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Weekend 2025
Create, develop, and pitch a business idea in just 50+ hours for a chance to win $10,000!
RampUp Weekend, held April 11–13, 2025, is North Forge’s flagship 50+ hour competition that brings together aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and tech enthusiasts to turn startup ideas into viable business plans. Past winners have built multi-million dollar companies, proving Manitoba has the talent and entrepreneurial spirit to create globally competitive businesses and drive local economic growth.
April 11-13, 2025
North Forge’s RampUp Weekend is an intense, hands-on event where aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and tech enthusiasts come together to develop startup ideas from concept to viable business plans within a short time frame, typically 50 hours.
Participants pitch their ideas, form teams, and work collaboratively to build a minimum viable product (MVP). With mentorship from industry experts and access to resources like the North Forge FabLab, teams refine their business models and prototypes. The event culminates in a final pitch competition, where teams present their projects to a panel of judges, often leading to prizes, investment opportunities, or further support from North Forge’s programs.
This event is designed to accelerate the startup process, foster collaboration, and provide participants with a real-world experience of what it takes to launch a successful business.
1st Place
$10,000
ALSO INCLUDES:
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3-month North Forge FabLab membership for 2 team members
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$150 training credits
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Accelerated entry into North Forge’s Founders Program: Pathfinder
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Prototyping with RRC Polytech’s ACE Project Space
2nd Place
$5,000
ALSO INCLUDES:
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3-month North Forge FabLab membership for 2 team members
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$150 training credits
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Accelerated entry into North Forge’s Founders Program: Pathfinder
Fan Favourite
$500
ALSO INCLUDES:
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3-month North Forge FabLab membership for 2 team members
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$150 training credits
How it Works
🚀 Friday - APRIL 11
The energy kicks off with rapid-fire pitches — just 60 seconds to sell an idea! Once all ideas are in, the crowd votes, and the top 10 are chosen. Those lucky founders handpick their dream teams. Then, the real work begins—brainstorming, strategizing, and mapping out the business’s game plan.
🔥 Saturday - APRIL 12
It's full-speed ahead! Logos are designed, websites launched, prototypes built, and real customer validation happens in real-time...it’s an entrepreneurial tornado! Expert mentors roam the rooms, pushing teams to refine their ideas and navigate the inevitable pivots.
🎤 Sunday - APRIL 13
The stakes are high, and the pressure is on! Teams fine-tune their business models, polish their pitches, and get last-minute coaching from mentors. Then teams take the stage for the final showdown! Five minutes to pitch, five minutes for judges’ Q&A, and then...it’s decision time. Prizes, recognition, and maybe even the launch of Manitoba’s next game-changing startup!
Past Winners Include
RampUp Winner 2014
Permission click is software that creates digital permission slips and facilitates payment collection for kindergarten to grade 12, was recently acquired by Intrado Corporation for its innovative product.
RampUp Winner 2017
Go Oil is a mobile oil change company, has sold over 40+ franchises in Canada and the United States!
RampUp Winner 2018
Taiv is a TV box that allows restaurants and bars to play content that is better targeted to their audiences.
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Sponsorship Package
Discover how supporting RampUp Weekend fuels innovation, empowers entrepreneurs, and elevates your brand in the startup ecosystem.
Meet the Judges
Catherine Metryck
Founder and CEO of Callia
Catherine Metrycki is the founder and CEO of Callia, a tech-enabled startup transforming flower and gift-giving. Since launching in 2016, she has grown Callia into a leading nationwide service in Canada and select U.S. states, earning recognition for her innovation in entrepreneurship.
Allana Schmidt
VP, Global People Strategy & Solutions, IntouchCX
With 18+ years of leadership in Operations, HR Excellence, Organizational Strategy, and Enterprise Transformation, Allana Schmidt has led global cross-functional teams across industries like tech, academia, healthcare, and retail. She is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch in 2024.
Nermin Sa’d
Director of Programming and Global Initiatives, North Forge
Nermin Sa’d is a senior mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. Nermin founded the first virtual engineering company for women in the Middle East. Recognized for her innovative contributions, Nermin was featured in Forbes for her development of the Smart Detection Bra, a device aimed at early breast cancer detection.
Finale
April 13, 2025
5:00 pm
Can’t make the whole weekend? No worries — you can still catch the main event! Come out to the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Concert Hall and cheer on the Top 10 teams at the RampUp Weekend Finale, as they pitch their game-changing ideas live on stage. Big energy, bold ideas, and maybe even the next million-dollar business — all packed into one unforgettable night!
Become a RampUp mentor
As a RampUp Weekend Mentor, you will be able to provide guidance, advice, and guide our aspiring entrepreneurs through the tough problems and pain points they’re trying to solve. An experienced mentor like you will impart knowledge, expertise, and wisdom from your area of expertise to enhance their mentees’ business ideas.
