Accelerator Newsroom

After a two-year Covid-19 hiatus, the Accelerator – in partnership with Tepperman’s – is thrilled to bring back to our local high schools The High School Entrepreneurship Program. Tepperman’s has graciously partnered with The Accelerator to power this program through 2025.

Tepperman’s has been an entrepreneurial role model and champion in our community for nearly a century. Founded in 1925, what started as a dream has now turned into one of the largest independent home furnishings stores in Canada. Andrew Tepperman, President of Tepperman’s, has been a wonderful supporter of The Accelerator over the past decade and is an excellent role model for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Started in 2014, The Accelerator’s High School Entrepreneurship Program was the first program in Ontario to receive funding through the Ontario High School Entrepreneurship Outreach Program. Since then, thousands of local students from all three schoolboards (Greater Essex County District School Board, Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, and Conseil scolaire catholique Providence) have completed the incredible experience this program offers.

“Over the years, the High School Entrepreneurship Program has had a profound impact on our region, shifting the perception of entrepreneurship in the younger generation,” explains Arthur Barbut, CEO of The Accelerator. 

When the program first started, exit surveys of participating students showed that only 20% considered entrepreneurship as an option for employment. By 2019, the last in-person program, the response rate to the same question drastically improved, with nearly 90% of participants stating that they considered entrepreneurship as a viable employment option.

A vital element of any successful entrepreneurial ecosystem is cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship in the younger generation. By making entrepreneurship accessible at an early age, the Accelerator’s High School Entrepreneurship Program, Powered by Tepperman’s, will ensure that students who have a passion for entrepreneurship also have the knowledge and support to help them pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

“We are living in a globally-competitive, fast-paced, and continuously changing environment. This program will help expose the students to a world of entrepreneurialism. It will help open their minds to ideas, concepts, and opportunities. We are proud to make a multi-year commitment to this essential program,” said Andrew Tepperman, highlighting the importance of supporting entrepreneurship in our region.