Lift’Off is a one-day startup conference. It is your chance to discover the latest from the local startup scene in a “Dragon’s Den-style” competition and to meet international leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Advance Registration: $35.00 - $125.00
Corporate Table of 8 for the Entrepreneur Power Lunch - $480 (a 20% discount on individual ticket price)

New in 2016, the six ventures are competing for over $300,000 in cash awards to support their development!

MORNING: Lift’Off kicks off with the Venture’Challenge startup pitch competition – Manitoba’s premier capital challenge event.

NOON: Entrepreneur Power Lunch features Randy Smerik, Founder & CEO of Osunatech, inc. and world class keynote speaker. Be sure to stay for the Venture’Challenge award presentations.

AFTERNOON: The Entrepreneur IQ Forum features startup sales and marketing specialist April Dunford as keynote and Manitoba founders talking about successful exits and awesome Kickstarter campaigns. Superb opportunities to network abound at the post-event reception.

APRIL DUNFORD

CEO, Sprintly
TOPIC: How Product Framing Can Grow Your Startup

Product framing is the act of providing context to help prospects understand what you are and why they should care. As simple as the concept is, it is rarely done consciously by startups if at all. This talk discusses what framing is, how it can help your products be more successful. An engineer by training, April has worked as a marketing and sales executive for most of her career. She has launched a dozen products into market and has driven hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. April is an angel investor, mentor, advisor and board member at a number of startups. READ MORE >

RANDY SMERIK

Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Startup Advisor
TOPIC: Successful Passionate Entrepreneurs engage in Safe Sex – let’s discuss how

We all know how easy it is to get swept up by love, lust, and passion and it can cause us to do things we may regret later. Really, it’s true! The exact same thing happens with CEO’s and founding teams because we are taught that a deep passion is an essential element of a successful start-up. This talk will address this critical topic head on – with practical “how-to” advice. It will help ensure you don’t wake up one morning surprised and filled with regret. You don’t want to learn this on the streets! READ MORE >

KERRY GREEN

Co-Founder, WolfTrax Inc.

TYLER GOMPF

Co-Founder, Gomption Group
TOPIC: Successfully Scaling and then exiting a Businesses

Successful exits can help drive the startup scene and Manitoba has experienced some successful exits in recent years. Join Founders Kerry Green and Tyler Gompf as they discuss how they successfully scaled and exited their businesses and zero in on the greatest challenges they faced along the way.

SCOTT ADAMSON

Co-Founder, Kickbooster Inc.

YVAN BOISJOLI

Co-Founder, Bold Innovation Group and Kickbooster Inc.

JAY MYERS

Co-Founder, Bold Innovation Group and Kickbooster Inc.
TOPIC: Navigating Business from Inception to Fullfillment

Kickstarter has become a household name for startups who use crowdfunding to take their products from prototypes to mass production, including Winnipeg’s own TrapTap. Crowdfunding and eCommerce experts from Funded Today, Kickbooster, and Bold Commerce provide their insights on owning the crowdfunding process and making it easier for startups to go from idea to industry success.