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OKGo - 6 Amazing Entrepreneurial Stories

We are happy to share the final long form video, showcasing these 6 amazing entrepreneurial stories and how connected the region is across industries, governments, and post-secondary institutions. Through their business stories, ambassadors highlight the economic impact of their respective sectors in the community, the region’s supportive business environment, and the economic prosperity of the Central Okanagan. View the stories OKGO - Industry Ambassadors - YouTube

 

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Virtual Reality Arcade Opens

- Castanet | Story: 417837

Gaming is levelling up in Kelowna with Virtual Rcades, where old school arcade-style gaming meets the future through the use of modern VR technology and motion simulators.

Co-owners and brothers Kyle and Michael Markus grew up in Kelowna, and believe the city has long been missing a modern arcade.

“You don’t really see a lot of virtual reality mixed with motion simulators in North America, so we decided we would make an entire facility dedicated purely to not just giving you the visuals, but putting you on a physical ride," said Michael.

"So you don’t necessarily have to be a gamer to understand these things, you just hop on a ride, put on your headset and away you are off into your own world.”

The 3,500-square-foot facility has 32 different simulators with tons of different games to choose from, all of which make you feel like you’re right there in the moment.

"We’ve got at least 100 different visuals that you can be experiencing at any time," continued Michael.

"You could be on a race car racing with your friends, you could be on a jet plane like this one here racing in the sky, roller coasters, and yeah, pretty much anything you can imagine, you can come experience here at the arcade.”

The arcade comes with six different gaming categories, including racing, sports, flight, adventure, theme park and cinema.

The owners say is great for the kids, but also makes for quite the romantic night out.

“We realized there’s a great market for people looking to go out for a date night, and you know, not a lot of people have enough money to go across the world to fly over Egypt or fly over the Great Wall," added Michael.

"You and your partner can sit down on a hot air balloon and fly up in the air and experience the same ride at the same time … It’s not just for kids, it’s for everybody.”

Virtual Rcades at 1698 Findlay Road in Rutland is holding a grand opening weekend on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26. Entrance starts at $40.

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Okanagan food suppliers make the pitch for 'buy local'

Growing local food market

- Castanet | Story: 413775

The Micro Food Expo took place in Kelowna Tuesday, connecting local food producers with local buyers.

Close to 60 food producers took part in the event, ready to build relationships with restaurants, retailers and consumers.

"It’s been high quality engagement. Specifically for me as a food producer, these are exactly the types of clients that I’m interested in connecting with, so we’ve had Okanagan College, UBCO, a bunch of different wineries and private chefs,” said event organizer Martin Rivard.

The pandemic and now inflation has put the squeeze on many local producers, making for a challenging past few years.

"People are cutting back more and more and food has gone up," said Myrna Selzler of Myrna's Foods.

"Transportation costs have gone up dramatically, and that’s really impacted us as vendors and suppliers… That’s a big component of our expenses, is getting food to market. So if people can buy local, we can deliver it… So, save on transportation, save on distribution fees, and support local people.”

While shopping local may cost a little more money, local producers agree there’s more to shopping local than just the price point.

“I think the stronger the eco-system that we can foster as a community, the better off we are. Like, yes, when it comes to a price perspective, working with small local producers will likely be more expensive, but there’s an extra value where you can know the person," said Rivard.

“You know where your product comes from, you know how it’s made, and you know it’s made with love," added Roch Fortin of Summerland-based Maple Roch.

It is hoped the Micro Food Expo held on Tuesday will become an annual event moving forward.

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OKGN Angel Summit Returning for 2023

Square ApplicationsOpenAnnouncement 1Ready to elevate your pitch? The 2023 OKGN Angel Summit could be just the moment you’ve been training for.  

Participating companies will have opportunities to network with active investors and learn alongside fellow entrepreneurs as they pitch their way towards the March 2023 Finale with a chance at $250K investment. 

