Lack of education, resources, and connections can stand in the way of launching a new start-up. Here’s how NEXT Canada helps.
You’re young, ambitious, and have a great idea for a start-up. But you’re not quite sure how to launch.
An entrepreneurial development program may be just what you need. Next 36 is a founder development program offered by NEXT, a Toronto-based Canadian network made up of top Canadian academics, entrepreneurs, investors, and founders. Next 36 focuses on growing young Canadians by teaching them the core skills and strategies needed to build a successful business.
The Next 36 program provides access to education, mentorship, funding, and a 750+ member alumni community to help young entrepreneurs accelerate the process of getting their ideas to market and discover what’s possible for themselves and their businesses.
Helping entrepreneurs thrive with start-ups and beyond
Each year Next 36 accepts undergrads, master’s students, and recent grads from across Canada in any academic discipline who show promise as an entrepreneur. Rayhan Memon of Toronto, Ontario, was one of this year’s selected few.
His idea was to develop a virtual recording studio to simplify the process and lower the cost of turning any e-book into an audiobook, something he had tried a few years earlier but found too costly. “It was a bit of an attempt to scratch my own itch,” says Memon.
Memon describes the Next 36 experience as invaluable. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity,” he says. “They are invested in who you are, your entrepreneurial track record, and train you up with skills and resources that can help you thrive, not just with your start-up business, but in your life as an entrepreneur afterwards,” says Memon.
“My biggest takeaway was that your job as a founder is less that of a visionary thinker with all the answers than that of a scientist with a problem to solve, and NEXT shows you how to do that very effectively,” says Memon.
In addition to high-calibre educational content and mentorship opportunities, NEXT connects participants with Next 36 alumni and other high performers within the Canadian tech community. “This is really important because it’s those people you can learn the most from,” says Memon.” And when participants are ready to accelerate their venture, NEXT provides access to a robust network of funding partners and investors.
How Next 36 may be the answer for you
If you have big entrepreneurial dreams but need some extra support, the Next 36 program can be a worthwhile investment. Next 36 alumni like Memon are launching ventures that seek to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our population and helping to raise the profile of the Canadian tech system around the world. You could be one of them.
Whether you have an early-stage venture that you want to take to the next level or want to start a new company, the Next 36 program can help. Even a basic idea may be more tangible than you think, and worth looking into.
To learn more, please visit: nextcanada.com/next-36/ or apply at: next36-2022.paperform.co/.
