Toronto’s The Next 36 program has named its group of mentors for its 2014 cohort.
Each year, 36 promising undergraduates and recent grads from across Canada are selected from a variety of academic disciplines through a rigorous national selection process. The young entrepreneurs form interdisciplinary teams of three and are challenged to build a technology business for the mobile or tablet market. For nine months they are provided mentorship from some of Canada’s top business leaders, up to $95,000 in seed capital from leading venture capitalists, a comprehensive offering of in-kind resources, and academic instruction from some of the world’s most renowned faculty.
The program changes the way young entrepreneurs define and tackle problems, pushes them out of their comfort zones and fundamentally alters their self-perception and goals. It was founded by a small group of entrepreneurs, business leaders and academics in response to Canada’s need for more high-impact entrepreneurs.
Just six of the 20 mentors this year are women.
The 2014 mentors for the program are: