taken us 30 years to get to a place where we’re selling about 40 homes a year to families,” says Heather Lafferty, CEO and executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. “It’s challenging to continue to grow at the level the need is growing.”

Similar to new homeowners, existing homeowners helped through Habitat of Metro Denver’s neighborhood revitalization initiative will make reasonable financial and sweat equity commitments. “We believe that when you provide somebody a hand up versus a handout, the long-term effect is going to be much greater,” Lafferty says.

Rather than trying to fix everything for every family, the group is focusing on specific ways to improve homes — like roof repairs, weatherization, painting and landscaping — and building core competencies in those areas.

Social entrepreneurs “are both visionaries and ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else,” says Ashoka, an organization which invests in ideas for social change.

Rather than cutting services as need grows, Habitat of Metro Denver is finding new ways to increase affordable-housing stock, including buying and rehabbing foreclosed homes.

The group is also taking advantage of lower real estate prices to purchase larger parcels of land for multi-family homes. Habitat of Metro Denver completed its first townhome project, the 24-unit Bails Townhome Community, in 2011.

Today, the group has three years of land in inventory, with plans to build 50 percent or more of future projects as townhomes to help the maximum number of people.

Focusing on the need for affordable housing motivates Habitat of Metro Denver to be innovative in finding ways to serve that need. That flexibility is a missing component of too many government solutions that fund one social program at the expense of another, or worse — hold funding hostage over unrelated political agendas.

While the need for new homes is increasing, many families are also struggling for the first time to maintain their existing homes, says Lafferty.

Habitat of Metro Denver’s neighborhood revitalization initiative will begin in Globeville, where nearly a quarter of residents are below the poverty level. The group is rehabbing 11 townhomes in Globeville for occupancy this spring, and plans to build 16 additional townhomes nearby.

The Metro Denver affiliate is intentionally choosing neighborhoods where it already has a presence, Lafferty says. Globeville was also chosen for its high owner-occupancy rate, near 55 percent, and strong neighborhood pride.

Based on feedback from Globeville’s Civic Associations, Habitat of Metro Denver will focus first on helping owner-occupied homes. “One of our commitments is really to dig into the neighborhood that we’re working with and become true partners,” Lafferty says. “That takes a lot more time and a lot more of an investment.”

That investment includes a $300,000 grant from Wells Fargo to help develop the neighborhood revitalization initiative. The group piloted its program last July, sending 100 volunteers to Globeville to repair neighborhood homes. Those hands-on experiences helped craft the long-term initiative.

Existing home repairs provide different challenges than new construction, including less predictability and more liability — issues Habitat will address before transitioning to actual ground work in the second half of 2012.

“We really want to be thoughtful and intentional to make sure that we develop the best program possible,” Lafferty says.

Habitat’s strong focus on its mission is the key to its success as a social entrepreneur. Just as business entrepreneurs use passion, innovation and creativity to create new industries, social entrepreneurs use those talents to create large-scale solutions to social problems.

Social entrepreneurs don’t necessarily earn income — rather, they marshal resources needed to support their work, says Duke University Professor J. Gregory Dees, who teaches social entrepreneurship.

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver mobilizes the resource of volunteers to build and improve homes. The group utilizes other resources too: Unused building materials are used to frame windows and doors for future homes, while a metal salvage business recycles scraps and generates income.

Earning income is socially entrepreneurial only if it achieves a social purpose beyond making money, says Dees. That’s certainly the case with Habitat of Metro Denver’s three ReStores home improvement outlets, which resell donated appliances, furniture and building materials.

The outlets further expand Habitat’s mission by enabling more people to improve their homes affordably. ReStores also fund 95-100 percent of the group’s administrative expenses — and keep about five tons of material from the landfill each week

“We need to be nimble so we can continue to achieve a world where everyone has a decent, affordable place to live.” Lafferty says. “It’s a simple statement with incredibly bold, audacious work behind it.”

Habitat’s entrepreneurial focus on creating capacity to adapt to changing needs is a model many programs should consider as Americans’ need for social services continues to grow.

Sometimes, it takes a neighborhood to make a community thrive.

Lisa Wirthman is a freelance writer living in Highlands Ranch. She can be reached at lisawirthman@yahoo.com.

---

Globeville by the numbers

Tremendous civic pride and a high owner-occupancy rate are reasons why Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver picked Globeville for the launch of its new Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

Owner occupied homes: About 55%

Homes built in 1939 or earlier: Over 45%

Average estimated value of detached houses (2009): $232,600

Median household income (2009): $37,597

Percentage of population below poverty level: 22.7%

Median age: 28.1 (almost 35 percent of the population is under 19)

Total foreclosure filings (2009): 42

RACE/ETHNICITY (2010):

Latino: 67.83%

Non-Latino white: 25.77%

African-American: 3.04%

Native American: 0.98%

Asian/Pacific Islander: 0.73%

CRIME RATE PER 1,000 PERSONS (2007)

Globeville: 288.3

Denver: 68.62

Sources: Denver Department of Planning Community Development, The Piton Foundation, city-data.com.

Article source: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19830827