Programs

ANZA “New Beginnings”

Recommended:

N/A

ANZA is Swahili for “NEW BEGINNINGS”.

ANZA is an entrepreneurship program designed and led by the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council (ACCEC) to help young people (18-30 years old) turn their business ideas into reality. It is designed to break the cycle of poverty, violence, and trauma many Black youth experience, by investing in community-driven solutions and empowering young people to create their own economic opportunities.

Edmonton Unlimited is proud to partner with ACCEC in the program delivery and content for the ANZA program to promote entrepreneurship for Black youth in Alberta alongside partners TD Canada Trust, Business Link, Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Edmonton Police Service Youth Diversion Program.

Imelda is so thankful to the Anza Program because she never knew she could create a business on her own even though she always thought of it. Thanks to Anza and all the education she is having, she registered to get her certification on real estate/property management. In addition, she is now writing her business plan. She never thought that she could do such a thing. She said she is aware of the fact that she does not participate in class mostly because she is shy. But, she is working on that through interviews that she is conducting.

Khevin discovered that a business is not about the seller but what the buyer wants and needs. He liked and enjoyed going to Kingsway mall last Friday. Talking to people about his business idea allowed him to understand it more and discover which aspects of his business spoke to customers. And more importantly, he finally understood why It was important to collect his own data.

Jackie used to do her business as a hobby. She thought that being cheaper than the average helped her to have more clients. Now, she understood that business is not about being cheap, but rather selling a value. She is so happy to be working on her business planning. She now better understands her business and sees how she can make it productive. She is thinking to relaunch her business in September as a full-time activity, this time.

Thomas has been working on his shoe idea for the past 5 years. But, only within 4 weeks, he made countless progress through Anza. He went from not even knowing how to start, to having a 3D printed prototype, just within a matter of weeks. In addition, now he has a canvas, he sees how he is making progress week after week. After one step, he knows what is next.

Similar Programs

Alberta Catalyzer: Engage

For startups who have done some customer discovery and are ready to develop an MVP (minimum viable product) with a tech-driven solution that can be tested against your potential customer! Get ready to test your assumptions, learn about your ideal customer, and secure your first sale or launch your MVP.

Innovation Launchpad @ CUE

A space for all Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) members to explore an idea and to provide design thinking and business perspectives to help you polish your idea into a viable, feasible and desirable company for you to lead.

Build, Test & Learn

Embark on a comprehensive journey of entrepreneurial learning and skill development with our series of workshops tailored for founders and entrepreneurs looking to develop functional prototypes and MVPs for continued testing and learning.

Post Secondary Institution (PSI) Business Development Support

Students, staff, and alumni of Edmonton’s post-secondary schools interested in building a technology-based company can access support through the Business Development Support (BDS) program.

Innovation U: An Entrepreneurship Series

Adapted from Edmonton Unlimited’s Startup Foundation series through to Alberta Catalyzer: Traction is an inclusive program aimed at all innovators and entrepreneurs. Each class can be taken in sequence or as a stand-alone session and is designed to build upon one another.

Experts On Demand

Connecting growth-stage companies with experienced business experts for up to 100 hours to craft tailored projects in order to deliver essential results for founders' needs.