An industry-funded group that supports innovation in Squamish's knowledge-based industry is inviting non-profit groups that serve the Sea to Sky Corridor to imagine innovative ways to increase their impact on their community.
Members of the industry group - Inside Edge - and the public are invited to a meeting next week to learn more about the Innovation Challenge. The meeting will take place next Thursday (June 23) at 7 p.m at the Squamish Adventure Centre.
At the end of the Innovation Challenge, members of Inside Edge will choose one project and afterward, will donate their time to help make the project a reality, organizers said in a statement.
The two criteria for the qualifying project are that it must be innovative and it must provide benefit to the community. Examples include developing a business plan to create a local co-operative for bio-diesel distribution; developing a smartphone trail management application; or developing a mentorship program to help local at-risk youth start a successful business of their own.
"The value of the time, expertise and resources that Inside Edge members will contribute during the Innovation Challenge could easily top $25,000 or $30,000," Christine Bennett, business co-ordinator of the Inside Edge Innovation Challenge, said in a statement.
"We are a small, tight-knit community, and we care about our neighbours. Local non-profit organizations play a critical role in making our community what it is today. The outcome of the Innovation Challenge will provide significant support to a local non-profit organization contributing value to our community."
James Morris, an Inside Edge board member, on Wednesday (June 15) said organizers are looking at a tentative application submission deadline of Aug. 1, after which they will select a final three that will be presented in a "Dragon's Den"-style event, most likely in September. A final decision should take place in October, he said.
