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Creative Entrepreneurs

Created by the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers, the Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs is an exclusive opportunity for OCAD U students and recent alumni to receive funding to help launch or grow a creative business.

The fund supports creative businesses in all the possible forms they can take. For 2026, recipients will be awarded up to $6,000 to support the development of their early-stage businesses.

Read about the past winners:

The Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs is a multi-staged mentorship-focused grant program where ten finalists participate in half-day, in-person roundtable mentorship session to ask questions, receive guidance, and refine their business plans. Applications will be reviewed by an expert jury, and winners will be selected from the revised and resubmitted business plans. The timeline for each stage of this opportunity:

  • Virtual application info session – Wed. Nov. 12, 1 p.m. EST
  • Applications close – Mon. Jan 12, 2026, 9 a.m. EST
  • Up to 10 Finalists will be selected by an external jury to attend a half-day in person roundtable mentorship at the CEAD (115 McCaul, 3rd Floor) to refine their business ideas during Winter Break on – Thurs. Feb. 19, from 1-5 PM
  • Finalists submit their revised business plans to the jury – Mon. Mar. 9, 9 a.m. EST
  • Winners notified – end of Mar. or early Apr. 2026

Prizes

  • First place will receive $6,000
  • Second place will receive $5,000
  • Third place will receive $4,000
  • A business with a connection to Brampton will be eligible for the Brampton Arts Organization Prize and receive $2,000
  • A social enterprise will be awarded the Ample Labs Prize and receive $1,000 CAD

Submission

Applications are accepted via Typeform. A complete application consists of:

  • Applicant Details
  • (1500 characters max) Describe your business idea
  • (1000 characters max) Describe successes or milestones you have achieved to date. Outline some challenges you face in realizing your business ideas.
  • (1000 characters max) Describe at least one customer segment
  • (1000 characters max) Describe the channels - the ways you will engage, attract, and secure your customers
  • (1000 characters max) Describe how you plan to balance costs needed to run the business versus the revenue
  • (1000 characters max) Describe 3 milestones you need to achieve
  • (Optional, 1000 characters max) If you or your co-founders have a connection to Brampton, you are eligible for the Brampton Arts Organization Prize.
  • (Optional, 1000 characters max) If your business tackles a social problem, describe the social problem your business addresses and how your idea tackles or solves this problem

Download Application Instructions (pdf)

Deadline to submit: Mon. Jan. 12, 2026 9 a.m. EST

 

Apply Now

Eligibility

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be:

  • Current OCAD U students, or recent alumni from any program of study who have graduated in 2023 or later
  • If your business idea involves personnel from outside OCAD U, then one co-founder must meet the above qualification
  • Your business has not yet received more than $10,000 in funding or revenue at the time of application
  • To the best of your ability, be available for the ½ day in person mentorship taking place Thurs. Feb. 19 from 1-5 p.m. EST. Alternative accommodations can be made with advanced notice.
  • We will be prioritizing applicants who have not yet received funding from the Seed Fund.

* Not sure if your idea qualifies for this opportunity? Email Alexandra Hong at entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca with the subject “The Seed Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs”.

Info Session and Advising

Watch the recording of the Nov. 12 Info Session here.

If you'd like 1-1 support, book an advising appointment with Alexandra Hong through the Talent Network, or by emailing entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca. 

Note that advising will not be available Dec. 22, 2025 – Jan. 5 2026.

Jury

 

Our jury will assess and provide feedback on applications and will select the finalists and the winners of the 2026 Seed Fund.

Ahmad


Ahmad El Sarraff (He/Him)
 

Ahmad is a creative Multidisciplinary Designer, Consultant, and Strategist specializing in redefining and innovating the standard of industries and bringing a new lens that can enhance, and improve how we live, work, and play, and improving quality of life.

As the Founder & CEO of A77, a GenZ and Youth led research and innovation startup, consultancy, and think tank, Ahmad thrives in seeing the connections between areas typically overlooked and solving multi-layered problems in varying organizational conditions. Connecting his diverse backgrounds, he finds untapped connections and opportunities for both clients and for A77's innovative projects that aim to reshape and disrupt sectors.

Over the last 5 years Ahmad has embodied a cross-sector approach through his design and consulting work in the private sector and non-profit organizations in North America and abroad. Providing services and creating projects that enhance organizations and industries that are both profitable and create positive impact. From business development, strategy, situation management, scaling and growth, and organizational transformation.

Ahmad sees that connecting industries and creating holistic approaches and solutions is not just innovative, but essential as challenges are often part of an eco-system tying several sectors together, and only a holistic approach will address challenges and create a thriving sustainably profitable environment. Mentorship is a key component in his work and he sees it as a must to remain forward thinking and innovative in rapidly changing industries.

Scott


Scott Nihill (He/Him)
 

Scott Nihill is a development producer and creative strategist working at the intersection of innovation, media, and storytelling. With a focus on using content for good, his work spans educational gaming, science and tech series, and immersive media. He’s contributed to some of the world’s most-watched factual web series, including What If, How to Survive, and What If Kids, and served as a senior producer at GestureTek, pioneers of gesture-controlled technology. Through Embreate, a studio he founded in 2013, Scott helps creators and studios take their ideas to the next level. Scott has taken an entrepreneurial approach throughout his career—finding high-impact roles in early-stage teams, launching the art collective Artist Bloc, and founding Bootstrap Design & Build, a contracting company whose clients include Drake and Matty Matheson’s restaurants. As a producer, manager, and founder, mentorship is central to Scott’s practice. He sees it as both a responsibility and a long-term investment: helping emerging creators build meaningful careers while growing a network of inspired collaborators. He’s especially proud when former mentees achieve their creative ambitions and continue paying that support forward.

