Build a Biz Kids

Build a Biz Kids, a registered Canadian charity, develops progressive, future-ready educational programming focused on flexing over 70+ essential soft skills in children 7-14 years. 

Working with local partners, public schools, libraries, community center's and other youth based non profits, Build a Biz Kids is uniting a community of dedicated and passionate people who believe that children can drive incredible change for their families, communities and the world.

The Discovery Foundation’s Future Leaders Initiative equips youth aged 9-14 from remote and rural communities with essential digital and entrepreneurial skills through three hands-on programs focused on e-commerce, online courses, and digital business development. By fostering early technology literacy and innovation mindsets in underserved communities, this initiative creates a pipeline of future technology leaders who will contribute to BC's long-term economic growth and technological innovation.

NEW VENTURES BC

New Ventures BC is a non-profit organization that recognizes, encourages, and develops entrepreneurship and innovation in B.C.’s start-up technology sector. Since 2001, has supported this mandate by offering education, mentorship, networking, cash prizes, grant funding, and recognition. Each year they run the New Ventures BC Competition, the largest and longest-running tech competition in BC, offering education, coaching and awarding $250,000 and prizes to BC startups. Through it, NVBC has supported over 3000 startups across the province.

The Discovery Foundation BitSavers Program: Re-Engineer your Growth, addresses a critical gap for technology companies experiencing stalled growth by providing expert analysis and strategic intervention. Through in-depth assessment and personalized action plans, the program helps companies identify growth barriers, optimize operations, and implement targeted solutions to revitalize their business trajectory, ultimately strengthening BC's technology ecosystem and ensuring sustainable economic development.

Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST)

KAST is the largest technology-focused economic development association in the Kootenay region and since 1998 they have been leading the region’s economic development through technology and innovation.

KAST, through the Kootenay Venture Network (KVN), a group of accredited investors who invest in early-stage technology companies, will run the Discovery Foundation’s Acceleration Initiative for KAST's Kootenay Venture Network. 

The Kootenay Venture Network (KVN) is a dynamic community of investors and entrepreneurs driving innovation in the Kootenay region. Designed to connect promising startups with accredited investors, KVN provides a platform for collaboration, mentorship, and strategic investment. Unlike traditional pitch forums, KVN fosters meaningful connections between founders and investors, engaging when businesses are ready to take the next step. The current Acceleration Initiative will strengthen the KVN through structured training, mentorship, and networking to equip both entrepreneurs and investors with the skills and connections needed to drive innovation and secure funding.

Indigenous Tech Circle

An Indigenous-led Tech Community that brings together leading Indigenous voices in Technology to enhance the ecosystem and celebrate Indigenous identity and achievements. 

The Discovery Foundation's Indigenous Tech Founders Program bridges critical gaps in the ecosystem by empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs with culturally tailored mentorship, skills development, and industry connections. Through two intensive cohorts and a specialized Venture Readiness Workshop, this program addresses the historically low representation of Indigenous Peoples in tech while fostering connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders. By developing a pipeline of investable Indigenous-led businesses and incorporating Indigenous Ways of Knowing, the program strengthens BC's tech sector while advancing meaningful economic reconciliation.

WEBC

Women’s Enterprise Centre is a non-profit organization devoted to helping BC women start, lead and grow their own business. Since 1995, WEC has fueled the success of women-led businesses by providing business loans up to $150K. They also provide business skills training, personalized business advice, mentoring, practical business resources and a supportive community to help women business owners gain the skills, mindset, financing and networks they need to realize their business potential.

The Discovery Foundation’s Digital Strategic Leadership Program is designed to support women entrepreneurs who want to radically rethink their business. Using a digital lens, it equips women to implement technology to improve their business performance as they build and grow their technology-focused or technology-enabled businesses.

JA British Columbia

JA British Columbia (JABC) is a not-for-profit impact organization that delivers free hands-on, immersive education in work readiness, financial health, and entrepreneurship to youth in British Columbia, giving them the skills and confidence they need to become leaders of tomorrow.

The Discovery Foundation Discover Your Pitch Program is a capstone experience for student companies to take their business and presentation skills to the next level enhancing their foundational elements of entrepreneurship through pitch workshops and pitch competitions.

WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, BC CHAPTER

Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) is committed to advancing women in Canada by providing opportunities for members to remain relevant and connected through strong relationships and continuous learning. WCT is a national association uniquely focused on providing networking, mentoring and educational opportunities for women in the telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) industries. 

The Discovery Foundation’s Speed Mentoring Program in collaboration with WCT is a series of speed-mentoring sessions for women in communications and/or technology, and aims to provide women with accessible, informal mentoring opportunities, fostering potential long-term mentor/mentee relationships.

Central Interior Business Accelerator Society (formerly Kamloops Innovation)

Central Interior Business Accelerator is dedicated to empowering emerging and established organizations throughout the Central Interior region of British Columbia to thrive and transform.

The Discovery Foundation's AI Skills Accelerator will provide opportunities to engage with AI tools – from both educational and business applications. The Program will enhance capacity not only in the educational sector - encompassing students, educators, and research offices - but also in the business and industrial sectors across Kamloops and its neighbouring regions. Generative AI and “no code” AI tools are designed to make AI more accessible to individuals and businesses without the need for extensive coding knowledge, democratizing access to AI-powered tools and fostering innovation in various domains.

Skypilots

SkyPilots is holistic leadership development that transforms clients through progressive self-mastery, applied communication skills, and systems-thinking development. Through focused workshops and discussions, participants develop essential leadership competencies that enable them to navigate complex challenges, and scale their organizations to drive economic growth in BC's technology sector.

The Discovery Foundation High-Performance Leadership Program enables senior executives in tech-enabled companies to develop high-performance team practices, communicate leadership vision, address strategies for sustained high-performance, apply best practices for adaptive and distributed leadership, and consider the impact of Al on leadership roles and practices.

Sfu venturelabs

SFU VentureLabs collaborates with science and tech-focused companies through structured accelerator programs designed for development and growth with actionable advice, hands-on mentoring, and valuable resources.

In its second iteration, the Discovery Foundation Business Development Boot Camp for Health Sciences Ventures, is a highly interactive course focusing on developing strategic alliances and business development skills for executives in the Health industry. It will be taught through a combination of case studies, presentations, group discussions, and mentorship in a one day intensive workshop, with follow-on mentorship support. Taken together, the materials and support provide an integrated view on licensing transactions or deals, including early-stage licensing within universities, companies and other organizations. This course will be delivered by experts, and includes legal, valuation, and business specialists as a part of the instruction and mentoring team.

Synergy Foundation

A BC-based non-profit organization established in 2013 to catalyze the transition toward a regenerative economy. Through their innovative programs focusing on circular economy practices and green business operations, they support communities and businesses across British Columbia to create environmental, social, and economic resilience. Their core initiatives—BC Green Business, Project Zero, and the Ecostar Awards—reflect their mission to guide communities toward a more sustainable future while fostering inclusive economic development.

The Project Zero Incubator run by Synergy Foundation and powered by Discovery Foundation, supports BC-based start-ups developing innovative new products and services within the circular economy.

Through comprehensive programming that combines mentorship, technical training, and collaborative networking, participants build fundamental business and entrepreneurial skills, establish a network, and develop a polished business plan and pitch while contributing to BC’s growing circular economy

Volition

Since 2017, Volition has been at the heart of startup ecosystems, bridging gaps between founders, funders, and support organizations to foster thriving entrepreneurial environments. Their mission is to strengthen innovation ecosystems for a better tomorrow through providing  cohort-tailored support and program consultation for ecosystem actors that serve, educate, and fund women-led and impact-oriented ventures.

Discovery Foundation’s Capital Connect Program serves BC-based tech and tech-enabled companies from pre-seed to early Series A with a founder-centered approach to funding strategy development. Combining personalized Business Startup Advising with community-based Capital Conversations (virtual events), the program creates a dynamic learning environment tailored to diverse founder needs. With priority given to women entrepreneurs, the program empowers participants through critical funding milestones while supporting Discovery Foundation's mission to promote commercial innovation and sustainable growth in BC's technology ecosystem.

The Discovery Foundation partners with Agents every year to deliver its programs. Each of the Agents and their programs are listed here: