After seven incredible years at the Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre, WEtech Alliance is entering a new chapter. Starting August 1st, our team will be relocating to the second floor of the University of Windsor’s Windsor Hall, just a few blocks away in the heart of downtown Windsor.

This move — made possible through the continued support and partnership of the University of Windsor — marks a new milestone in our long-standing relationship. Together, our two organizations have mutually benefited from a strong and collaborative connection since our founding. This next step further deepens our shared commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional impact.

This new space brings us closer to the growing momentum in the city’s core and places us within reach of several key innovation partners in the region. We’re steps away from partners and collaborators—including Invest WindsorEssex, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), Art Windsor-Essex, Hackforge, Red Piston, Rocket Innovation Studio, the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA), Connecting Windsor-Essex, the University of Windsor’s Advanced Computing Hub, and St. Clair College’s Zekelman School of Business and Information Technology.

Proximity matters—and this new location allows for deeper collaboration, quicker collisions, and more opportunities to convene the tech and innovation community in meaningful ways.

While our new address brings us closer to downtown Windsor, our mission remains regional.

“Our move to Windsor Hall is more than a change of address—it’s a strategic step toward deeper density, faster collisions, and stronger connections at the heart of the city,” says Yvonne Pilon, President and CEO of WEtech Alliance. “Being downtown puts us closer to some of our most active partners and the growing pulse of innovation in the core. But make no mistake: while we’re planting deeper roots in Windsor’s downtown, our commitment remains fiercely regional. We serve founders and companies across all of Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.”

Each year, WEtech Alliance works directly with nearly 200 entrepreneurs and companies from across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, supporting startups and scale-ups at every stage of their journey. Whether you’re in Belle River or Blenheim, Tilbury or Tecumseh, our commitment to supporting founders and fueling innovation extends across every corner of the region.

One of WEtech’s most unique assets is our connectivity to other innovation and tech hubs across North America. As 1 of 17 Regional Innovation Centres in Ontario, 1 of nearly 30 hubs in Canada through Canada’s Tech Network, and part of a broader group of close to 70 hubs via the Technology Councils of North America, WEtech is plugged into a powerful network of support. These connections strengthen our ability to collaborate, share best practices, and bring new opportunities to our clients, our region, and our team.

At WEtech Alliance, our support goes far beyond a single program or service—we offer a comprehensive, founder-first approach to helping tech and innovation-driven companies start, sell, and scale.

We provide one-on-one business advisory services, customized to each founder’s needs, and powered by a team of experienced advisors and over a dozen dedicated growth coaches. Whether it’s validating a business idea, navigating funding opportunities, or scaling operations, we’re in the trenches with our clients every step of the way.

We amplify success through storytelling that reaches millions, manage a regional tech job board connecting talent with opportunity, and deliver targeted mentorship, networking, and peer learning opportunities that build both confidence and community. Our team supports commercialization strategies, facilitates cross-border and cross-sector connections, and helps founders unlock non-dilutive capital through programs like the ScaleUP Accelerator, Fierce Founders, and the i.d.e.a. Fund.

Every year, we activate the regional ecosystem through nearly 80 events, workshops, and peer groups, engaging thousands and building bridges between entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, students, professionals, investors, and industry.

WEtech has partnered closely with the University of Windsor on many of these initiatives—co-hosting Tech Connect Thursdays, Tech Week YQG, Innovation Alley, and student-facing programs like the Student Business Innovation Partnership, VentureU bootcamp, and Innovation Blueprint classroom presentations.

“The University of Windsor has been a proud strategic partner of WEtech Alliance for many years–not just as a host institution, but as a collaborator in building a stronger, more connected tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem in our region,” says Tom Schnekenburger, Co Vice-Chair of the WEtech Alliance Board and Director, Innovation, Partnerships & Entrepreneurship at the University of Windsor. “From joint programming and talent development to pursuing collaborative funding opportunities, our work together has had real impact—and we’re excited to deepen that collaboration in this next chapter.”

The University is also a key partner in talent development and commercialization efforts, from supporting entrepreneur pitch competitions to amplifying alumni in tech and co-developing regional funding proposals and innovation strategies. We’ve also proudly partnered with the University and the Windsor-Essex FIRST Robotics community to help connect high school talent with post-secondary and industry pathways.

WEtech’s economic impact goes far beyond paycheques and staff hires. While our team includes over 10 staff and contractors, our work gives back in multiple ways—not only to entrepreneurs and companies, but to the broader small business community. From event space rentals and catering to graphic design, photography, printing, and AV services, our programming fuels dozens of local vendors and service providers each year. It’s a ripple effect—one that strengthens the innovation economy while supporting the businesses and people who make our region thrive.

Our new space will also give us more room to bring those stories to life—through events, meetups, and activations that are open, inclusive, and community-driven. Last summer’s Tech Connect Summer Downtown Socials showed us just how powerful these gatherings can be, drawing hundreds of tech professionals, students, researchers, artists, and entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and celebrate our growing innovation community. We’re excited to continue that momentum in the core, while always reaching back out across the region.

Our move also aligns with a broader vision. In partnership with the City of Windsor and the University of Windsor, we’re supporting a feasibility study to explore the future potential for a shared Innovation Zone— spaces that bring together tech, entrepreneurship, creativity, and community under one area. This vision builds on years of momentum and shared belief in the power of density to spark impact.

“This move is just the beginning,” adds Pilon. “We see it as a launchpad for a more connected, inclusive, and collaborative innovation hub that has the potential to reshape how and where we build the future.”

As part of our 2024 Tech Connect Summer Socials series, WEtech Alliance partnered with Art Windsor-Essex to bring this question to life through an interactive art activation led by local artist Talysha Bujold-Abu. The community joined us to map out bold ideas, shared spaces, and collaborative visions for the future of tech, creativity, and innovation in the core.

So while we may be moving addresses, our focus remains the same: to help tech and innovation-based businesses  start, sell, and scale.

Thank you to the University of Windsor for being a foundational partner since day one—and to all of you who continue to support, inspire, and co-create with us.

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