Summer Company past participant pays experience forward
Onager Solutions Inc. president Mike Janke in third year as a mentor with youth entrepreneurship program
August 02, 2013
By: Catherine Whitnall
(LINDSAY) Mike Janke hasn’t been on a wakeboard for a while, but the lessons he learned teaching others the skill continue to serve him well.
Eight years ago, Mr. Janke became a Summer Company participant, running a wakeboard school; his first business.
Supported through the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, the Summer Company encourages students to start and run their own business, while receiving hands-on coaching and mentoring from local business leaders.
The program not only helped offset the risks of being an entrepreneur – participants can receive up to $3,000 in funding assistance – but also helped Mr. Janke pay for his economics studies at the University of Waterloo.
After graduating, he worked for a marketing firm for two years before launching his own business, Onager Solutions Inc. The company supports companies that are looking to grow their businesses and leverage government funding, assisting with everything from concept development and grant writing, to project management and compliance reporting. Since 2010, the company has secured roughly $2 million in alternative grant funding for clients.
“My first experience with dealing with government grants actually came from being involved with the Summer Company,” he noted.
Three years ago, Mr. Janke decided to share his experiences with other budding entrepreneurs and became a program mentor.
“it’s a very valuable experience to be a mentor. I look at it as, not just a volunteer, but I get a lot out of it too,” said Mr. Janke. “It’s a team approach…It’s been educational for me, too, talking to and listening to the other mentors.”
Carter Gooch, one of 10 students selected to take part in this year’s Summer Company program, is glad to have Mr. Janke in his corner.
What started off as a hobby quickly developed into a business idea for the 17-year-old.
“I developed a website for someone and it just went from there,” said Carter of Ink. Creative Design that provides creative services, such as web design, branding, graphics, visuals and marketing, to businesses and individuals.
“It’s providing me with good skills for the future,” said Carter, who plans to continue running the business after he returns to I.E. Weldon Secondary School with post-secondary plans of studying graphic communication.
Ultimately, Carter would like to work for a software company, but isn’t ruling out becoming an entrepreneur like his mentor; he already has helped two clients launch websites.
“This program can help anyone who is planning on starting their own business make the best decisions because you already have first-hand experience. You’ve already mitigated that risk fact. You look back and say, I’ve done this before. I can believe in myself,” said Mr. Janke, noting his summer experience even helped him while at university. “When I’d be sitting in class…I would always come back to my experience in the program and when I was running my own business.”
sectors of the music industry over the next three years; including record labels, industry associations, music start- ups and promoters. The fund will be administered through the Ontario Media Development Corporation, with upcoming deadlines falling on;
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