MaRS Discovery District is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre in Toronto, focused on building Canada's next generation of growth companies. MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs in life sciences and health care, information technology, communications and entertainment, clean tech, advanced materials and energy, as well as the social sector.

MaRS began with a question: “Is there a better way to capture the commercial potential of Toronto’s $1 billion in annual science and technology research spending?”

The answer was a resounding “Yes!”

A charitable organization could be created to better connect the worlds of science, business and government. A public-private partnership with a mission to remove the barriers between silos. Nurture a culture of innovation. And help create global enterprises that would contribute to Canada’s economic and social development.

Visionary individuals and organizations took the lead. They raised capital, secured a strategically-located heritage building and began to develop the MaRS organization.

MaRS provides resources — people, programs, physical facilities, funding and networks — to ensure that critical innovation happens. We stimulate, identify and harness great ideas, nurture their development and guide the transformation of those ideas into reality. We measure our success through the companies that emerge after receiving help from MaRS.

At MaRS, we recognize the value of partnerships. In addition to our core advisory services, MaRS delivers further value to entrepreneurs through five key partners: Business Acceleration Program; MaRS Innovation; Social Innovation Generation; The Ontario Network of Excellence; The Centre for Impact Investing.

MaRS is where science, technology and social entrepreneurs get the help they need. Where all kinds of people meet to spark new ideas. And where a global reputation for innovation is being earned, one success story at a time.

MaRS Discovery District

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MaRS is where science, technology and social entrepreneurs get the help they need. Where all kinds of people meet to spark new ideas. And where a global reputation for innovation is being earned, one success story at a time. MaRS provides resources — people, programs, physical facilities, funding and networks — to ensure that critical innovation happens. We stimulate, identify and harness great ideas, nurture their development and guide the transformation of those ideas into reality.

Senior Advisor: Consumer Web, Social & Mobile – MaRS Discovery District

JOLT is a technology accelerator dedicated to building high-growth web and mobile companies that promise to transform the way consumers and enterprises interact with technologies. At JOLT, our goal is to dramatically improve your startup’s execution and time-to-market. We work closely with entrepreneurs from initial product launch through the next stage of company development and fundraising. We embrace constraints. Design experiences. And build companies.

Co-founder & Executive Director – JOLT Accelerator

The goal of The Next 36 is to help launch the careers of Canada’s most promising and innovative undergraduates. The program will identify these students through a rigorous selection process, and give them the academic foundation, practical skills, role models and networks to become Canada’s next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. Students learn from high-profile business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics while wrestling with the challenge of building a new venture from idea to market.

Entrepreneurship Mentor – The Next 36

Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ) is a multidisciplinary workspace for research and learning. This hub of digital media innovation, collaboration and commercialization is home to both entrepreneurial companies and industry solution-providers. With access to overhead, business services and a rich network of contacts, entrepreneurs and researchers can accelerate product launches, and contribute to Canada’s growing success in the digital economy.

Advisor – Ryerson University's Digital Media Zone

Sue McGill is a startup mentor and advocate for innovation. A builder of technology companies and brands, Sue has advised and been actively involved in over 200 startups in the emerging technology space, with hands-on experience at DWL (acquired by IBM), MySpace and JUICE Mobile.

For the past two years, she has been driving MaRS’ efforts in the consumer mobile, social and web space. She sits on the advisory boards of several leading Canadian startups and runs JOLT as Executive Director.

Throughout her career, Sue has lived in Silicon Valley and Toronto, and has worked as an executive in major public companies, including CanWest, Yahoo! and RIM.

Emerging Technologies

Entrepreneurship

Digital Media

Mobile Technology

JOLT Accelerator

JOLT, a new accelerator where creativity, culture and execution drive innovation

MaRS announces JOLT

Jumping on the accelerator bandwagon

From Startup to Standout

Creative design and business expertise combined to build companies

MaRS gives entrepreneurs JOLT to aid startup

MOD MEDIA MAKERS: 17 start-ups pushing the boundaries of technology & media

Today, markets and businesses are no longer driven merely by efficiency, but also creativity and innovation. Anyone with a spark of an idea and the willingness to work hard can build a company capable of disrupting the world we live in. This workshop will focus on how an entrepreneurship accelerator can assist the business development process, and why bringing in a diverse network of creative talent is important.

Starting You Up: Entrepreneurship Accelerators

Both our economy and our culture are changing with surprising velocity, leaving vulnerable any business that is settled and standing still. In order to remain relevant, organizations must keep moving. This presentation will focus on the work being done at the JOLT Technology Accelerator, which embraces this new world and approaches change head-on in order to assist early-stage companies. Also discussed will be the importance of developing partnerships with outside organizations & entrepreneurs.

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