YSpace Northern Entrepreneurship Hub
Entrepreneurship in East Gwillimbury
YSpace Northern York Region Entrepreneurship Hub provides entrepreneurial resources, including mentorship, access to peer-to-peer networks, and coworking space for collaboration. It fosters new business opportunities as well as personal and professional development for new and existing businesses.
A combination of on-demand business support and programming is available in East Gwillimbury and Georgina, both in-person and virtually. Programs are refined and augmented to address the specific needs of each business community.
Schedule an Idea Consultation (in-person or virtual) with our entrepreneurship team to get started.
Digital Skills for Business
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Looking to grow your business and gain confidence using online platforms? YSpace’s Digital Skills for Business is a 10-week workshop series designed to help entrepreneurs build and enhance their online presence.
The program features in-person workshops in East Gwillimbury and Georgina and virtual sessions covering essential topics like AI Marketing, LinkedIn, Introduction to Canva, and more.
This free series is open to entrepreneurs aged 18 and older living in northern York Region, including East Gwillimbury, Georgina, the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations, and surrounding areas.
Workshops run weekly from Tuesday, February 4, to Friday, April 11, 2025.
Digital Skills Schedule
| Importance of Paid Advertising in a Digital Space | Digital Main Street |
| Date and Time: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom Digital Main Street: The Importance of Paid Advertising in a Digital Space Discover the essentials of paid advertising and how to establish an online presence that drives sales and expands your market reach. Join the Toronto Digital Service Squad for this engaging webinar to learn practical steps for setting up and optimizing an online store. Key Takeaways
About the Facilitator |
| Maximizing Social Media: Platforms and Analytics for Growth |
| Date and Time: Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: YSpace Georgina at 1 Market Street, Georgina, ON L0E 1R0 Maximizing Social Media: Platforms and Analytics for Business Growth Join us in person at YSpace Georgina for an engaging session on leveraging social media to drive business growth. Geraldine Gerardo will share practical strategies to make your website and digital content more effective, helping you connect with your audience and achieve your business goals. Why Attend?
Registration Details |
| Optimizing Search Engines: Understanding SEO Basics | Digital Main Street |
| Date and Time: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom Digital Main Street: Optimizing for Search Engines - Understanding SEO Basics Unlock the power of search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your digital presence and connect with more customers. In this webinar, the Digital Service Squad will guide you through SEO fundamentals and effective tactics to boost your search engine rankings. Key Takeaways
About the Facilitator |
| Library Online Resources to Boost Your Business | Georgina Public Library |
| Date and Time: Thursday, February 13, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: YSpace Georgina at 1 Market Street, Georgina, ON L0E 1R0 Hidden Gems: Library Online Resources to Boost Your Business In today’s fast-paced business world, having access to the right tools can set you apart. This session, led by Ruth Berry, eServices Library Technician at Georgina Public Library, will show you how to harness the power of LinkedIn Learning and other online platforms for professional development and business growth. Why Attend?
Facilitator Registration Details |
| E-mail Marketing Webinar | Digital Main Street |
| Date and Time: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom E-mail Marketing Webinar Discover the power of email marketing to connect with your audience and drive business success. Join the Toronto Digital Service Squad for this interactive webinar and learn how to create high-quality, targeted email campaigns that stand out in the digital world. Key Takeaways
About the Facilitator Registration Details |
| Do I Really Need a Bookkeeper or an Accountant? | South Lake Futures |
| Date and Time: Thursday, February 20, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
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| Building Your Business's Online Presence | Digital Main Street |
| Date and Time: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom Building Your Business’s Online Presence Your customers are online, and your business should be too! In this workshop, hosted by the Toronto Digital Service Squad, you’ll learn how to establish and enhance your online presence, ensuring your business is easily discoverable and effectively engaging with customers. What You’ll Learn:
Facilitator |
Ongoing Programs
Idea Consultations are your entry-point into the YSpace program. This one-on-one consultation connects you with the YSpace entrepreneurship team who will learn about your aspirations and how our programs can support your business growth or bring your ideas to life.
Join TechConnex, local entrepreneurs, and business owners in-person for a monthly peer-to-peer session. Peer-to-peer is where fast-growth business leaders and entrepreneurs can come together to exchange information that will help expand your businesses.
The Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) program offers an 8-session, one-on-one mentorship experience. Our industry-leading mentors will work closely with you, providing guidance to accelerate your business growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is YSpace Northern York Region? |
| YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. YSpace programming spans scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like ELLA for women-led businesses and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) for Black-led businesses.
YSpace Northern York Region in an entrepreneurship hub in East Gwillimbury and Georgina. YSpace offers an ecosystem of entrepreneurial resources, including mentorship, peer-to-peer networks, and co-working space. It fosters new business opportunities as well as personal and professional development for new and existing entrepreneurs. A combination of on-demand business support and programming is available in East Gwillimbury and Georgina, both in-person and virtually at no cost to your business. |
| Who is eligible to join YSpace Northern York Region? |
| YSpace Northern York Region is open to entrepreneurs 18+ who reside in northern York Region, primarily in East Gwillimbury, Georgina, and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations. |
| Is there a cost to access mentorship or enroll in a program? |
| No, there is no cost to join a YSpace Northern York Region workshop, networking group, or to use the coworking space in Georgina. YSpace Northern York Region is made possible through a partnership and funding between the Town of East Gwillimbury, the Town of Georgina, and York University's YSpace, with additional funding from the Rural Economic Development (RED) program from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). As a result of this funding and collaboration, the program is available to businesses at no cost. You can find more details in the full press release. |
| How do I enroll into YSpace Northern York Region? |
| Enrolling in the program starts with an Idea Consultation. During this session, you'll receive one-on-one consultation services connecting you with YSpace's entrepreneurship team. Together, you'll explore how the program and its resources can support the realization of your idea.
Idea Consultations provide:
To schedule your Idea Consultation and embark on your entrepreneurial journey, book a meeting with the entrepreneurship coordinator here. |
| Is there working space available for entrepreneurs? |
| Yes, there is a physical entrepreneurship hub in Georgina (YSpace Georgina) which is open to entrepreneurs from East Gwillimbury and Georgina. YSpace Georgina is located at 1 Market Street, Georgina, ON L0E 1R0. You can find more details about YSpace Georgina on their website.
Study Rooms are available as working space at the East Gwillimbury Public Library. Private study rooms are in the Mount Albert and Holland Landing library branches and are free to use if you are a library card holder. You can find more details about the East Gwillimbury public library and study rooms on their website. |
| How do I become a program mentor or workshop facilitator? |
| YSpace Northern York Region has an ongoing intake process for individuals interested in mentorship or facilitator roles. The specific responsibilities and time commitments can vary depending on the program and the needs of the businesses involved.
If you're interested in becoming involved, please fill out an application form. This will help us understand your background and match you with the appropriate program. Once you've completed the application, a YSpace representative will reach out to schedule an introductory call. |
| Where can I find more information on YSpace? |
| YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. Our programming spans scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like ELLA for women-led businesses and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) for Black-led businesses. You can find more details about YSpace on their website. |
Meet with EG's Economic Development team to learn how YSpace can help your business.