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The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership is hoping to connect with university graduates to gauge interest in developing alumni networks in the Sarnia-Lambton area.

Aimed at connecting university graduates in the area, the Partnership’s Alumni Network Project was developed to determine the interests of the area’s alumni, which may include career development, community growth, or social activities.  Potential networks could prove to be a very valuable asset in strengthening the community.

To provide the initial steps in making those connections, the Alumni Network Project team constructed a short survey that will be available for completion throughout the month of September.  The survey, which can be found HERE.

In addition to the survey, the Alumni Network Project team will also look to connect with university graduates at various community functions throughout the month of September and is offering to visit with any local businesses or individuals to provide more information on the project.

Anyone interested in more information on the Alumni Network Project can contact the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership at (519) 332-1820 or email reception@sarnialambton.on.ca.

Organizers of a “Start-Up Weekend” that will take place in Sarnia-Lambton later this month are expecting 60 participants from across the southwestern Ontario area and beyond.

The community organized event, initiated by members of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation group at Lambton College is being held under the auspices of Techstars, a group that has coordinated events globally.

The event is “powered by Google for Entrepreneurs” and comes together at 148 Front Street starting Friday, September 28 at 6 p.m. and running through Sunday, September 30 at 10 p.m.

Techstars Startup Weekend is the place to look for a team, create a prototype of your idea, validate your business idea, and receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs, all in one weekend.

Organizers suggest bringing “lots of energy” to the weekend event, an opportunity for teams to pitch their own idea or listen to others. There will then be voting on the most interesting ideas, followed by the forming of teams with diverse skill sets.

Full details are available online, with links to Eventbrite and the purchase of tickets.

Carrie McEachran, a powerful and experienced leader in the area, has launched a new business and one of the first things she did was join the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

The business is F Revolution and McEachran’s vision for the business is to create a “tribe” of fellow female leaders, with the organization’s launch event being a “fireside chat” featuring casual conversation about leadership goals, solutions, and what’s holding you back.

The Thursday, October 4 event, which is FREE to attend, will begin at 7 p.m., with Limbo’s Lounge being the place to be.

“It will be a great chance for local women to get together, relax and have fun,” said McEachran, who is already demonstrating her passion for leadership as executive director of Sarnia Lambton Rebound.

“This event is also a very purposeful one, where the people who register will leave with solutions they can use right away at their workplace,” added McEachran.

“During my career, I’ve had several women ask me for advice on leadership issues. I’ve also been fortunate to have some very good mentors myself, and now the time is right to create something that could help potentially thousands of women achieve their leadership goals.”

With virtually no advertising, F Revolution has already grown to over 200 followers, which McEachran has attracted through social media and the F Revolution website.

The key goals of F Revolution are to create a “sisterhood,” provide real solutions for today’s leadership challenges and engage in a love of learning.

“We’ve all been to those boring conferences,” said McEachran. “F Revolution is redesigning the way women will think about life learning events, not just through better speakers and more interesting topics, but fun events.”

For more information email Carrie or reach her on the web (www.frevolution.org) or on Facebook.

Are you having hiring difficulties? Do you experience retention issues, a skills gap or other related issues? Would you like to talk about how the community could help develop your industry’s workforce?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Sarnia Lambton Workforce Development Board is offering an opportunity to get together and discuss the issues and possible solutions.

The SLWDB is hosting a consultation day on Wednesday, September 19 to meet with businesses in a group setting; there will be three one-hour sessions to choose from, at 7:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m.

The location is the St. Clair Room at 265 Front Street N., Sarnia, although those interested in participating are asked to contact the office of the Sarnia Lambton Workforce Development Board prior to arriving.

Two additional sessions will be held in Lambton Shores with details to be announced later.

If you are interested in attending either event or would like more details, please contact Executive Director Shauna Carr at (519) 332-0000 or shauna.carr@slwdb.org.

Erin Bury, the technology and marketing expert and “start-up fanatic” who was named as one of Marketing Magazine’s “Top 10 Under 30,” is the featured speaker at a keynote, workshop and full breakfast event to be held Tuesday, October 16 at the Lambton Event Centre.

The event is part of Sarnia-Lambton Business Week, which is being organized by the Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation and sponsored in part by the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

Bury is a former technology journalist who writes a monthly column for the Financial Post. She is also a technology commentator for CTV News.

In sharing the “ins and outs” of entrepreneurship, Bury’s dynamic presentation will help attendees take their marketing game to the next level.

As the current managing director at Eighty-Eight, a communications agency, Bury works with consumer brands and technology companies to tell their stories. Her client list has included Sony Pictures Television, Torstar and PayPal as well as countless start-ups.

Bury, whose “claim to fame” was being re-tweeted (twice) by Oprah, will help attendees learn how to use an entrepreneurial mindset to win in business.

Cost of the event is $35 plus an Eventbrite fee of $2.20. A link to the Eventbrite.ca for tickets can be found HERE.

Congratulations go out to the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership in being recognized as one of Canada’s Top Ten Canadian Economic Development Groups by Site Selection magazine. The recognition comes as part of the publication’s “Canada’s Best Locations 2018 Awards” program.

Features that lead to the recognition include excellence in regional partnerships, proactive and innovative programming as well as quality data, web tools and resources.

It is the fifth time in the 12-year history of the awards program that the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership has been named to the list. Past years in which SLEP made the top 10 list were 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2014.

Shirley de Silva, president and CEO of the Chamber, said news of the ranking speaks well for the entire business community.

“We work as a team here in Sarnia-Lambton and when one of our own is recognized beyond our borders, we celebrate with them,” she said.

The award will be presented at the annual conference of the International Economic Development Council later this month.

A full story about the recognition appears in Lambton Shield, an online (and soon to be print) business publication.