Innovation meets Opportunity with Futurpreneur’s new Rock My Business series

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Futurpreneur Canada recently announced the launch of the RBC Rock My Business Start-Up Awards, eight awards of $10,000 each given annually to diverse, young, aspiring entrepreneurs who participate in Futurpreneur’s newly expanded, three-part digital workshop series Rock My Business, and then develop and submit a completed business plan and cash flow statement.

Starting in 2017, the quarterly Rock My Business workshop series has been funded by RBC Foundation, in support of RBC Future Launch (the bank’s $500 million commitment to empower Canadian youth for the jobs of tomorrow). Since then, it has equipped more than 1,800 young, aspiring entrepreneurs from across Canada with the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to launch a business, enabling them to work toward developing a launch-ready business plan and realistic cash flow statement, guided by Futurpreneur’s expert business advisors.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Futurpreneur pivoted to continue supporting aspiring entrepreneurs by reworking the in-person workshops into a digital offering, allowing for greater national participation.

To apply for an RBC Rock My Business Start-Up Award, participants who attend both the Rock My Business Plan and Rock My Cash Flow workshops before the end of March 2021 will need to prepare, refine and submit their completed business plans and cash flow statements by the end of May 2021. The winners will be announced in June 2021.

To know more about Rock My Business Series, we had a chat  with  Karen Greve Young, CEO of Futurpreneur Canada.

Karen Greve Young is the Chief Executive Officer of Futurpreneur Canada, Canada’s only national organization dedicated to supporting young entrepreneurs. Futurpreneur’s unique model combines funding, mentorship and start-up programs to fuel the success of thousands of young entrepreneurs in every Canadian province and territory.

Karen is an accomplished non-profit leader dedicated to fostering inclusive economic and social prosperity through new approaches and partnerships.

Prior to joining Futurpreneur in 2018, Karen was the Vice President, Corporate Development & Partnerships at MaRS Discovery District, a global innovation hub based in Toronto. During her seven-year tenure, Karen led corporate strategy development, implementation and measurement, managed a global network of innovation partners and oversaw community engagement including marketing, communications and events.