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Jeff Hoffart wins ChangeUP Entrepreneurial Award for ED-ucation

jeffhoffart

Graduate of Community Futures Business Plan Development Program - Jeff Hoffart

Jeff Hoffart of ED-ucation Publishing received recognition for his company from the Okanagan business community.  ChangeUP, an initiative of Okanagan Changemakers oversaw awards handed out to the most innovative initiatives for effective, positive change.  Twelve finalists pitched their projects to a sold-out audience of voters at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.  Jeff was awarded $1,000 for ED-ucation Publishing.  Congratulations to Jeff on his achievement.

Jeff co-founded ED-ucation Publishing and collaborates with social entrepreneurs within the start-up and accelerator culture in Kelowna in order to facilitate youth action.ED-ucation Publishing is founded on the premise that people learn from stories. The company creates books and curriculum to teach and empower the next generation of youth change agents. Its first published book is A is for Action and the next 10 print and eBooks are ready to launch.

With Jeff’s strong sense of community, it was a natural fit for him to connect with Community Futures during his business start-up.  Writing a business plan with Community Futures support “...helped to clarify all the core business aspects of ED-ucation Publishing in order for us to move forward in the most strategic, informed and successful manner”. 

Thanks for letting us catch up with you, Jeff and all the best with your book launch!

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NovaRae - Grand Tommie Award for 2013 Okanagan Residential Renovator of the Year

novaraelogo2 Gold Tommie awards & 3 Silvers, including the Grand Tommie for 2013 Okanagan Residential Renovator of the Year.  This is a significant recognition of their business in our Okanagan Valley and we congratulate Novarae Interiors on their success!

NovaRae is active in the business community. They launched the first BNI chapter in Lake Country BC, where co-owner Lee-Anne currently holds an executive position. Co-owner Julie sits on the board of directors with Kelowna Women in Business where she facilitated the Better your Business/Better Yourself conference at Sparkling Hill Resort. They are currently in the throes of moving into new office space/Design Centre so things are hopping.

Lee-Anne and Julie started their NovaRae partnership with a Community Futures business plan in 2009 and have had upward growth since then. Julie says “We are very Grateful for the opportunities that the Community Futures program presented us with. We walked away from the program with the winning combination of determination, a well researched plan, connections, mentors & invaluable follow up support. Without it I can honestly say we may not be where we are today!” Julie Russell.

Congratulations again, NovaRae! 

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Kelowna-Based Lemonade Labs Partners with Germany-Based Queen Games

lemonade labsA Kelowna-based game studio has announced a pan-Atlantic gaming partnership as Lemonade GameLabs Ltd. entered an agreement with Queen Games GmbH of Troisdorf Germany to operate globally as their development studio division. This partnership brings to Kelowna a publisher with a catalog of over 200 designer games.

About Queen Digital Games

News of the partnership leaked out a week ago in an online forum, and was confirmed by both parties the week.

The first game under development by Lemonade Labs will be an action/adventure style game based on the wildly popular tabletop game “Escape: The Curse of the Temple”. In an interview with Meepletown.com, game designer Kristian Amundsen Østby described some of the challenges in translating a game to an electronic version:

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Start-up Week Okanagan

Startup Week – 10 Days of Awesome

The second annual Startup Week Okanagan offers a unique convergence of music, education, art, entertainment, business and technology. With over 30 events over 10 days, fostering creative growth, community connections and showcasing the tremendous professional talent in the valley, Startup Week Okanagan 2014 is ten energy-fueled days of action!

With nearly thirty different events happening over 10 days, navigating the Startup Week Okanagan schedule can be a daunting task. Let us present the comprehensive guide to Startup Week Okanagan, with events tailored to your interests. Check out these events if…

…you are a living, breathing human over the age of 19:

…you are interested in spending the day at Big White and calling it “networking”

…you want to learn from some of the most exciting entrepreneurs around

…you want to make a difference in the world

…you have an idea for a startup and don’t know what to do next

…you want to learn to use technology to benefit your business:

…you are fanatic about good design:

…you like video games

…you like art with a technology and/or gaming twist

For more info on all of these events and more, check out the Startup Week Okanagan website.

or contact:

Brea Retzlaff

Community Manager  |  Accelerate Okanagan
250.870.9028 ext.2114 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.accelerateokanagan.com  |  www.twitter.com/accelerateok
Kelowna Innovation Centre, 1405 St. Paul Street, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1Y 2E4.
Our mission: to increase the number of technology companies that start and grow in the Okanagan.


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CFDCCO supports Okanagan Valley Labour Market Outlook Survey

January 29, 2014


You may have been invited to participate in a survey about the labour market outlook being conducted by R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. A representative will be visiting your region and contacting your organization in January or February to complete an interview with you in-person, by paper, by phone, online, or by fax. The project is funded by the:
• Okanagan Valley Economic Development Society;
• Okanagan College;
• University of British Columbia Okanagan;
• Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia: Labour Market Partnership; and
• Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (a function of the Regional District of Central Okanagan).