Cost to participate is $249 if purchased on or before December 5, or if you are an Accelerate Okanagan member. $349 if purchased after December 5. Final deadline for applications is December 16.

If you’re an innovative company in Western Canada looking for investors, we want to hear from you.

Venture to the Summit >> https://okgnangelsummit.com/pitch/

#okgntech #angelinvesting

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PacifiCan launches new support in the Southern Interior of B.C.

PacifiCan 55 EN

Amazing things are happening in B.C. Despite some challenging times, communities across the province are coming together again and businesses are building for the future. PacifiCan is here to help.

PacifiCan is the new federal economic development agency dedicated to British Columbians. We work with partners across B.C. who are building innovative businesses, creating quality jobs, and supporting inclusive growth in communities across our province.

British Columbians now have a network of PacifiCan staff living and providing service in eight communities across B.C., including in Kelowna and Cranbrook. Our expanded footprint means that PacifiCan will be more accessible to British Columbians. It will also support high-impact local investments and quality advice, to advance the region’s diverse economic interests.

Help us spread the word about PacifiCan’s expanded presence across the Southern Interior of B.C. In this package you’ll find:
• Links to our social channels
• Social media posts about PacifiCan office openings
• Link to our news release with more details on what this means for British Columbians
• Link to an interactive map of PacifiCan’s new locations

https://www.canada.ca/en/pacific-economic-development.html

 

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Thrive Impact Funds Expands to Interior

Thrive Impact Fund expands to invest in social enterprise throughout BC and the BC Interior


Social enterprises across BC and the BC Interior now have a fund that specifically supports their needs for patient, impact aligned investment capital. Thrive Impact Fund is a community-based loan fund investing in social and environmental organizations, projects and entrepreneurs that face barriers to accessing financing. Since launching in September 2021, TIF has made investments in non-profits and social enterprises in Victoria, Salt Spring Island, Comox Valley, and the Lower Mainland. Through a new partnership with Purppl, the fund expands across BC and the BC Interior.

“Organizations addressing our most pressing challenges have difficulty finding capital to develop and deepen their impact. TIF helps to close a capital gap for non-profits, social enterprise, and social impact businesses. Purppl is humbled to work alongside Scale Collaborative to expand TIF and invest throughout BC and the BC Interior,” said Andrew Greer, Managing Director at Purppl. “We aim to be strong allies in building a sustainable, regenerative, and just economy and contribute to a future defined by collective wellbeing, equity, and the health of the air, land, and water.”  

This expansion is a collaborative effort made possible with significant trust and leadership from our longtime partners Interior Savings as well as Vancity and the Real Estate Foundation of BC. A big shoutout also goes to Community Futures Central Okanagan for their enabling role in making this happen. TIF continues to seek additional investment partners. Read the release and quotes here.

We are excited to begin investing in social enterprises and social purpose organizations in the BC Interior. Take a look at www.thriveimpactfund.ca to see our investment priorities. For social enterprises who want to consider investment from TIF, please visit the website and connect directly to Impact Investment Manager Emeline Le Guin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 
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How Kelowna's most luxurious taxi service is leading industry change

Business Matters posted Apr 6, 2022 @ 06:40pm by Lauren Frost  https://bit.ly/3NQ7JOe

In this episode of Business Matters, presented by Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, host Rob Cupello is joined by Lindsay Iannucci, Sales and Marketing Manager for Current Taxi to chat about the impact of COVID on the transportation industry and what the future holds as we move out of the pandemic.

The future of the cab industry is sustainable, luxury, and customizable, and Current Taxi is a major driver (no pun intended) of these changes. Current Taxi has a fleet consisting of entirely Tesla vehicles, making them a leader in sustainable transportation. They have also recently launched an app that helps facilitate custom service for their corporate partners and clients.

Watch the full episode to learn about how taxi service is evolving in the post-pandemic era and what you can expect during your ride with Current Taxi.

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