.

Meet Our New Intern: Jeff Talajic!

When we announced our call for interns, I was astounded at the response. The quality of the candidates who applied were really strong but out of this pack, we chose one Jeff Talajic to be the newest member of our team. Jeff is going to be interning with Flow Ventures for the summer, so why don’t I let him introduce himself and what he’ll be doing for us, in his own words:

Jumping on this internship opportunity at Flow Ventures was a no brainer for me. I’m an MBA student with startup aspirations, so I’ve decided to take a break from the classroom for the summer and get my hands dirty in the startup world. I’ve requested to help out with all of the unsexy, seldom-blogged about things that are required to run a company — the payroll, bookkeeping, tax remittances, government documentation, SR&ED credits, and even the filing! If I’m going to found my own startup after graduation, I need to know how to manage the nuts and bolts that I don’t learn about in school and I certainly don’t read about in the blogosphere.

This internship also requires me to get out into the community and meet as many interesting startup people as I can, so feel free to introduce yourself if you see me out. My first stop will be at Mondev, the open-source conference taking place in Montreal, May 24-28. The full schedule is here, and if you see me at any of the events be sure to say hi.

Finally, I look forward to bring some fresh ideas, operational muscle, and strategic thought to Flow and help out any way I can. It’s going to be an awesome summer!

So, as you can see, Jeff’s really as keen as can be. He’s already been invaluable putting his weight behind Startup Drinks CA and saving my hide by diagnosing my PC with a network card problem! As they say, the best job security is making yourself indispensable.

Summer Internship Opportunities at Flow Ventures

Seeking an Exceptional Technical Writer

Flow Ventures invests in and accelerates startups. Our unique model combines financing, strategy and hands-on operational services designed to grow new ventures quickly and efficiently. At Flow, you’ll work with experienced technology entrepreneurs who have built, financed and managed high-growth companies. Flow accelerates startups by operating key areas including finance, software development, HR, business development and administration. This allows entrepreneurs to focus on their products and their customers rather than building infrastructure and capacity.

Flow has worked with startups in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. We’re contributors to the tech entrepreneurship community either as organizers, sponsors or participants in various events.

Flow is looking to hire a Technical Writer in either Montreal or Toronto to work with us on a contractual basis, possibly leading to a permanent position. Your role would be to help us gather raw data and information to help us create R&D technical documentation for SRED claims as well as other government grants and subsidies that Flow prepares for our clients.

Responsibilities include:

• Visiting our clients to gather information from their R & D and Engineering teams
• Translating raw data into key concepts to create content for technical documentation
• Writing technical documents for SRED claims
• Writing and filling in government forms for grants and subsidies.

Skills and experiences required:

• Previous experience with SRED
• Exceptional English writing skills
• Capable to write creative and well structured documents
• Previous experience in software development
• Deep understanding of web based & internet technologies
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Meticulous attention to detail

To apply please send your resume to pbailey@flowventures.com

Candidates will be required to complete a writing test.

*Only qualified candidates who match hiring criteria will be contacted.

Reminder: Startup Drinks in YOUR city!

Well, if you happen to be in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto or Waterloo, that is!

Startup Drinks is a monthly gathering of people working in and around startups of every stripe.  In each of these fine Canadian cities, there are people in your community spending their time and energy to keep it alive. The aim is to do what you mostly call networking - it’s fun, easy and involves drinks.  Yeah!

Montreal: SIGN UP HERE!

Venue: Brutopia, 1215 Crescent St

When:  Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 5:30pm

Toronto: SIGN UP HERE!

Venue: Fionn MacCool’s,  70 The Esplanade, Btw Church and Victoria

When: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 6pm

Ottawa: SIGN UP HERE!

Venue: Cornerstone Grill, 92 Clarence Street (in the market)

When: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 5:30pm

Waterloo:  SIGN UP HERE!

Venue: McMullan’s on King, 56 King Street North

When: Wednesday, October 6, 2009 from 5:30pm

August Startup Drinks in Toronto and Montreal! Update: now Ottawa too!

The inaugural Startup Drinks Toronto had over 100 people thanks to David Crow and his organizing efforts.  Montreal had another really nice mid-summer showing as well! We’re back for another round this Wednesday, August 26 in Montreal and Toronto for more startup networking.

For Toronto:

Venue: C’est What,  67 Front Street East, Corner Farquhars Lane

When: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 from 6pm

Sign up: here or on Facebook, if you prefer

For Montreal:

Venue: Brutopia, 1215 Crescent St (South of Ste-Catherine, Metro Guy)

When: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 from 5:30pm

Sign up at TechEntreprise

As always, I look forward to seeing you there!

Robin

UPDATE!

If you’re reading this from the fair city of Ottawa, you can also join in the synchronous fun too thanks to Scott Annan from Mercury Grove!

Here are the details:

- Date: Wednesday, 26 August, 2009
- Location: Metropolitan Brasserie, 700 Sussex, Street level entrance (map)
- Time: 6pm until late

Sign up here!

Join a startup! Launching Flow’s Startup Jobs site

It’s a reminder of the great little innovation bubble we live in that we always hear about startups trying to grow while the rest of the business world seems to be shrinking. Sure, startups are affected by the recession but that doesn’t mean firing is a bigger concern than hiring. Just the opposite.

We’ve just launched a new section of our site where we’ll be highlighting jobs at great startups in the Flow Ventures network (our investments, our clients and our friends). We’ll also be promoting entrepreneurs who are looking to find co-founders. If you’re looking for co-founders (no matter where you are), send us a bit about yourself and who you’re looking for. We’ll help get the word out.

Take a look: http://flowventures.standoutjobs.com

by kandyjaxx (Creative Commons)

At Flow Ventures, we have the privilege of working with startups from the idea stage to periods of rapid growth. One thing experienced entrepreneurs know is that there isn’t anything more important than building a great team. But it’s not easy. You have to find people with a combination of skill, passion (bordering on fanaticism), and humor. When you’re trying to find co-founders, you need people who understand that your project is a long-term commitment.

We’re launching with postings for a senior C# Web developer, two front-end developers (here and here), a project manager, and a PHP developer/founder for a file-sharing startup. Stay tuned for more.