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Past Initiatives.
CAIN Membership Council
The CAIN Membership Council was composed of General Member organization representatives for various regions in Canada. These individuals were member-elected and worked with CAIN as advisors on its strategy, services, and impact - representing CAIN’s General Members.
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The Membership Council was created through a nomination and election process administered by CAIN, where each General Member had an opportunity to nominate individuals and then later vote between nominees for their region. For more information, we invite you to read CAIN’s Membership Council Guiding Principles document (that all Council members signed) that outlines items such as eligibility, commitments and accountability, conflicts of interest, and how CAIN approaches creating a safe space for collaboration and conflict resolution. We welcome feedback on how we can improve, contact us.
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We sincerely thank our Membership Council for the generous contribution of their time in service to their peers and to our collective efforts to improve the innovation landscape in Canada together.
Working Groups
Our Working Groups were member-driven and virtually hosted on a regular cadence in a peer roundtable setting. CAIN worked collaboratively to align strategy across the Working Groups on national initiatives. These Working Groups also connected with relevant community partners and shared opportunities that benefited CAIN and the community we support.
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Each Working Group was led by a General Member Chair and Vice-Chair and self-organized to identify key challenges, develop strategies, and create meaningful solutions that support our ecosystem. Each group’s Chair and Vice-Chair also attend a quarterly Steering Committee meeting for alignment with their peers and CAIN. You can learn more here by reviewing CAIN’s Working Groups: Structure & Guiding Principles document (that all Working Group members have signed) that outlines items such as commitments and accountability, conduct and values, conflicts of interest, and how CAIN is approaching creating a safe space for collaboration and conflict resolution. We welcome feedback on how we can improve at hello@cainetwork.ca!
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These Working Groups were co-created with CAIN General Members through a series of inputs on what was most needed and ultimate selection by members of top priority areas for collaboration.
Data Intelligence & Impact Reporting
There is a need to create efficient industry standards for gathering and accessing data, allowing Accelerators and Incubators to collaborate and produce impact reports that can be shared with the larger community and government. The Data Intelligence & Impact Reporting Working Group was a team of CAIN General Members working together to solve internal data gathering and access gaps, as well as supporting each other and community partners through data sharing. The goal was to collect and share data regarding innovation from coast to coast across Canada and improve reporting systems.
Programming Best Practices & Sustainability
Accelerators and Incubators across Canada and the world are developing hundreds of programs to accelerate business growth and innovation in Canada. This Working Group was a cooperative space such that Canadian A/I's could share and leverage resources and best practices to deliver the most effective and sustainable programming, and thus collectively help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
Access to Capital for Companies
There are many capital raising options available for entrepreneurs and their companies. The Access to Capital for Companies Working Group strategized on ways to support companies seeking investment, while streamlining the process of connecting them to investors. Participants discussed and developed mechanisms for building investor interest, how to share deal flow and opportunities between Accelerators and Incubators, and connecting with international and national investors.
Innovation for Good & Social Impact
There is a need to accelerate the innovation process in Canada to solve current social challenges. We are observing the benefits of innovation as a nation - how it drives change and positively impacts the world. Innovation is the driver of new industry and job creation, driving our collective ‘tomorrow’, ideally in alignment with our values and needs as a society. This Working Group's purpose was to discuss how to best advance, integrate and share the positive social impacts of innovation on Canadian society. The group also identified reasons why accelerators/incubators do not embed social innovation into their programs and offered ways to incorporate social impact for those interested.
Policy & Advocacy
The Policy and Advocacy Working Group analyzed the Canadian Government’s activities and plans to drive innovation and support the startup ecosystem at the federal and provincial level. This Working Group discovered shortcomings and areas for improvement in policy and formulates recommendations to close any gaps. They advocated for the needs and wants of the Accelerator and Incubator community, in order to support CAIN members and our innovation communities.
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Talent Attraction & Development
This Working Group investigated mechanisms that are in place to support individuals in finding meaningful and relevant employment as well as fill companies’ talent needs. We need a skilled workforce to grow innovation in Canada. This Working Group’s purpose was to best enable Canadian Entrepreneurs to source and excel in attracting and developing talent to assist in the growth of their companies and Canada.
Diversity & Inclusion
There are many exceptional programs and initiatives currently supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. This Working Group assessed the current efforts across Canada in different industries, established which leading groups/experts to consult with, and created next steps to drive initiatives in this space. The goal was to avoid overlapping community efforts and duplicating projects by shifting towards collaborating and collectively utilizing all our strengths to support underrepresented groups.