Singer/Songwriter Hannah Chapplain Strikes a Chord With New Artist Entrepreneur Program Pitch at CDMN Canada 3.0 2012
STRATFORD, ON, April 25, 2012 /CNW/ - Hannah Chapplain, a singer from Alton, Ontario, is stepping into the spotlight as a new class of entrepreneur ready to make her mark bringing digital media content to market. Chapplain will be among 50 startup entrepreneurs pitching in the Road to Banff® competition at the CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 digital media forum today, aspiring to one of three top finalist prizes to the Road to Banff forum later this year.
Chapplain has already sung with established bands like Blue Rodeo and performed Tuesday evening as the warm-up act for musician Kim Mitchell, so is well on her way to achieving her career goals. The striking performer, originally from Australia, will be the first musician ever to compete in the Road to Banff contest hosted by CDMN Canada 3.0. Chapplain is working with the Communitech Venture Services program in Waterloo Region to fully launch her startup business.
"This is about a new era of entrepreneurship with the artist as entrepreneur and the music as digital content," said Marc Castel, Chapplain's Executive-in-Residence mentor at Communitech. "With democratized distribution of digital media via social channels, artists now need to rise above the noise on the Internet and in the marketplace to successfully commercialize what they have to offer."
Today, in true entrepreneurial spirit, Chapplain will make her pitch to the judging panel hoping to best her high-tech rivals. Of the 10 prize winners, three top companies will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to the October, 2012 Banff Venture Forum, known as Canada's premier company financing event. The forum will showcase over 100 cutting-edge startups from across the nation, all vying to secure venture capital funding from more than 400 VCs.
While her musical content differs from that of the 400 tech startups that Communitech mentors, the business foundation needed to succeed is the same. Working closely with Communitech's Venture Services team, Hannah will be schooled in all essential aspects from developing a strong value proposition and learning to pitch for endorsement, to how to create marketing programs, build a team, and take the final product to market.
Communitech, a node in the Canadian Digital Media Network, is hoping that Chapplain's foray into entrepreneurship will forge a new class of entrepreneur for other musicians, painters, sculptors, and others to emulate, enabling greater commercial success for more 'startup artists'. As Chapplain's support system and achievements grow, she could be paving the way for many artists in digital media marketing.
As for Chapplain, she has been surprised that at the age of 19, her career has already had such traction.
"I thought it would be a longer process, but I've been blessed with a lot of positive people around me and really good connections," Chapplain recently commented in a media interview.
Castel says the artist as entrepreneur approach is a win-win, enriching Communitech's innovative culture while broadening the opportunity for jobs and growth in Ontario and the country as a whole.
The CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 forum continues today with the finals of the Road to Banff pitch-off wrapping up in the afternoon culminating in 10 finalists being awarded their prizes from sponsors that include BDC, Capital Road, Deloitte, Miller Thomson, McCarter Grespan, Brand Tannery, Powernoodle, and Vidyard.
Full information on the forum is available at: www.canada30.ca and you can follow CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 on Twitter @Can3_0 or join the conversation using #CDA30.
About CDMN Canada 3.0 2012
CDMN Canada 3.0 2012 is a forum organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) www.cdmn.ca focused on advancing Canada's strength in digital media. CDMN encourages job creation and increases global competitiveness by linking Canada's leading digital media centres with industry, government and academia.
About Communitech
Founded by a group of dedicated entrepreneurs in 1997, Communitech www.communitech.ca is the regional hub for the commercialization of innovative technologies supporting and building a Southwestern Ontario tech cluster of more than 800 companies that now generates more than $25B in revenue. Communitech supports tech companies at all stages of their growth and development - from startup companies, to rapidly growing SMEs, to large global players - to create greater numbers of successful global businesses for Ontario and for Canada.
About Hannah Chapplain
For more information about Hannah Chapplain, visit her online at www.hannahchapplain.com
Media Contact
Shelley Grandy, Sr. PR Advisor, Canada 3.0 2012, [email protected]
Share this article