EXPERTS ADVISE. FOUNDERS EXECUTE.
EOD experts provide strategic guidance, feedback, structure, and accountability. Your team remains responsible for day-to-day execution, decision-making, and progress. In certain areas, such as regulatory, legal, or compliance related work, qualified experts may take a more active role in preparing, submitting, or managing required materials. Even in these cases, founders remain accountable for final decisions and organizational direction.
IS EXPERTS ON DEMAND FOR ME?
EOD is for companies that have moved beyond the idea stage and are working through a real business challenge. It is best suited for companies that:
- Have a working product or are close to launching (MVP or strong product progress)
- Have early traction or market validation (customers, pilots, partnerships, or strong user engagement)
- Are actively trying to scale or grow and facing a specific bottleneck
- Have a team ready to execute and implement expert guidance
- Tech or innovation driven companies with ambitions to grow and build scalable high-growth businesses
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Applications
What stage should my company be at to apply?
Your company should be beyond the earliest idea stage and should have enough clarity, readiness, and capacity to make use of expert support. In most cases, EOD is a better fit for teams with a working MVP or later-stage product development, plus some meaningful validation or traction.
What makes a strong EOD application?
A strong application clearly explains:
- the main bottleneck or challenge
- why this issue matters now
- what kind of expert support is needed
- what the company team will do
- what progress or outcome the engagement should help unlock
What types of projects are a good fit?
Good-fit projects are narrow enough to be scoped clearly, important enough to matter to company progress, and realistic enough to show results within a milestone-based engagement.
Is EOD for all startups?
No. EOD is designed for companies that are serious about growth, ready to act, and able to benefit from focused expert support.
Can EOD support more than one project for the same company?
In general, companies may apply to EOD once per year. This helps keep support focused, milestone driven, and available to a broader group of ventures.
Screening
How are applications reviewed?
Applications are reviewed based on company readiness, clarity of the bottleneck, fit with EOD, likely impact, and whether the engagement can be scoped in a focused and measurable way.
What happens after I apply?
After you apply, the team reviews your application. If your company appears to be a fit, you may be invited to a screening meeting to discuss your business, the challenge, and the type of support needed. Initial reviews are typically completed within a defined period (e.g., 1-2 weeks). If selected to move forward, the expert matching and onboarding process may take additional time depending on the availability of suitable experts and the specifics of your project. Timelines can vary, particularly when sourcing or vetting new experts.
Why might an application not move forward?
Applications may not move forward if the company is too early, the challenge is unclear, the request is too broad, the work is mainly executional, or the project does not fit the program model.
As a competitive program, not all qualified applications can be accepted. In some cases, companies that meet the criteria may not move forward if other applications demonstrate stronger alignment, readiness, or potential impact.
Expert Matching
Can I suggest an expert for my project?
Yes. If you have an expert in mind, you can indicate that in your application. All experts—whether proposed by your team or matched through Edmonton Unlimited—are reviewed for fit, relevance, and alignment with the program before an engagement can move forward. For experts not previously known to us, this review may include additional vetting steps (such as interviews or reference checks), which can extend the onboarding timeline.
How are experts selected?
Experts are chosen based on the company’s bottleneck, stage, scope, and fit. The goal is to match ventures with people who have relevant execution experience and the right advisory fit.
Project Scope
What kind of support does EOD provide (and not provide)?
EOD provides focused, high-impact advisory support—not general mentorship or outsourced execution—and is structured around clearly defined, project-based engagements. Experts do not act as contractors or extra team members.
They offer guidance, structure, feedback, and accountability to help your team prioritize effectively and execute. Your team remains responsible for doing the work, making decisions, and driving progress.
In some cases (such as regulatory, legal, or highly specialized areas), experts may help shape deliverables, review materials, or guide preparation—but they do not take ownership of execution.
How long does an EOD project usually last?
Most projects are short-term and structured around a focused milestone plan, usually around three months.
How much funding is available?
Funding is based on the project scope and the expected value of the engagement. Most EOD projects fall within a defined range, with funding available up to $10,000.
Final amounts are determined based on the nature of the work, the level of expertise required, and the overall impact of the project.
Delivery and Checkpoints
What is expected from the company during the engagement?
The company is expected to stay engaged, attend meetings, complete agreed actions, provide needed information, and take ownership of execution and progress.
Companies should plan to dedicate consistent time each week to move work forward. While the exact commitment may vary by project, this typically includes regular check-ins with the expert and internal time to implement next steps between sessions.
What is the engagement like with Edmonton Unlimited?
The engagement begins with a discovery conversation where the team takes the time to understand the company’s business, journey, and current challenges. This helps identify the true bottlenecks, which are not always what they initially appear to be.
From there, the team works with the founder to clarify the type of support needed, refine the project scope, and ensure alignment on the most impactful next steps. This process also informs how the right expert is identified and matched to the engagement.
What is expected from the founder after the initial meeting?
The founder is responsible for actively engaging in the project and working closely with the expert to define and align on the scope, deliverables, timelines, and overall expectations before the engagement begins.
This includes agreeing on meeting cadence, providing the expert with appropriate access to relevant company information (e.g., documentation, data, or internal context), and ensuring the right team members are involved throughout the project.
The founder remains accountable for execution, decision-making, and driving progress against the agreed milestones.
What does the contract look like?
