The Impact of Collaboration
Coralus is a community that values collaboration over competition. There are many ways that Activators and Ventures meet, resource, and support one another. The Coralus Venture program also brings connection to the forefront by including ways for the community to support Ventures as early as the application stage. In this feature, we will share some of the stories of collaboration that fuel our collective impact.
Coralus Venture Program Support
Coralus works collaboratively with Ventures through Development Guide coaching, financial literacy with a Coralus Activator who is a CFO, facilitated connections in our community, and collaborations with partners in the ecosystem including PNC Bank, Shopify, Export Development Canada and more.
“As a founder, we often get too much of the ‘I’m here for you’ and not enough of the hands on support. That’s why I love Coralus; the program is a multi-faceted approach that feels all encompassing” — Kelly Twichel, Access Trax
Coralus Venture Peer Support
Last year, we hosted a B2B+C Go to Market Collective for Coralus Ventures with Venture Development Guide, Loren Walsh. Through monthly group discussions, ventures supported one another in building out and enhancing their 2023 B2B sales strategy and pipeline. They were also able to gain fresh insights into the persistent challenges they were facing and develop new sales skills and confidence.
Coming out of this collective, two Coralus Ventures, Cooks Who Feed and Sitti partnered to launch the Better Box gift box for their corporate clients.
Hear more from Seema Sanghavi of Cooks Who Feed about her collaboration with Sitti to create the Better Box gift box.
Hear what Noora Sharrab from Sitti Soap had to say about the benefit of collaborating and forming partnerships from the Coralus B2B Collective:
Beyond facilitated sessions at Coralus, Venture founders have formed bonds and made connections with one another to support in ways that only other founders would understand. Coralus Ventures in similar industries meet regularly to connect, support, and learn from one another.
Activator and Venture Collaborations
In 2022, Coralus facilitated a Venture Welcome Circle that connected a group of Activators to support incoming Venture founders who were recently selected.
“We continue to meet on a monthly basis and I am so grateful to have this supportive group of Activators who are always ready to lend an ear. Each Activator comes with their own set of expertise, which really complements the discussions to form a global perspective.”
— Nivatha Balendra, Dispersa on her Venture Welcome Circle experience
Activators go on to become investors, advisors, mentors, and even provide follow on funding to some of the Coralus Ventures in the community. Many Ventures appreciate the power of an intro or connection that can open up new doors for their business.
“We connected with an Activator late in 2022 when faced with an unexpected financial blocker. They assisted in offering a short-term loan. Luckily we ended up not going through with the loan as overdue invoices were finally successfully paid. I was blown away by the immediate and generous support offered by the Activator. They were swiftly responsive, incredibly understanding and offered options that suited our short-term need. Knowing we had this support meant the world”.
— Ally Watson, Code Like a Girl
