With only two hours drive from Toronto, Collingwood is one of Ontario’s gem spots. Stunning beaches and surrounded by the Blue Mountain, this destination does not disappoint. Collingwood has great proximity to Wasaga Beach, with top spots for dining or simply taking a hike. The great thing about the activities in the town are that, it’s all year-round.
The city is radically different than Toronto in a sense that you don’t have the hustle and bustle. It’s calm, peaceful, and ideal for those interested in starting businesses or simply raise a family. With only population of 24,811, this town has incredible potential for growth. It is close to Toronto and other cities, which makes a top destination to live, work, and play. But what about the local tech scene? New businesses? New businesses create tremendous economic value. Behind these are the entrepreneur who pour their heart and soul into it. Entrepreneurs in any city need tremendous support build companies. After all it does take a while village to raise a startup.
Jonathan Hillis is the founder and CEO of Tenure. Tenure is a young AI-powered startup that is helping employers create phenomenal cultures so employees stay and feel belonged. Retention is a big challenge for many companies especially with rise of Gen Z and as millennials transition to higher level roles. He recently made a big move to Collingwood and leading the tech development in Collingwood.
“Moving to Collingwood was one of the best things for my family and for our startup. The support here for small businesses is incredible and the potential for Collingwood to be a tech town untapped.
One of the things we are seeing the startup world more is not so much work/life balance but more of Founder mental wellness and Collingwood is a 4 season wellness playground where you can unplug quickly when needed and then have the support you need to to create a thriving startup. If Founders aren’t thinking of Collingwood as a hot spot for tech – they better think again.” – Jonathan Hillis
If you walk by the downtown Collingwood you will run into some coffeeshops, restaurants, and also the Collingwood Foundry. Brandon Houston leads this coworking space and community for entrepreneurs. The Collingwood Foundry is the innovation hub designed to support up coming startups, scale ups, and tech companies in the city. The city has come a long way to develop its ecosystem.
“Collingwood is a rural community that, to quote something our Town’s CAO said, punches above its weight. The entrepreneurial ecosystem that exists, a broad range of business support services, an accelerator, an angel network, a coworking space that’s home to 200 entrepreneurs, and the wealth of knowledge that exists through those who have lived a life of success and now call the region home and provider mentorship and consulting.
In my eight years of living in Collingwood I’ve seen it evolve into a community where startups and tech are thriving. From our world class engineering firms that are leading on all-electric mining vehicles and large scale hydrogen battery technology to startups creating new paths in everything from AI-driven employee rewards and recognition platforms to sustainable deep sea mining robotics.
Collingwood was previously named as the top entrepreneurial community in Canada by CFIB and I can see why. Small but mighty, and a great place to live and launch a startup.” – Brandon Houston
Collingwood also has a startup accelerator called GB Accelerator and Georgian Angel Network for raising capital.
Some fastest-rising startups from Collingwood:
1. Tenure – An AI-powered employee rewards, recognition, and savings platform that improve company culture and drives new business.
2. Total Mom Inc. – Total Mom Inc is a 100% women-owned organization that is passionate about creating support systems for moms in all areas of life.
3. wrksourcing – Founded by Tyler Cameron, wrksourcing is your trusted virtual assistant partner helping entrepreneurs and business owners.
4. Impossible Metals – Accelerating clean energy by delivering the most sustainable battery metals.
5. Live Aligned – Assist people in starting their day right and changing their lives through simple, responsive and intentional technology routines.
6. The Xpert Press – The Expert Press is the platform for experts who want to increase authority and visibility through bylined news analysis and commentary published on national and news trade sites.
7. Adbank – Blade by Adbank is a reward platform built on the transparency of blockchain.
As more entrepreneurs start new businesses here, all it takes is one or two massive success story to further scale the ecosystem. Before the summer ends take a short road trip to visit Collingwood. If you need recommendations where to go, just reach out to the local entrepreneurs.