Each engagement is governed by two agreements. A Master Services Agreement is executed between Edmonton Unlimited and the expert. For each project, a separate Scope of Work is developed outlining the detailed project plan, deliverables, and milestones. This Scope of Work is reviewed and approved by the founder prior to project commencement.
Closing out
What obligation do I have as a founder joining EOD?
As part of participating in EOD, founders are expected to complete a short follow-up survey at the end of the engagement. We have reporting obligations to our board and funders, and we need to share how the project went, what outcomes were achieved, and what impact the engagement had. Your response helps us meet those obligations and measure the effectiveness of the program.
Why is the follow-up survey important?
We want to see you succeed, not just during the EOD engagement, but well beyond it.
We also want to see your company succeed beyond the EOD engagement. The follow-up helps us understand where you are in your growth journey, how we can continue to support you as you scale, and how to keep you connected to the Edmonton Unlimited community.
Ongoing support beyond the engagement
EOD relationships don’t end with a single project. We stay connected with companies as they grow—providing continued guidance, check-ins, and, where relevant, helping navigate to additional resources within the ecosystem.
MEET THE EXPERTS
Growth & Go to Market
Doug Johnson
Ethan Hussey
Mike Schoenberger
Cristina Yun Lee
Tash Jefferies
Lisa Feehan
Barbara Anderson
PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY
James Freeman
Eran Green
Sam Jenkins
Jason Suriano
FINANCE & INVESTMENT READINESS
Shaheel Hooda
Kristina Milke
Christiana Manzocco
Rebecca Johnson
Yasmine Al-Hussein
Business Operations, Legal & Scale
Richard Roy
FUNDING PARTNERS
This program is offered at no cost, thanks to Alberta Innovates, through the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network.
WHAT IS EXPERTS ON DEMAND?
Experts on Demand (EOD) is a milestone-driven program connecting growth-stage companies in the Edmonton Region with specialized industry experts, providing up to 100 hours of fractional support. Together, founders and experts collaborate to tackle specific challenges, drive measurable growth, and expand businesses through tangible deliverables.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF
- You are incorporated in Alberta
- Operate in the Edmonton Region
- Have an MVP with established market traction
- Technology and innovation are core elements of your business
- Have the potential to scale
- Are committed to building internal capacity through expert collaboration
Accepted companies gain exclusive access to a curated list of vetted, outcome-focused experts. After a rigorous qualification process assessing your growth potential, you’ll work with Edmonton Unlimited to engage an expert aligned with your specific needs. Together, you’ll develop a structured project with clear milestones, measurable outcomes, and regular check-ins to ensure progress. The expert will provide fractional support by developing specific deliverables while transferring knowledge to build your team’s capacity. Ideal project outcomes should include:
- Increasing traction and sales
- Moving from MVP to final product
- Preparing for investor conversations and secure funding
- Identifying and improving revenue streams
- Enhancing operational efficiency and streamline processes
- Developing effective customer acquisition strategies
- Expanding market reach and engaging new demographics
- Shaping a sustainable business model for long-term growth
- Strengthening your company’s overall competitive advantage
NEW PROGRAM FOCUS AREAS
- Milestone-Driven Implementation: Projects follow structured frameworks with clear sprints, specific milestones, and measurable outcomes to ensure tangible business value and track progress effectively.
- Capacity Building Focus: Experts serve as guides rather than replacements, transferring knowledge to your team through training and reusable frameworks to build internal capabilities rather than creating dependence.
- Enhanced Expert Qualification: Experts undergo rigorous vetting for their proven ability to drive business results and are onboarded with our venture development methodology to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
- Impact Measurement System: All projects include comprehensive accountability mechanisms to measure expert contributions and business outcomes, ensuring execution viability and meaningful ROI within project budget ranges.
WHAT PROJECTS DON'T QUALIFY
- Replacement Work: Projects where experts simply perform ongoing operational functions instead of building your team’s capacity to handle these functions independently.
- Unstructured Support: Open-ended engagements without clear milestones, deliverables, or measurable outcomes that cannot demonstrate tangible business value.
- One-time Tasks: Short-term tactical activities that don’t contribute to strategic growth or build sustainable capabilities within your organization.
- Non-transferable Projects: Work that doesn’t include knowledge transfer components or training elements to develop skills within your existing team.
- Pre-MVP Development: Projects for companies that haven’t yet developed a minimum viable product or established initial market traction.
Thank you for your interest in the Experts on Demand program.
At this time, the program is fully subscribed. Keep updated on our socials/newsletter to find out when applications will reopen.
Get Unstuck Faster with Help
Requests Have an immediate challenge? Submit a Help Request and we’ll connect you with the right expert or support. No need to wait for the next cohort or program cycle. Get support when you need it most.
BECOME AN EXPERT
Experts have reached the stage of their careers where they’re focused on sharing knowledge and recognize that they can gain as much from the coaching experience as the companies they advise. To support our community and maintain alignment with our programming, experts must reside in Canada.
As an expert with proven ability to drive tangible business results and a willingness to give back to the community, you can provide one-on-one support to help businesses grow. Edmonton Unlimited will contract you on behalf of tech-enabled founders and onboard you with our venture development methodology for consistent, high-quality delivery.
FUNDING PARTNERS
This program is offered at no cost, thanks to Alberta Innovates, through the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network, along with Prairies Economic Development Canada.
