One of the core values we prioritize at MAKO Design + Invent, as a leading Toronto product development firm, is boosting, supporting, and developing as many initiatives as possible that bolster emerging entrepreneurs in their quest to realize their business or invention ideas.
As MAKO Design + Invent started out as a small startup fuelled solely by the efforts and entrepreneurial spirit of our CEO and President Kevin Mako during his high school studies, it is gravely important to us that we provide guidance or support as often as possible to young innovators seeking to establish themselves as successful entrepreneurs in their respective field.
MAKO has served as an official partner to the Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition for several years now, and we are excited to share that 2021 will be no different.
About Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition
Queen’s University is a widely known, research-centred university based in Kingston, Ontario that houses an impressive business program – among others – responsible for educating some of the brightest and most talented business students in Canada. In addition to the wide variety of programs it offers undergraduate and graduate students, the renowned university puts on a slew of enriching events each year, the most notable of which is the Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition.
This unique business competition attracts students from around the world with remarkable business vision and grand ideas for products or services that address gaps in niche or broad markets. Each year, the QEC team assesses hundreds of business plan submissions from around the world and chooses only 15 teams to receive invites to Toronto to pitch their business plans to a panel of Canadian business leaders.
The QEC provides the unique opportunity to gain experience pitching to celebrated industry professionals, receive consulting from established entrepreneurs, and secure the requisite funding to begin acting on their business plans. The final weekend of QEC also allows for the vibrant exchange of ideas and innovation strategies while serving as an excellent platform to make new professional and personal connections.
Our CEO, Kevin Mako, was invited to be the keynote speaker of the competition this year as he has a prominent entrepreneurial reputation as CEO and President of one of the top Toronto product development firms. Did you know Kevin Mako was nominated for the EY Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year Award? Learn more here!
Toronto Product Development Firm Sponsors the QEC
Being a top Toronto product development firm comes with numerous responsibilities beyond ensuring optimal client satisfaction, driving progressive research and development, and serving as an industry leader in product innovation. MAKO prides itself on being actively involved in and providing opportunities for our surrounding community that inspire inventive thinking and grow Canadian entrepreneurship.
The QEC represents an exceptional opportunity for students that MAKO Design + Invent was honoured to contribute to and sponsor to support students and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to broaden their knowledge base or test their skills. As a sponsor for the QEC, MAKO was pleased to provide the top 3 winning teams with 1 hour of consulting to inform their next steps for their business, as well as their long-term development goals.
Uplifting youth is integral to driving the progress of professional industries, product research and design, and society as a whole. In addition, it was a fantastic chance for MAKO to connect with other leaders in innovation and business.
Kevin Mako on Driving Product Development Innovation
Our CEO, Kevin Mako, is very passionate about connecting with professionals in the product design and development field and sharing his passion for entrepreneurship. For this reason, Kevin has spent much of his career taking part in different public speaking opportunities and conferences to impart the expertise he has amassed as the leader of a prominent Toronto product design firm.
The various factors that make a business successful, the frameworks of product development, and how to remain at the helm of design innovation are all areas in which Kevin has gained extensive knowledge and extensive firsthand experience. Thus, he enjoys sharing his insight to educate others who are equally interested in these topics.
Being a sponsor for the QEC afforded Kevin the opportunity to not only meet other professionals similarly passionate about Canadian entrepreneurship but also gain insight into the future of niche fields from the ambitious, bright students chosen to pitch their ideas during the competition weekend.
If you have a great new invention and would like to learn more about the product development process, get in touch with MAKO here and visit our website to find out more. Or give us a call at 1-888-MAKO so we can set you up on a call with our Product Strategist!
Also, check out some of Kevin Mako’s top tips for small businesses!
About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!
1-888-806-6256
info@makodesign.com