The evolution of the Quartier de l’innovation’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

In light of the 2008 financial crisis, fostering entrepreneurship has increasingly moved toward the forefront of economic development and city planning. Beyond acting as an important driver of innovation, employment, and productivity growth, entrepreneurship has also been hailed by some as filling the void between wages and living standards. But when we turn to examples of spontaneous entrepreneurial successes in Silicon Valley, is there a specific set of conditions under which these start-ups thrive and attract venture capital? What exactly is it about the environment that predestines such ventures to success?

... For example, SchedulingDirect, an interactive, employee scheduling platform for businesses in the retail, food, and hospitality industries, was born out of McGill’s Dobson Cup Start-Up Competition and among the first of this community to use the CEIM facilities.

“It was useful to speak with different mentors at the CEIM since they had specific expertise on different aspects of our business and were able to give actionable insights,” Brian Luong, SchedulingDirect co-founder and McGill alumnus, said in an email. “We encourage all aspiring entrepreneurs from the McGill community to consider CEIM and all of its resources to help grow their ventures.”

Read full article: McGill Reporter