1. MaRS Discovery District
Beyond Advisory Services: Leveraging peer groups and the community to
help entrepreneurs grow their businesses
March 24th, 2010

2. There are three key objectives for today’s presentation:
• Provide an overview of MaRS Business Services, our clients,
and our key services
• Discuss how we engage our regional community to meet
our clients needs
• Describe the benefits to leveraging peer networks to assist
our clients
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3. MaRS is a non-profit innovation centre connecting science,
technology and social entrepreneurs with business skills, networks
and capital
MaRS helps to create successful global
Mission businesses from Canada’s science and technology
Who we Early stage science and technology ventures and
Serve innovative social purpose businesses
Measure Job and wealth creation for the economy
of Success
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4. MaRS Discovery
District
Real Estate Business Services Cluster
Services Development
Partner Programs
Office and Laboratory IP Development Services Strategic Partnerships
Facilities (MaRS Innovation)
Stakeholder Support
MaRS Incubator MaRS Advisory Services
Community Programs
Market Intelligence
MaRS Collaboration Centre
Services Awards and Recognition
Conference Facility
Entrepreneurship Knowledge Management
IT/AV Services Educational Programs Services
MaRS Centre Development Capital and Talent Services
Support and Enabling Services
Finance, Administration, Corporate Development, HR, Community Investment, Communications
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5. MaRS Advisory Services
Practices
Information and Advanced
Life Sciences /
Communications Cleantech Materials and Social Ventures
Healthcare
Technology Engineering
• Approximately 70 advisors of record
• Rigorous, yet porous client funnel to move early stage companies along
the right path
• Each practice leverages consistent, yet unique tools and processes to
support venture clients
• With limited resources, it is very important to selectively apply our
resources to work with all clients with the appropriate level of service
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6. MaRS Advisory Services
MaRS-based Volunteer SiG Advisors
Venture Group Secondments
BMEP EIR’s Advisors and EIR’s
A single integrated pool of advisors offering free consultative
services to an array of emerging ventures
Entrepreneurial Educational Programs, Market Intelligence Services, Capital
Services, Talent Services, Advisory Panels, and Special Services
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7. • Volunteer Advisors accounting for a larger percentage of total advisory
services hours; fully integrated with the MaRS Advisory Services team
• Engagement of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts to
ensure comprehensive skill sets
• Volunteers become MaRS ambassadors in the community, both domestic and
international
Number of Active Ventures Number of MaRS Advisor Hours
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8. • Rigorous recruiting and screening process for all advisors (FT, PT, or
volunteers); volunteer advisors are only accepted into the program via qualified
referral
• Philosophy is to promote team-based advisory when working with clients
• Enables new advisors to learn the MaRS methodology, develop their
coaching skills, and receive peer to peer feedback to ensure continuous
improvement
• Group setting provides confidence to make collective decisions vs.
unilateral
• Consistent and frequent client satisfaction pulse check feedback surveys
administered; summarized improvement opportunities are communicated to all
MaRS Advisors on a monthly basis
• Annual job and wealth creation assessment determines progress towards
ultimate mission
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10. 1. Volunteer Community
- Credible business people working directly and
indirectly with clients (e.g. networks,
customers, recruiting, etc.)
- In-person and online education providing Leveraging our
practical and specialized entrepreneurship “backyard”
education resources to meet
our client needs
2. Partner Organizations
- Focused and dedicated advisor time with • Capital
partner organizations to assist clients • Talent
• Customers
3. Connections to Capital • Partners
- Angel, venture capital, and co-administration • Mentorship and
of early stage seed fund Advice
4. Corporate Engagement
- Qualified deal flow engine linked with
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innovation / growth strategies with MNE’s
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11. Seeking Seeking
Revenue Streams Early Markets
Cost Savings
Access to Funding
Competitive Advantage Potential Partners
Receiving Receiving
Leading Ideas R&D/Seed Investment $’s
New Products Trial Customers/Revenue
Innovation
Culture Changing Broker Partners (channel,
Engagements distribution,
manufacturing)
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12. 1. Advisor to Advisor
- Sharing of client needs and challenges to leverage the broader
network across the province
- Share learning’s and develop creative practices on mentorship
and working with clients
- “Safety in numbers” – peer to peer advisor evaluations
1. Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur
- Facilitated discussions to share common challenges in a
neutral environment
- Informal forums / networking discussions to share information
- Former / current entrepreneurs serving as advisors,
mentors, educators, etc.
3. Advisor to Entrepreneur (e.g. client “roadshows”)
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13. Universities Proof of
Principle Grants
Research
Hospitals Pre-Seed Funds
Individual Angels
Scientists
“
Philanthropists
Generating
“ Inventors
VCs
Purposeful Banks
Collisions
Individual Service Providers
Entrepreneurs
Government
Incubator
Companies Industry Associations
Regional Innovation
Small/Medium
Organizations
Sized Business
Large Sector-based
Corporations Organizations
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14. Economic and Social Impact
Real Estate Services Cluster Development
Office & Laboratory Facilities | MaRS Incubator Strategic Partnerships | Stakeholder Support
MaRS Centre Development | IT/AV Services Community Programs | Awards & Recognition
MaRS Collaboration Centre Talent & Knowledge Management
Public Policy
Business Services
IP Development | Market Intelligence | Capital & Investment
MaRS Advisory | Entrepreneurship Education
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