Nspire is deeply rooted in the National Business and Technology Conference (NBTC), which was started in 2001 by a diverse group of University of Toronto students with the aim of bridging the gap between business and technology. Nspire itself was launched in 2010 and is dedicated to fostering the next generation of innovative CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the business and technology space.
Its mission is simple:

• To connect innovative youth leaders, industry professionals and entrepreneurs
• To empower youth with skills and knowledge that will enable them to distinguish themselves as leaders
• To inspire in youth the confidence to take on challenges and opportunities they would never have thought possible

These goals are fulfilled via a variety of events such as the National Business and Technology Conference (NBTC) and Discovery Series (DS) held in downtown Toronto, a growing entrepreneurial hub.

Nspire's five core values provide insight to the organizational culture, both amongst its members and its community of loyal followers:

• Collaboration
• Passion and Ambition
• Discipline and Work Ethic
• Excellence and Innovation
• Having Fun!

A Message from the President

"Canada, although performing strongly in world innovation rankings, still has a wealth of untapped potential amongst its youth.

Young Canadian students and professionals often lack the necessary exposure to innovation to inspire them to follow their ideas through with action. They are left in the dark about the opportunities and means available to them to perform above and beyond the expected to reach excellence.

Too many of our brightest youth settle for mediocrity and careers that do not maximize their potential. Many students feel obligated to go into the same profession as their area of study, whereas in reality there are many exciting options available to them.

Anyone that has attended an Nspire event knows that with drive and passion, the opportunities for greatness are unlimited regardless of what they study or where they have gained experience.

If you are a student interested in making meaningful connections and gaining valuable knowledge in the business and technology space, then I encourage you to attend at least one Nspire event and see for yourself how far you can go by tapping into your potential.''

Philip La, President, Nspire

Q & A with founder Brad Menezes

Q: How did you conceive of the jump from an annual conference to an umbrella organization?

Brad: We always saw the need that our annual conference filled in connecting young business minds with experienced ones, but were also aware that we needed more than a two-day event to truly fulfill our mission. After realizing that problem, we transitioned to an umbrella organization to offer more programs, reach a larger audience, and deliver greater value to our community.

Q: What is the best thing you've seen materialize since the founding of Nspire?

Brad: The two startups who won our NBTC Entrepreneurship Competition from 2010 and 2011 (Shape Collage and Oohlala Mobile) have landed spots in Canadian Incubators Grow Labs and Founder Fuel, respectively. Both are aggressively growing their businesses and we feel as though NBTC was a key milestone on their path to success. Both companies continue to do very well and their founders are hard at work every day changing the world.

Q: How challenging was the process of starting Nspire?

Brad: Starting an organization is definitely not an easy thing to do. It takes hard work, perseverance and a little luck. In our case, we grew Nspire from the foundation of an already successful conference, which helped to accelerate our growth. Starting a non-profit organization is very similar to starting a business. There's sales, marketing, finance, product, HR, etc., and building out expertise in each of these areas takes time, especially if you've never done it before.
The hardest and most important focus when starting out is to find the best people and never settle for second. The people who join the team must be hard workers, passionate individuals and most importantly, fun and interesting people who enjoy each other's company.

Q: Where do you see Nspire headed in the next few years?

Brad: In the coming years I see Nspire launching new programs, some less event-based and in the online space. I think this will be a great way to deliver value and break down geographic barriers. It's hard to plan too far in the future since things change so quickly in this day and age. I'm confident the organization will continue to grow both its services and audience for quite some time.

The National Business and Technology Conference

The National Business and Technology Conference brings together top students, CEOs, and experienced entrepreneurs in an exclusive two-day conference that includes renowned speakers, valuable networking events, and competitions. Our delegates, speakers, sponsors, and executives are all from diverse academic and geographic backgrounds with one thing in common – a passion for innovation.

Our attendees are at the top of their class, driven, passionate, go above and beyond the expected, and are interested in business and technology. Attending our conference is a great opportunity for our delegates to meet other like-minded people from all over North America. NBTC also has two prestigious competitions in which teams compete: The Consulting Case Competition and the Entrepreneurship Competition. Both are judged by a panel of industry experts and top CEOs, with the winners achieving cash prizes. Last year we had students and teams attend from all the major Canadian universities, such as the University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, Queen's University, and University of British Columbia as well as international schools such as the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Kellogg School of Management.

Past speakers include Harry Rosen (founder of Harry Rosen Inc.), Bruce Ross (President of IBM Canada), Isadore Sharp (Founder and Chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts), and Anthony Lacavera (Chairman of WIND Mobile).

This year we are focused on providing more international networking opportunities for delegates, bringing in a fantastic lineup of innovative leaders in the business and technology space as speakers, and providing an exciting, dynamic and interactive experience for all attendees.

Discovery Series

The Discovery Series are monthly events that take you on a path of discovery, whether by focusing on a global issue in the business and technology realm; bringing in a prominent speaker to inspire and share valuable knowledge; or skill-building workshops that teach delegates relevant and useful skills to help them succeed in the business and technology realms.

Discovery Series events focus on business and entrepreneurship, and offer a chance for attendees to meet Canada's top CEOs and entrepreneurs. Challenges and contests are also organized by the DS team that encourage innovative thinking.

This year, DS is proud to announce the start of its loyalty program, which is setup to reward loyal Discovery Series delegates. The loyalty program includes a membership card and point system. Loyalty members get priority access to events and also receive a reward at the end of the year. This year's first DS event is titled 'Leading Change' and will be held on September 29th.

The Nspire executive team looks forward to meeting you at our next event. For more information, make sure to visit nspire.org and connect with us on our diverse media channels which you can find on our website.

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower"
Steve Jobs

Contributed by:
Tina Yazdi
Director of Marketing, NBTC '12
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www.nspire.org