Insights from a VAP client
Accelerate Okanagan - Jul 31, 2017 - Columnists

Image: Accelerate Okanagan
The Venture Acceleration Program Client Spotlight highlights program client successes, challenges, and entrepreneurial insights.

It was Kathleen MacKinnon’s background in psychology and women and gender studies that helped her see something was missing.

While working with youth and young adults, she realized parents needed more tools to help their kids’ emotional development and health.

So she founded Nine Rising.

MacKinnon believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so she created an app that provides relevant and accessible tools and techniques to empower parents to effectively engage and openly communicate with their kids.

Here’s what she had to say about becoming an entrepreneur, the value of being involved in the tech community, and what advice she would give to aspiring entrepreneurs.

What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

I wish very badly I had an inspiring ‘since childhood’ story here. Unfortunately, I was no lemonade stand wiz. I just live by the question: if not me, who?

Tell us about your product:

Our app–ekanary–makes hard conversations easy between parents and youth. We provide parents with educational resources, support from the parent community, and tools to take action in furthering conversations with your kids.

What problem do you solve for your customer?

We’re helping parents no longer feel so in the dark when it comes to how to support their kids during some of the most challenging and vulnerable times of their life.

As an entrepreneur, what keeps you up at night?

Everything used to keep me up at night in regards to my business, but now I feel like I’ve turned a page in the book and have found that often many solutions can come from a good nights sleep.

What’s the value of being involved in the tech community?

It would be near impossible to have learned as much as I have within tech if not for being involved in this community. Whether it’s a meeting over coffee, a panel discussion, or a workshop, there are always learning opportunities and ways to connect here.

Why did you choose the Okanagan to start your company?

I chose the Okanagan specifically for the community. In the tech sector and in our community as a whole I believe it’s something special with how we support our entrepreneurs here. I’m a big fan of collaboration and connection over competition, I believe our community embodies this.

How has Accelerate Okanagan helped your company?

Accelerate Okanagan has been a life line in so many ways within the start up process. From one-on-one meetings with my amazing advisor, to being in a room of diverse professionals during quarterly reviews. They have been able to foresee some of the pivots and hurdles, as well as celebrate the milestones within this whirlwind process of launching an app.

Image: Accelerate Okanagan

How has being an entrepreneur impacted your family, social life, and relationships?

My dad has learned about the app store, so that’s a new thing for my family, and I got a dog in the middle of the startup process (do I recommend it? Only if you’re a super big dog person and have the patience of a saint). I don’t have the patience of a saint, but I really love my dog.

My social life is thriving; I am in bed most days by 9 p.m. watching The Office and I like it that way. I just asked my roommate how she would describe my social life and she said “professional and/or particular.”

In my social life I don’t do things I don’t want to do. I don’t feel obligated to fit the stereotype of where my life should be at, or what my priorities should be. I have great priorities in my mind, and I’m happy. I like my life, I love my business and right now that’s number one. Hell will have frozen over before you find me elsewhere at the crack of dawn other than drooling on my pillow.

What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?

If you’re passionate about it, if it’s all you think about, if you can’t see yourself doing anything else: do it. Kick that bird out of the nest and see if it flies. And don’t let it be come your identity. You are far more than a passion, an idea, a job. You are you, and that is enough always. Your job is a job.

What are three attributes a successful entrepreneur needs?

1) Do something that lights you up. Don’t do it because it’s just a money grab because it’ll get boring (or at least I think so).
2) Be open: to advice, to pivots, to opportunities.
3) Knowledge is power, therefore educating yourself is key. You only know what you know. Bless your opinions, but when you got those juicy facts behind you you are unstoppable.

How would you describe the work culture and environment at Nine Rising?

Always evolving and always authentic.

What have been some of your challenges and what have you learned from them?

The biggest challenge has been learning to let it go. I have a tendency to only want to release things when they are perfect and I feel they are ready. That’s the complete opposite of how things work in a tech start up, so it’s been a large shift, forcing me to learn and just kick the product out even though I could spend forever on the details.

What roles are you looking to add to your growing team?

We aren’t looking to add to our team right now, but are hoping to bring on some fresh faces in the fall. If your background is in marketing hit us up.

What’s next for your company?

Getting our ekanary app out into the community, MC’ing lululemon athletica’s half-marathon: SeaWheeze, hanging out at Okanagan Pride for their Pride March and Festival in the Park with Okanagan Lifestyle (come find us at the gazebo for some rad conversation), and gearing up for our in-school programs in the fall.

Who do you look to for mentorship and advice. Why?

Alison Yesilcimen, the other amazing EiRs at Accelerate Okanagan, tech entrepreneurs in the community, and Kelly Taverner.

In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.

Epic.


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