Loyalist College Sparks Local Entrepreneurship With Downtown Belleville Business Accelerator

Loyalist College is advancing its commitment to business and economic development in the Bay of Quinte region by establishing a Downtown Belleville Business Accelerator. Opening in October 2021, the 2,800 square-foot space located at 249-253 Front Street will give students and community members a supportive space from which to incubate their entrepreneurial ideas with the goal of transitioning to mainstream businesses, vitalizing, and diversifying the city’s core and the entire region. 

“Small and medium-sized businesses drive our local economy, and many of our students and graduates, from every field of study, have aspirations of starting a company,” said Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President and CEO. “The Downtown Belleville Business Accelerator is a launch pad for innovation. It’s both a compass and a platform, providing an altruistic environment for entrepreneurs to share knowledge and test ideas. With access to a robust support system, which includes mentorship, advisory services and camaraderie among like-minded founders, a new fleet of startups will emerge to enhance the very place we call home.”

Downtown Belleville Business Accelerator participants will rent cost-effective co-working space from the College to access a premium street front facility, immersive experiences, and business mentors. Bruce M Firestone, founder of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, is a real estate investment and business coach, author, Royal LePAGE Performance Realty broker, and new Belleville activist. He is the force behind the building’s revitalization and one of the entrepreneurs actively participating in the accelerator.

“It doesn’t take many entrepreneurs to change a city, indeed entire nations,” said Firestone. “As former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Telfer School of Management, I have seen how combining energetic, ideas-driven, talented gigpreneurs with great coaching, mentoring and teaching yields terrific results. My spouse, Dawn, and I fully support Loyalist College as it builds out a startup factory for student entrepreneurs of all ages in downtown Belleville.”

During the College’s multi-year lease, the Downtown Belleville Business Accelerator will work closely with the Downtown Belleville Improvement Area to support a pathway from the College to the downtown core, and help startups naturally migrate from accelerator to main street.

Recently appointed Belleville Downtown District (BIA) Executive Director Luisa Sorrentino added, “We are excited to welcome Loyalist College to the Downtown District! We expect this initiative will ignite a new cohort of dynamic startups plus invigorate existing businesses already located there. I think it will also encourage local property owners to become even more engaged in rebuilding a vibrant downtown community. Lastly, I should add that former BIA ED Marijo Cuerrier was instrumental in bringing this to fruition, and our team is committed to building upon her foundational work.”

About Loyalist College

Ranked one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges and #1 in the country for industry research income as a percentage of total research income, Loyalist College empowers students, faculty, staff, and partners through experiential, industry cluster-based education, training and applied research programs. As Ontario’s Destination College, the College provides job-ready graduates for, and knowledge transfer to, industry and the community. Of 2018-19 graduates, 88.8 percent were employed within six months after graduation. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, the College is perfectly positioned between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Loyalist College offers more than 70 full-time diploma, certificate and apprenticeship programs in biosciences, building sciences, business, community service, health and wellness, media studies, public safety, and skilled trades. Continuing education options are available through LoyalistFocus.com, including hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, and through the College’s 100+ university transfer agreements. Loyalist College is a key driver of social and economic health in eastern Ontario. It contributes 3.7 percent of the Gross Regional Product, representing $382 million annually to the regional economy – based on a March 2020 report by Emsi. For more information on Loyalist College’s Belleville, Bancroft and Toronto campuses and Port Hope satellite location, visit YoureGoingPlaces.com.

About Belleville Downtown District BIA

Belleville’s Downtown District has almost 200 shops, restaurants, and services to serve you. With its micro-urban vibe, stunning historic buildings, and paved trails running along the Moira River, it is a welcoming Downtown core. It’s all happening Downtown. Be a part of it. To learn more please visit www.downtownbelleville.ca,  email [email protected] or phone 613-968-2242.

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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing, Communications and Recruitment, Loyalist College, [email protected], 613-969-1913, ext. 2536