IDEA Mississauga Community Collaboration

Located in Downtown Mississauga, IDEA Square One is a collaborative entrepreneurship hub supporting small businesses and startups at all growth stages. IDEA partners with community organizations to build a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem reflecting the city’s multicultural population. Many underrepresented groups, including women, Black and Indigenous entrepreneurs, racialized communities, LGBTQ2+ individuals, persons with disabilities, youth, and newcomers, face systemic barriers to entrepreneurship. To address this, IDEA formed authentic partnerships with organizations already serving these audiences.

These collaborations expanded IDEA’s reach and impact, enabling tailored programs, co-branded events, and mentorship pipelines. The result is an interconnected ecosystem where offerings are accessible, culturally relevant, and co-delivered by trusted partners.

EmpowHER Tech Launchpad
In partnership with YSpace (York University), this accelerator supports newcomer women scaling tech-based businesses. YSpace brought strong community ties and a proven model for engaging women founders—audiences IDEA previously struggled to access. IDEA contributed space, mentors, and city-backed visibility. Due to its success, the program grew from 6 to 12 weeks and increased its intake capacity.

IDEA Step-Up Program
This 6-month program helps scale-ready companies, prioritizing those led by underrepresented entrepreneurs. Powered by local innovation partners—University of Toronto’s SpinUp Lab, Sheridan’s EDGE and Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing, and Altitude Accelerator—the program gives participants lab access, equipment for prototyping, Altitude memberships, and mentorship with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. These collaborations expand institutional capabilities, enhance the program’s value, and provide cross-institutional learning for participants. Partners gain visibility, new clients, and funding opportunities.

Pathway to Success
In partnership with Federation of African Canadian Economics, Black Caucus Alliance, Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, and Nobellum, this event supported Black entrepreneurs with resources, funding, and growth strategies. It enabled partner organizations to expand into Peel Region and allowed IDEA to engage new community members. As a result, IDEA added more Black mentors and professionals, enriching its services and building trust as a space for Black founders.

Pride in the Workplace
Co-hosted with Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, this session focused on inclusive business practices for LGBTQ2+ communities. The Chamber provided expertise and outreach; IDEA offered a platform and local network. The event strengthened IDEA’s profile as a Rainbow Registered hub and helped cultivate new relationships with LGBTQ2+ entrepreneurs, making services more welcoming and representative.

Collaborating with these diverse partners helped IDEA overcome the challenge of authentically engaging communities it had historically struggled to reach. Shifting from outreach to relationship-building, IDEA transitioned from passive inclusion to active collaboration. Each partnership was mutually beneficial, blending IDEA’s space, branding, and funding with partner credibility, reach, and expertise.

IDEA supports a wide spectrum of entrepreneurs: startups, scaling companies, main street retailers, and underrepresented founders and its partnership model is sustainable by design. Rather than duplicating services, it builds on existing community assets, infrastructure, and knowledge. This creates a shared ecosystem aligned on service delivery, co-marketing, and long-term economic development, ensuring IDEA evolves alongside the community it serves.