Small, Remote Thunder Bay’s Startup Scene is Growing
Summary
There shouldn’t be much there in the way of startup technology and mentorship, but as local entrepreneur Nick Kolobutin told us, the tech community is growing. We will make introductions, connect you with the resources you need, and help you learn from our experience, but ultimately it will be your team’s job to deliver the product and the sales.” Along with four other businesses, Kolobutin’s startup called ShipEarly took part in the accelerator. On top of that, he believes that since the cost of living is lower than Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa or Winnipeg, it ends up leaving the entrepreneur with more time and money, “and we offer both.” “Because there really aren’t other companies to cloud yourself amongst, you have the ability to really stand out in this region,” Kolobutin told BetaKit. “It requires people to tap into larger networks and overcome those distance challenges.” Perhaps places like Thunder Bay could represent the minor league equivalent for the startup world, to borrow a sports metaphor. But we don’t have that inertia in place, and it requires a program like this accelerator to try and grow that tech community.” Interestingly, Kolobutin said when startups in Thunder Bay want to branch out to a larger market, the first one that comes to mind isn’t Winnipeg or Toronto, but rather Minneapolis, a modest six-hour drive away.