Startup Advisor

**About Us**

TechAlliance is the place for dreamers, innovators, and world-changing ideas. We empower world-class ventures and fuel growth in Canada’s innovation economy, while championing, coaching, and amplifying businesses, and fostering a vibrant technology community in Southwestern Ontario.

You are a person who believes in disruptive innovation that stretches the boundaries of what everyone thinks is possible. You are a teammate who is a dream-seeker, risk-taker, and someone who strives to make an impact. We believe in generous vacation time, extra-long weekends, cool perks, health benefits, an incredible workspace, real professional development, and the flexibility to live life on your terms.

**About the Role**

The Startup Advisor, Venture Growth & Corporate Innovation, is a key point of contact for a high volume of start-up and scale-up ventures throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

The Startup Advisor is responsible for the attraction and retention of new ventures and service delivery of entrepreneurial supports through their lifecycle at TechAlliance. This role is an exciting opportunity to join an agile team focused on action as TechAlliance moves toward a bold new vision.

In this role, you will share your knowledge and experience with founders to help them grow in whichever way makes most sense for them. You will keep it real with them, ask them lots of questions to understand their venture, and challenge their assumptions. You will connect them with the people, organizations, and resources that will move them toward their goals and create impact in their lives. You will also learn so much, so fast from working with these inspiring people every day.

**Client Support & Coaching**
- Manage a portfolio of start-up and scale-up ventures and assist in the delivery of Venture Growth & Corporate Innovation operations.
- Provide guidance to our clients with respect to developing business plans and their constituent components, such as value propositions, market analysis, competitive advantage, customer acquisition, building a team, developing culture, business processes and operations, marketing, sales, finances, etc.
- Work closely with members of the Brand & Engagement team to ensure all clients continuously receive the appropriate level of service and ongoing support.
- Support day-to-day success of clients accepted into the GROW Accelerator, i.d.e.a. Fund, and the London Innovation Challenge.

**Business Development**
- Assist with the recruitment of new clients by attending regional tech and entrepreneurship experiences across each of the five counties we serve, in a business development capacity (may be outside of standard business hours).
- Liaise with internal and external members of the regional innovation ecosystem and other Regional Innovation Centres to advance the mandate of TechAlliance and our client companies.
- Work directly with our Community Engagement Specialists team in the planning and delivery of TechAlliance’s events and programs for founders, industry leaders, and tech talent.

**Funding & Raising Capital**
- Assist in identifying, making direct introductions to, and accessing sources of funding / grants, including government programs, private sector investors, angel networks, business plan competitions, etc.
- Share new funding opportunities, ecosystem intel, and connections with members of the team to benefit our client companies and create stronger ties to VC’s, investors, angels, and funding decision-makers.

**Data Management & Reporting**
- Be responsible for the integrity of data collection and maintenance in TechAlliance’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and actively support reporting of performance metrics to funders.
- Ownership of making and tracking referrals to Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs), Growth Coaches, investors, service partners and potential customers, while ensuring KPI’s are up-to-date and reflected in reporting dashboards daily.

**What you need to succeed**
- Entrepreneur with experience in a startup environment.
- University Degree or College Diploma in a business discipline.
- Client-facing work experience in a business or technology-related field activating a client-centric, consultative approach. Loves connecting 1:1 with entrepreneurs via video, phone, or in person.
- Solid network locally, provincially, nationally, and globally to influencers and door-openers who support, invest in, or champion founders in innovation, and a willingness to make introductions.
- Able to think beyond traditional ideas and knowledge to find solutions that can drive businesses forward in a practical and innovative manner.
- Curious with an insatiable desire to ‘figure it out’ when faced with adversity.
- Strong team player with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
- Valid driver's licence with access to a vehicle.
- Resides in Elgin, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, or Oxford County.
- Health & Safety - TechAlliance is committe