More than 30 local business owners and founders heard from intellectual property (IP) experts on October 27 about the importance of an IP strategy, a critical component for any business and often a subject that entrepreneurs feel unfamiliar with. The event, hosted by Durham College (DC), featured an industry expert panel, a Q&A session, as well as networking to help foster collaborative relationships between the college and local talent in Durham Region.

“Education is the cornerstone of success for any business, and in today’s competitive landscape, IP knowledge is a critical asset, which is why events like this are so important,” said Joshua Cohen, commercialization specialist at DC. “At Durham College, we believe that by fostering a deeper understanding of intellectual property, we are not only safeguarding businesses but also nurturing innovation and growth in the market.”

The event comes a month after DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) announced a $300,000 grant from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), to help small businesses and start-ups take the next steps to bring their products and services to market. By enhancing its services and providing commercialization expertise, DC is better equipped to educate its clients and student entrepreneurs on developing an IP strategy and increase their understanding of the commercialization process – steps that are crucial to the long-term success of their businesses.

The Tech Talk expert panelists discussed industry challenges, inside perspectives and personal testimonies, and included Dr. Chris Webb, Strategic Advisor at IPON; Tony Orsi, Patent Agent and Partner at Bereskin & Parr; and Michael Stanfield, Founder and COO at Inventing Future Technology Inc. (IFTech). One commonality between the panellist’s advice was the significance of having a strong IP strategy, which plays a pivotal role in the protection and growth of a business, especially when it attracts potential investors.

“In my 15 years in Silicon Valley, I saw investors seek to understand how the idea for a given business was protected, so that their investment was also protected,” observed Webb. “Before they are willing to provide large sums of money backing an idea, they want to make sure no other companies can easily pursue the same market.”

In collaboration with IPON, ORSIE will continue to serve as a hub for innovation, fostering economic growth and creating opportunities for its clients, students and faculty to succeed by offering free IP consultancy services, market research analyses, and investment opportunities. A recording of the Tech Talk is available for those who missed the event. You can also learn more about DC’s ORSIE and IP services online.

Anyone planning their post-secondary future is invited to our College Information Program (CIP) events hosted at Durham College on Thursday, October 26.

Connect with representatives from over 20 Ontario colleges to learn about programs, admission requirements and campus life. Visitors will also be able to tour both of our Durham College (DC) campuses to explore modern learning spaces, meet current students and learn about why people love DC.

At our Oshawa campus, the event will be held in the Global Classroom of the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE) from 10 a.m. to noon.  

At our Whitby campus, you’ll find it in the front atrium of the main building from 6 to 8 p.m.

For more information, please contact Rachel Beerman, student recruitment marketing specialist.

Students and employees at Durham College (DC) heard from a renowned speaker and mental health advocate this week in recognition of World Mental Health Day.

Mike Shoreman brought his inspiring story of recovery, triumph and advocacy to DC. After being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and struggling with depression, he rebuilt his mental health and his life in order to become the first person with a disability to cross all five Great Lakes. At the Campus Health and Wellness Centre, he shared the highs and lows of his inspiring story while encouraging members of the campus community to develop their own mental health resilience, perseverance and drive.

“I strongly believe that we all have mental health in the same way that we all have physical health. We’re all facing mental health struggles and challenges every day, even if we don’t realize it,” he said.

Speaking to DC students, he reflected on his own time as a post-secondary student, and recalled the immense pressure he felt to succeed.

“Am I measuring up to my expectations? Am I measuring up to the expectations of my family, and my teachers? Am I fitting in? Do I belong here? It’s really hard being a student.”

That pressure followed him into adulthood, when he built a successful business as a paddleboarding coach. Although he was doing what he loved, the long hours and constant demands on his time and energy pushed him to his breaking point.

“Have you ever felt like you’re just doing everything, and it’s never going to end? I felt like that,” he said. “I was working myself into the ground, and I didn’t realize what I was doing. I didn’t see it until it was too late.”

The life he had built came crashing down with his Ramsay Hunt diagnosis in 2018, and a dark period of depression followed. But with the support of his family, he sought treatment for his mental health challenges. In the process of restoring his own health, he discovered a passion for showing others how to improve their lives, from the inside out.

“I feel like it’s a responsibility. I try to help one person every day,” he said. “There’s never been a more important time to talk about mental health, and fight the stigma that surrounds it. It starts with having a conversation, just checking in on somebody and saying, how are you doing?”

If you missed his presentation, you can watch it online now. To learn more about Mike Shoreman, visit his website.

Durham College (DC) recognizes the 10^th anniversary of Orange Shirt Day and the third National Day for Truth and Reconciliation through remembrance, reflection and action around the history and impact of residential schools on First Nations, Inuit and Métis families and communities.

“As an organization, DC is committed to reconciliation, with the goal of building respectful, reciprocal relationships that contribute to better educational outcomes for all students,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “And, as an education institution, we are committed to providing space for meaningful conversations and reflection on the impacts of residential schools and their legacy as well as sharing resources for our DC community to learn more about the history of Indigenous Peoples, and ways to take meaningful steps towards reconciliation.”

Together with Ontario Tech University, Durham College is hosting Recognizing Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in The Rotary Global Classroom on September 29. Employees and students were invited to participate and hear from speakers Kevin Lamoureux, award-winning scholar from the University of Winnipeg; Elder Dorothy Taylor, a Mississauga Ojibwe Elder from Curve Lake First Nation; and Elder Dr. Shirley Williams, who is Midewiwin and a member of the Bird Clan from the Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island.

In recognition of this important day, today, the Every Child Matters flag has been raised to honour children who attended residential schools. Tomorrow, the flags at the Whitby and Oshawa campuses will be lowered to half-mast and, at sundown, the DC sign and Connect sculpture at the bus loop at the Oshawa campus, and the atrium at the Whitby campus main building, will be illuminated orange.