A3: The Space

REVIEW: Jamie, excellent job on your venture pitch and I was happy to see the exploration of a new market I’m unfamiliar with. At first, I was skeptical about investing, since the co-creation and collaboration market is rather saturated here in Toronto, Canada, but your explanation of the need, and niche The Space will fill, was very promising and convincing. I see tremendous potential to use your model for other emerging markets that successfully blends facilities and services, while also contributing to accessible education for all. You treat growth very cautiously and strategically. Your exit strategy brings me peace of mind knowing that an unsuccessful outcome is not catastrophic. As a potential investor, I could benefit on a little further elaboration on exactly how students that aren’t scholarship recipients would access The Space. For example, would they pay a membership fee? This project contributes original value beyond profitability and I’m glad to see the involvement of some notable philanthropists. Your established partnerships, experience of the team, and commitment to providing educational opportunities in your market has convinced me to invest. Shifting focus a little bit, I think your elevator pitch is spot-on and conveyed your passion for the project. The product video also added some great additional information. The pitch deck was clean, professional, and well-organized. Great work!

Hi Jamie! The first thing I noticed from your venture pitch and portfolio is that they are extremely polished, concise and just plain beautiful. I am drawn to minimalist spaces, and I would love to work in a hub such as this. I appreciate that your space would provide a comfortable working environment for many different personality types and work styles. Where would your space be located? Mindshare Learning leases work areas in a common space here in Ontario (Mississauga) in a mall (it’s the first mall-located collaborative work space in Canada). You can check it out here: https://mindshareworkspace.com/ I like the idea of a space where “21st century students” can gather with all of the software, hardware and human resources they require for brainstorming, research and design. It also fills the need for equalizing the playing field in terms of accessibility, especially for those with little to no access to broadband internet. In an article on “My Broadband” (2018), the author reports that “Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released its General Household Survey 2017, which shows that only one-tenth of South African households have access to the Internet at home. Your Space will help those who do not have access, and coupled with thoughtful staffing practices, I really like your venture idea. Great work!