1855 Whitby

The 1855 Philosophy

A strategic initiative that began with the Town of Whitby and the CEO of 360insights, 1855 was created to fill a defined gap that existed in the innovation ecosystem in the Durham Region.

The vision is to provide support for established high-potential tech and innovation companies to accelerate growth and land within the community, expanding the Innovation District in Downtown Whitby,  ultimately becoming the growth arm for a robust Eastern Innovation Corridor from Pickering to Kingston.

new life, old roots

1855 has made its home in the former provincial Land Registry Office, a heritage site dating back to 1873.

As the Durham Region population grew, the Registry relocated in 1987. Many years later, the building was purchased by the Town of Whitby, as part of the vision of the late Peter LeBel, Commissioner for the Town of Whitby. His goal was to make Whitby a fundamental contributor to the tech and innovation ecosystem within the Eastern Innovation Corridor. Peter aligned with tech industry leader Jason Atkins, CEO of Durham's largest technology company, to create 1855 - a place where high-potential tech companies could receive growth support locally, staying within the community with access to capital, top talent, and strategic business influencers. The Town made an extensive retrofit and investment in this historical facility, formed a private-public partnership, and 1855 was established as its own not-for-profit organization. 

Delivering a BOUTIQUE approach

Accelerated Programming in Play

1855 PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY STRATEGIC PARTNERS.

Because of these partnerships, 1855 curriculum spans topics such as advanced sales and marketing, stakeholder communications, growth consulting, executive mentorship, IP/trademark protection, AI, client and investor presentation readiness, talent optimization and acquisition, scaling model analysis, R & D, cyber security protocols, and more.

GROWTH-CENTRIC learning:
Office Hours
Lawyers in Residence
Collaborative Workshops
Lunch & Learns
Leadership Consulting
Presentation Coaching
Connections to prospective clients, channel partners, & investors

 

EVENTS:

Media Days
Public Open Houses & Seminars
Investor Conferences
Signature Thought Leadership Events:
1855 MASTERCLASS
INNOV8 AM

1855 Whitby

Impacting the Regional Economy

1855 was brought to life because of a gap in the innovation ecosystem. There are a range of local supports for start-up companies stemming from the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD) to idea conceptualization, product validation, seed funding, and business incubation at Spark Centre. There was no entity along the Eastern Innovation Corridor (Pickering to Kingston) to advance companies under all facets of the tech and innovation sector,  to the global stage.

Innovation

Outside of 1855, there are currently 20 tech and innovation companies that exist in Whitby; 12 are located in the downtown core with 500+ employees.

Creating Jobs

1855 has commited to supporting 75 companies and creating 750 new local jobs over its first five years.

large-scale Growth

Within 5 years, the GDP from the Regional ICT sector will be approx. $739MM, of which 1855 will have contributed $45MM.

1855 LEADERSHIP

1855 Whitby

DENNIS CROFT

CEO, 1855
1855 Whitby

Alexandra Flewell

Marketing, 1855

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an esteemed Board at the helm

1855 IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, LED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

"1855 provides a long-awaited invaluable service to tech entrepreneurs. As the CEO of 360insights, a company that has received growth support from a Toronto accelerator in the early days (and still operates a satellite office from there), we recognize the power that comes from having access to the right expertise and opportunities. We have a strong board at the helm and the right leadership in place. Tech companies reach out to me all the time looking for guidance, asking where to go, what to do next, how to advance. As we turn the page on our founding year, we strive to be the place innovators think of when needing next-level support. To those entrepreneurs, this is for you." 

 JASON ATKINS - CHAIR, 1855 BOARD & CEO, 360INSIGHTS

1855 Whitby

Jason Atkins

CEO
360insights
1855 Whitby

Jeff Quipp

Founder & CEO
Search Engine People Inc.
1855 Whitby

Brion Hendry

Partner, Assurance & Accounting Leader
GTA, BDO Canada
1855 Whitby

David Lahey

Founder
Predictive Success Corp.
1855 Whitby

Peter Dillon

Technology, Privacy, & Franchise Lawyer
Siskinds Law Firm 
1855 Whitby

Matthew Gaskell

CAO
Town of Whitby
1855 Whitby

Isaac Wanzama

Founder & Chief Strategist
geekspeak Commerce

1855's Member Community

Members receive a white-glove experience in a dedicated, creative working environment with access to accelerated programming and connections to industry leaders, investors, and prospective clients. Above all that, collaborations and synergies with like-minded peers make the 1855 opportunity a game-changing one for driven entrepreneurs.

1855 Member
Link Promotions To Purchases To Drive Insights & Sales.
1855 Member
The solution that empowers you to drive growth and start closing more deals.
1855 Member
NPS connects brands with outdoor influencers, and operates a social network for fishing and hunting​.
1855 Member

Supports SMB to Enterprise companies with software and hardware solutions for managing print environments.
1855 Member
Electronic signatures for real estate documents made simple!
1855 Member
We're Toronto's home of simulated firearm training.
1855 Member
We enable consumer happiness across the product life-cycle.
1855 Member
Discover empty parking and storage spaces for rent in your neighbourhood.
1855 Member
Personalized AR, WebAR and VR experiences for your needs.
1855 Member
The world’s first multi-sensory multi-directional, force feedback suit.
1855 Member
Gamified Parenting App, It's a real world game, ready to play?
1855 Member
Creators of UniBook, a platform designed to bring academic institutions from around the globe together, as leaders through its global e-Education & Learning Management technology.
1855 Member
Howlurr makes dog walking an enriching experience for owners and their beloved pets through a first-of-its-kind software solution to nourish any dog’s health.
1855 Member
Connects organizational challenges with solutions for them to prioritize, focus, and operate more efficiently.

Want to join 1855?

Become a member today »

ANCHOR CLIENTS

In addition to accelerating companies, these organizations also work from 1855. These anchor clients align with 1855's objectives because they compliment what we are trying to do. They drive innovation in our community, provide invaluable advisory support for the members, provide a pool of top tech talent as companies expand, assist with real estate needs for companies looking to relocate here, and foster the landing strategy to acquire working space in the community upon exit. 1855 Member
1855 Member

Partners who lead

These investing partners believe in our vision and are here to support the journey to growth.
1855 Whitby chooses partners skilled in many areas of expertise so they can be mentorship assets to the acceleration program.

A NOD TO OUR ECOSYSTEM PARTNERS

To uphold the lofty vision of 1855, it takes a village of support from strategic partners within the innovation ecosystem. We look forward to developing new partnership synergies, further collaborations with these organizations, and the continuance of a culture of extraordinary engagement through innovation.

TOGEHTER WE CAN (AND WILL) MAKE A GREATER IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY!

1855 Member

Contact Us

Get In Touch

Address

400 Centre St S., Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1N 4W2

Email Address

info@1855whitby.com