After 9 months in development, KRIC’s first Leadership and Entrepreneurial Action Program (LEAP) is now
half-way complete. The program consists of 6 monthly sessions that bring entrepreneurs and business leaders together, in a non-competitive environment, where they can learn from each other’s experiences.
The current group includes people from businesses in a variety of fields, including small manufacturing, digital professionals, green technology and creatives. While this round of meetings is being held in Golden, the group consists of entrepreneurs from across the East Kootenays. The diversity in their experience and background allows for a wide dynamic of information to be shared. This diversity results in a non-competitive environment, which allows entrepreneurs to be very open, without fear of revealing trade secrets or inadvertently helping a competitor.
There is also a vast array of business maturity in the room, with experience ranging from first start up, to more than 20 years of entrepreneurial business experience, and yet everyone is learning something from each other. It is similar to other successful business mentoring programs, like KRIC's Business Coaching, except for the added benefit that the sharing is a two-way road.
If this is all sounding kind of vague, there’s a reason for that.
Participant confidentiality agreements mean that entrepreneurs can speak openly about their business, with full confidence that what happens at LEAP, stays at LEAP.
While the program has a basic outline and structure, its driving force is the people who come together to learn from each other, share their own challenges and successes, and relate their experience in making things work as an East Kootenay entrepreneur. The conversation and learning depend on the unique mix of entrepreneurs who sign up for the program.
LEAP is made available through funding provided by the British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC) and the Columbia Basin Trust Manufacturing and Technology Sector (MATS) initiative.
The next round of LEAP is scheduled to start in Spring 2013. If you are interested in getting involved in the next session, or would like some additional information, contact us at info@kric.ca.
Remember: Spring seems like a long way away when the ski season is just beginning, but the registration deadline will creep up before you know it.