Mentors for roles and fields include but are not limited to:
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Marketing and branding
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Graphic Design, User Experience and User Interface (UX, UI)
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Sales
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Accounting
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Business Advising
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Business Model Development
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Engineering
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Back End Developer
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Front End Developer
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Pitch Scrubbing
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Youth Mentorship
What do you gain as a RampUp mentor?
You’re able to connect and learn from the diverse perspectives of our participants from various backgrounds and generations.
Individuals of all ages and with different backgrounds think and act in different ways – we want all perspectives! Our participants range from post-secondary students, professional students, and workers, to retired individuals! The business relationship between a mentor and a mentee allows for people to learn similar ways of thinking and differences that could provide innovative perspectives and solutions.
Gain the opportunity to make a change in someone’s entrepreneurial journey!
You’ll be first in our participants’ minds! Do you remember the teacher, boss, or coach who did or said something that impacted your life in a positive way? Step into the opportunity to do that for someone else!
Able to strengthen your knowledge, experiences, and lessons.
Put your knowledge and lessons into practice by sharing them with the community! Guide our participants through challenges, point out common problems, and enrich the lessons you learned with fresh perspectives.
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RampUp Weekend FAQ's
RampUp Weekend is an exciting, high-energy event where participants pitch tech-enabled, science-based, or advanced manufacturing business ideas, form teams, and build a startup over the course of three days. It’s an opportunity to bring your idea to life, meet potential co-founders, and compete for amazing prizes.
Friday, April 11, 2025 – 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM at 100 Innovation Drive
Saturday, April 12, 2025 – Full day (8:00 AM to 10:00 PM) at 100 Innovation Drive
Sunday, April 13, 2025 – 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 100 Innovation Drive, then
Final Pitch at 5:00 PM at Desautels Concert Hall (150 Dafoe Road)Anyone with a passion for innovation! Whether you're a designer, developer, engineer, business expert, marketer, student, or dreamer—you’re welcome to join. You don't need to come with an idea; just bring your skills and enthusiasm.
No. Only new ideas that haven’t been launched or incorporated are eligible for pitching. RampUp Weekend is about building innovative startups from scratch, so bring your boldest, most future-focused ideas!
Your idea should be tech-enabled, science-based, or in advanced manufacturing.
Friday kicks off with:
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60-second pitches from participants
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Voting and idea selection
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Team formation around the top ideas
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Initial brainstorming to begin MVP development
What happens on Saturday?
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Teams dive into building:
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Business plans, logos, websites, and product mockups
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Mentors will challenge ideas and guide teams through pivots
What happens on Sunday?
The final stretch! Teams:
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Finalize their pitch decks and product demos
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Present their business in front of a live audience and a panel of judges
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Compete for over $15,000 in prizes and in-kind support
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Nermin Sa'd – Director of Programming and Global Initiatives, North Forge
Allana Schmidt – VP, Global People Strategy & Solutions, IntouchCX
Catherine Metrycki – Founder and CEO, Callia
First Place:
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$10,000 cash
-
3-month North Forge FabLab membership for 2 team members
-
$150 training credits
-
-
Accelerated entry into North Forge’s Founders Program: Pathfinder
-
Prototyping with RRC Polytech’s ACE Project Space
Second Place:
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$5,000 cash
-
3-month FabLab membership for 2
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$150 training credits
-
-
Accelerated entry into North Forge’s Founders Program: Pathfinder
Fan Favourite:
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$500 cash
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3-month FabLab membership for 2
-
$150 training credits
-
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Nope! Come solo or with friends. Teams will form organically after the pitches on Friday night.
Click here to register and secure your spot! Space is limited.
Yes! Everyone is welcome to attend the Friday Kickoff and the Sunday Finale. Come cheer on the teams, get inspired, and experience the energy of Manitoba’s startup community.
(Note: Saturday is reserved for participants and mentors only.)
Absolutely! You can join a team and contribute your skills to someone else’s idea.
Come prepared to share your drive, enthusiasm, and talents as you develop new insights on how to transform an idea into reality.
There is so much to do in 50+ hours! We suggest bringing these items with you to set up for success:
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Laptop, tablet, or any preferred device you want to work on for the weekend
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Mobile phone
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Charging cables for all devices
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Portable battery charger – just in case
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Reusable water bottle
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Wear comfy clothes and shoes
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Create or update your LinkedIn profile to help new team members understand your strengths
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Open mind to learn and connect with other participants
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You bet! We will have everything you need to fuel yourself throughout the weekend! If you have any dietary restrictions, please make note on your registration form.
For Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, you can park for FREE in our parking lot at 100 Innovation Drive!
For Sunday’s Pitch Finale at Desautels Concert Hall, there is ample free parking in short walking distance to the venue. Take a look at this map for guidance.