ABOUT
The WIFT+ Toronto Business Booster Series is a series comprised of two full days providing practical information and instruction on building a business plan from an entrepreneurial perspective. Each session will build the participants knowledge and understanding of the importance and process of building an effective and impressive business plan. Topics of each session are: Understanding and Building Documentation; Understanding and Building Financial Components; Understanding and Building Marketing Components; Business Affairs.
DATES
Program Runs: Friday and Saturday April 11 & 12, 2025
(9:30am - 4:30pm)
Opening for Registration (Members only): Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Opening for Scholarship Applications: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Opening for Registration (public): Monday, February 24, 2025
Deadline for Scholarship Applications: Sunday, March 23, 2025
Deadline for Registration: Friday, April 4, 2025 at 5pm ET
2025 REGISTRATION FEES
WIFT Toronto Members: $300 + hst
Non Members: $375 + hst
Two (2) scholarships will be available to cover program fees for two participants for this program and are made available through the Foundation for Women in Film & Television – Toronto. The scholarship application deadline is March 23, 2025.
ELIGIBILITY
The WIFT Toronto Business Booster series is recommended for those who have some experience in the industry, but are new to producing, or are starting up a company for the first time.
This workshop is open to ALL; WIFT Toronto members and non-members, regardless of gender expression.
SESSIONS & INSTRUCTORS
Session One: Introduction/Building Your Basic Documentation
This session will provide participants with an overview of the series as a whole (Basic Documentation, Financial Components, Marketing Components, Business Affairs/Agreements), describing the overall process of working towards a successful business plan by explaining the traditional elements of said plan. They will then dive into basic documentation whose purpose is to explain the participant's proposed business: the Executive Summary, the Company Description, and the Production/Outcome Description. This session will address how to effectively describe the goals of the business, and why its creation is timely - the "unique-ness" of the business and its goals, and its ability to fill a void.
Instructor: Sasha Boersma
Sasha Boersma is Co-Founder/Producer at Sticky Brain Studios where she leads business affairs, including human resources, accounting, and funding proposals. Since 2013, Sticky Brain Studios has created original games and apps, and developed over 70 others with partners like TVOntario and the Responsible Gambling Council.
Sasha applies her lived and professional experience with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility advocacy to every aspect of her work, including user experience design, marketing, teaching, and business strategy. She uses strategic foresight to identify patterns and develop a humanistic, inclusive approach to her business practices. She understands the nuance of individual experiences for players, users, students, and employees alike, examines systems and processes, and analyzes human behaviour to build happy and effective teams.
Sasha is an ambassador for Women in Games and a member of the Board of Directors of the Disability Screen Office, a national, not-for-profit organization that works with the Canadian screen industry to eliminate accessibility barriers and foster authentic and meaningful disability representation throughout the sector. She also served on various industry advisory committees for Ontario Creates, Canada Media Fund, Women in Film and Television – Toronto, Interactive Ontario, and the City of Toronto. Sasha also works as contract faculty at Centennial College's Story Arts Centre, where she has developed and taught post-graduate-level business courses for creative professionals for over ten years.
Session Two: Financial Components
Building on the previous session, this session will deal specifically with the financial components of the business plan: identifying financial resources, developing strategic relationships, financial projections, effective financial "asks".
Instructor: Sasha Boersma (see above for bio)
Session Three: Company Structure and Organization
Building on the previous sessions, this session will deal with the legal structure of the business. How will the company be structured, and who will lead it? How does each party in the company service the overall goals of the business?
Instructor: Cheryl Grossman, Entertainment Lawyer
Her clients are established and emerging production companies, distributors, and creative individuals who work in film, television and digital media. She provides practical and strategic advice, based on years of experience working in media production, broadcaster business & rights management, and entertainment law.
She started working in the media 20 years ago as a journalist at CJAD Radio, first in Montreal and then as a political correspondent from the Quebec legislature, and from there moved into television news and documentary productions that aired on the CBC, the National Geographic Channel, and the History Channel. She was always interested in the inner workings of government, business, and the law, so later attended law school in Ottawa.
During her legal career, she practised on Bay Street, and then moved to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. At the CBC, her work involved in-house and independently produced programs, distribution, special events, international treaty co-productions, and production financing.
Session Four: Marketing Components
Building on the previous sessions, this session will deal specifically with the marketing components of the business plan: results of market research, identifying target markets, understanding competition, developing a budget, marketing goals, and marketing strategies.
Instructor: Marina Cordoni
Following various senior level positions at global entertainment companies, Marina launched MCE in 2015 to bring studio style production services to the independent sector.
Her passion for storytelling coupled with her corporate understanding of the content marketplace, makes her an ideal partner to work with.
From Berlin to the Cannes Film Festival she is inspired to build global content partnerships and co-productions.
Her work with various organizations including Women In Film & Television-Toronto allows her to share her experience and success building via mentoring emerging female and underrepresented professionals.