The Okanagan Valley is experiencing a change in economic climate and demographic shift, which brings unique opportunities and challenges to businesses that operate in the region. Your opinions will help us understand the labour market trends so that the future supply of labour will meet demand in order to grow and maintain a strong regional economy. Information you provide will be used to:
• Forecast demand and supply of labour in the region from 2015 through 2019;
• Identify sources of labour by major occupation;
• Identify gaps with respect to labour supply and training programming;
• Help inform policies and programs to respond to labour market gaps; and
• Inform the development of education and skilled training over the next five years.

Your opinions are important and the Regional District of Central Okanagan and its partners strongly encourage you to participate. Your participation is voluntary, and will not affect your relationship with the Regional District. Individual data pertaining to any organization or person will not be published and will be treated as anonymous. The information you provide will be used for research purposes only and will be administered under the applicable federal and provincial privacy laws.

As a thank you for your time, you will be offered a $10 Tim Hortons gift card when you complete the survey in-person with our interviewers. You may also enter your name in a draw for a chance to win one of two super prizes. Your name will not be linked to your responses.
1) Return flights from Kelowna to Vancouver, one night accommodation and two tickets to
a 2013/14 Canucks season game; or
2) A spa package at Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon (to be redeemed by June, 2014).

Within one week after receiving this information package, our interviewers will visit your business or contact you by phone to identify the person most knowledgeable about human resource in your company to complete the survey and discuss your preferred method for providing the requested information. This includes an opportunity to complete the survey inperson with one of our interviewers when we visit your region in January or February. The interview will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. We would ask that you complete the survey by March 1, 2014. You may complete the survey:
• In-Person: Either complete the survey with an interviewer who will drop by your business or schedule an in-person visit by calling R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd.
toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code

Monday-Friday: 8:30am to 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm to 8:00pm


• By Phone: Call R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code to complete the survey over the phone.
• On Paper: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, complete the survey, and return it to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. using the enclosed postagepaid envelope.
• By Fax: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, fax the completed survey to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd at 1-888-384-2774 (toll free).
• Online: Visit okanagan.malatest.net to complete the survey online with your access code.

For questions about the survey, please contact Ben Chou from R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. at 1-800-665-5848 ext. 426 (toll free). To verify the legitimacy of the survey, please contact
Corie Griffiths, Business Development Officer at (250) 469-6280 from the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Thank you for your participation in this important study that will help build a stronger Okanagan Valley economy.

Sincerely,
Robert Fine,
Executive Director
Economic Development Commission
Regional District of Central Okanagan

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Create a Happier Family & Improve your Relationships, Community and Life by taking the Family Day Challenge!

Join in on BC’s second annual family day by taking the ultimate Family Day Challenge! This event reminds us to reflect on how we spend our time with our family and in our community and is perfect for families with kids aged 3-12.

 “We’re excited that our event will help build stronger relationships in our families, our communities, and the world,” say Jeff Hoffart of ED-ucation Publishing and Jessica Lahrs of Story is Yours. “We also care about giving back and all profits from the event will go to The Bridge Youth and Family Services and help support youth and families in our community”. 

 The Salvation Army is a proud sponsor for the event and has been serving families in the Central Okanagan of British Columbia since 1919.  Major Toni Cartmell shares, “Our mission is to support families with the many pressures that are present in today’s culture, in a way that nurtures healthy choices.  We do this by resourcing parents and children body, mind and spirit, with the tools that they need that will help them live fulfilling and purposeful lives.”

 In addition to the event experience and giving back to our community, a $25 Family ticket also includes:

  • a Fun and Meaningful 2014 Personalized Family Action plan and the resources to start making positive change today
  • over $50 of gifts and resources, including a personalized action plan, a family board game, an autographed copy of the A is for Action: The ABCs of Taking Action children’s book, and surprises from our amazing sponsors

Date:  Monday, February 10, 2014 (Public Holiday - B.C. Family Day)

Location: Kelowna Elks Lodge (205-2040 Springfield Road)

Register at www.FamilyDayChallenge.comfor a two hour interactive experience on BC Family Day, with a choice of four available start times. Registration is open until February 9th; There are a limited number of tickets, so register early for your preferred time. Got questions? There is a short video o our site that should answer them all! If not, feel free to call Jeff at250-869-2199

This is truly a community event thanks to our proud Platinum sponsors, Story is Yours, ED-ucation Publishing, and The Salvation Army, as well as our Gold sponsors, UrbanFare, Just Be Friends, Kelowna InstaPrint, Valeo Health Clinic, ZelaWelaKids, and the Elks Lodge.

About The Bridge Youth and Family Services

The Bridge Youth and Family Services Society, a non-profit, charitable organization, has been developing and providing innovative and quality programming for children, youth and families in the Central Okanagan of British Columbia since 1969. The Bridge Youth and Family Services Society works to enhance the lives of all citizens of our community and is committed to helping children and youth become healthy adults, and building healthy and positive relationships within families and communities. 

www.thebridgeservices.ca

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