Staffer hopes to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams
There’s a new face around the Don Wright Building in Stephenville, NL, and he’s ready to get down to business.
Ian MacDonald is the new Business Development Officer-Entrepreneurship at College of the North Atlantic, (CNA), and he has a lot of plans to help budding business ideas grow.
“My role is to develop entrepreneurship programs and services to create a college entrepreneurial ecosystem that focuses on skills development necessary to support SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) concept development, venture launch, and management,” he said.
Born and raised in Stephenville, NL, MacDonald returned home after living in St. John’s, NL for a few years while he attended university.
“I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a focus in small business development from Memorial University of Newfoundland,” he said.
Before working at CNA, he had experience working with social enterprises as a project co-ordinator with the Community Education Network.
“The focus was a project called Workforce Innovation Through Social Enterprise that was funded by the NL Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC). We piloted three social enterprises and completed research on the social enterprise ecosystem in NL.”
Now working with Wayne Quilty, CNA’s Director of Partnerships and Innovation, MacDonald’s role will focus on creating tools for entrepreneurs.
“Some key activities we hope to complete include: creation of an entrepreneurship website, establishment of a mentorship program, establishment of a CNA entrepreneurship podcast, creation and delivery of community lifestyle business workshops and creation of a CNA entrepreneurial competition,” he said.
He said he is eager to help CNA’s budding entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.
“If you or anyone you know are CNA alumni or are a current student and are interested in starting a business, send them my way!”
MacDonald can be reached by email at: ian.macdonald@cna.nl.ca.