Tammy


Tammy Yiu Coyne (She/Her)
 

Tammy Yiu Coyne is the co-founder of Partial, Canada’s first online art platform spotlighting art by emerging, diverse artists with innovative rental and purchase models. Established in 2016, Partial has been featured in publications such as The Globe and Mail and Toronto Life, and today showcases hundreds of artists from across Canada and placing original art in hundreds of homes, offices, and film sets. 

 

Tammy began her career in the ad world before establishing her own design studio, Squab Creative, in 2009. For 13+ years, Squab developed award-winning design for a range of businesses and nonprofits such as Fresh City Farms, Warner Brothers Music, and Right To Play. Tammy also launched a Canadian-made outerwear brand in 2012 across Canada and grew distribution across Japan. She later continued her agile, hands-on approach as Communications Manager for Canada’s leading contemporary outdoor art fair, Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, spanning projects across marketing, inclusive programming, logistics, and strategic partnerships. Today, she sits on the Board of the Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society and is on the Creemore Arts Fest committee.

 

In 2024, she and her partner, Kieran Coyne, opened Chin Chin, an independent wine shop in the village of Creemore, Ontario, sharing fine beverages and art and community events in a historic building. In life, she spends her time advocating for social justice, trying her best to grow vegetables (with middling success), and enjoying nature walks.

Mentors

 

Our mentors will work with finalists at a half-day mentorship to help them refine their applications and business plans.

Andrea


Andrea Rodriguez (She/Her)
 

Andrea Rodriguez is a creative designer and mural artist based in Toronto. Her work is known for its vibrant murals and intricate lettering that transforms surfaces into beautiful storytelling canvases. She draws inspiration from her Colombian-Canadian heritage and the rich biodiversity around her, which allows her to bridge cultures and offer viewers a blend of joy, inspiration, and connection. With over 12 years of experience and a solid educational background in Graphic Design and Art Direction, she has collaborated with leading organizations to enhance public spaces in Toronto. She is committed to creating art that resonates with people, invites engagement, and celebrates the diverse fabric of our community.

Daniel


Daniel Francavilla (He/Him)
 

Daniel is a marketing strategist, serial founder and mentor making a positive impact. He is a Certified Brand Strategist, a professor at OCAD University, a member of the Canadian Marketing Association and RGD, and recipient of a 40 Under 40 Award. Daniel works with founders, leaders and their teams on aligned branding, content strategy, and storytelling. His latest venture, The Good Growth Company, provides training for social good organizations to upskill their teams and scale their mission. He helps nonprofits, local governments, and startups grow their impact. Previously, Daniel was an agency owner, founding Now Creative Group in 2013, later acquired by King Street Media in 2021 where he became a partner and co-founded CreatorClub. As an advocate for social good Daniel continues to support ACCESS, a nonprofit he founded as a student in 2006, which provides funding and mentorship for youth-led initiatives.

Jaymin


Jaymin Luces-Mendes (They/Them)
 

Jaymin Luces-Mendes is the founder of Toni Marlow Clothing. They have a wealth of experience in business strategy, product management, and public speaking. Passionate about people and strategy, Jaymin is focused on positively impacting people and the planet through entrepreneurship.

Serena


Serena Peruzzo (She/Her)
 

Serena is a technologist and entrepreneur based in Toronto, where she co-founded 1RG.

With a consultancy (https://labs.1rg.space/) focused on providing software and data science solutions for civic and social impact organizations, and a community hub (https://1rg.space) for curious and creative technologist and changemakers, 1RG bridges technology and community impact.

Having worked in small startups and big tech for over a decade, Serena is driven by a profound belief that technology can and should empower people. She is dedicated to creating spaces and solutions that support human agency, nurture curiosity, and foster innovative approaches to social challenges.

Shilbee


Shilbee Dhalla-Kim
 

Shilbee Dhalla-Kim is a passion coach who supports changemakers in clarifying their passions to better align with their current purpose. In addition to her own coaching practice, she is an instructor at McMaster University. Previously, she served as the Social Enterprise Manager at the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto, Manager at the Centre for Social Innovation in Regent Park, and Workstream Manager of Entrepreneurship Policy at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship.

 

About the Ample Labs Prize

Ample Labs Logo

 

The Ample Labs Prize is part of an endowed gift provided by OCAD U alumni and Ample Labs co-founders CG Chen and Geordie Graham. The prize supports students and recent alumni who want to launch a company tackling a social problem. Ample Labs is a social start-up using AI & Data to help cities prevent homelessness.

 

About the Brampton Arts Organization Prize

Brampton Arts Organization logo

 

The Brampton Arts Organization Prize supports a creative business that has a connection to Brampton. The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is a non-profit that champions Brampton’s diverse arts, culture and creative industries and advocates for the #BramptonArtist. They work to build a thriving, confident, valued, and empowered creative scene by offering a range of programs, services, and resources.

Inclusivity Statement

OCAD U is committed to promoting access to this opportunity for equity-seeking groups that are under-represented as creative entrepreneurs. We encourage applications from individuals of equity-seeking communities including racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities / expressions. Applicants are invited to voluntarily self-identify with any of these communities in their application.

Contact

Alexandra Hong
Program Lead, Creative Entrepreneurship, RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers OCAD University
entrepreneurship@ocadu.ca