Author Archives: Aaron Brindle

Expanding Support for Underrepresented Founders


Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders and Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders are now open for applications!


Last year, we announced the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders program, for women-led startups in North America. Like our other accelerators, the program was designed to help startups identify and solve technical challenges and grow their business. But this cohort also received tailored programming to address some of the longstanding barriers that women-led startups face. This year, we are thrilled to once again open applications for the program until July 19. 

And as we look ahead to our second year of programming for Canadian startups, we are expanding our commitment to underrepresented founders by introducing the Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders program to North America. Applications are open now until July 9.

Acknowledging barriers  
Founders from diverse communities remain underrepresented in the tech startup ecosystem because they often lack the resources required to launch their business. But the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified structural barriers and disproportionately impacted underrepresented groups. 

Additionally, Black founders face a host of longstanding inequities that create challenges for launching their startups. Research has shown that Black-led businesses lack equitable access to funding, personal development and mentorship opportunities.  

Women founders are often connected at the peer level within their ecosystems, but they too lack access to venture capitalist funding and accelerator programs. A recent report showed women-led startups only received 2.3% of global venture capitalist funding in 2020, and this fell from 2.8% the year before. 

Tailored Programming 
Our two accelerator programs for underrepresented founders aim to support the unique needs of these groups through tailored programming. In addition to mentorship and technical project support, the programs will also include deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development for founders. Participants will also hear from a roster of speakers and facilitators who deliver both technical and nontechnical programming through the lens of their communities.

Helping Founders Succeed 
As we expand our support for the startup ecosystem, we want to continue to create opportunities and bridge the gap for underrepresented founders to succeed. 2021 is the first year the Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders is open to applicants across North America. Applications are open until July 9, and you can apply here. Women-led startups can apply for our second Google for Startup Accelerator: Women Founders here by July 19.  
We are excited to kick-off another round of North American Accelerator programs, and encourage Canadian startups to apply!

Posted by Ashley Francisco, Head of Startup Developer Ecosystem, Google Canada

Our work to help get 25,000 Canadian small businesses online over the past year

For the past three years, Susan Lee-Macdonald has been making homemade treats for her dog Dumpling out of her kitchen in Toronto. When the pandemic hit and she began spending more time around the house, she started sharing Dumpling’s treats with other furry friends in the neighborhood. Soon enough, the dogs were starting to drag their owners back to Susan’s house for their daily snack. As popularity for the canine treats grew in her community, Susan decided to take a leap, joined Digital Main Street’s ShopHERE powered by Google program and created Dumpling’s Treats, an online business where she sells one ingredient, human-grade dog treats. 


Susan’s journey is one of the many inspiring small business stories we’ve heard over the past year. This week, Google is celebrating and supporting small businesses around the world during our second annual International Small Business Week, and we’re taking a moment to reflect on one year of ShopHERE powered by Google, helping small businesses across Canada get online. 


ShopHERE was launched last April by Digital Main Street (TABIA) and the City of Toronto to help independent businesses, entrepreneurs and artists build a digital presence and minimize the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Last May, Google Canada announced a one million dollar commitment to scale the program and ShopHERE powered by Google was born. In the weeks to follow, FedDev Ontario and the Ontario Provincial government announced a $57M investment to expand the program across Ontario, offering more businesses like Susan’s the opportunity to build an online store. 


We’re excited to share that to date, 25,000 Canadian businesses have signed up for the program, including 64% that identify as women and 33% that identify as BIPOC. Additionally, over 780 university and college students and grads have been hired to build websites for the businesses, with 54% identifying as female and 75% as BIPOC. This comes at a time when consumers across the country are rallying behind small businesses. Google searches for “support local businesses” have grown by more than 20,000% since last year. For the businesses, the program had a tremendous impact on their ability to stay afloat and reach customers beyond the traditional main street. 




But it’s not just the businesses that are benefiting. ShopHERE powered by Google hired university and college students to build the online stores for the participating small businesses. Students like Vanessa Rodrigues, who claims the program’s thorough training and onboarding allowed her to build an incredibly wide digital skill set, like learning about branding, how to create websites on e-commerce platforms, and how to train businesses on digital marketing. Vanessa has been able to walk away with a new set of digital skills and connections with a number of businesses, providing a foot in the door for future opportunities. 





As businesses and communities reopen and recover, we know online shopping behaviours are here to stay -- 42% of Canadian shoppers want to check inventory online prior to going to the store and 41% of Canadian shoppers get ideas and inspiration for purchases online1. So as we look to recovery, it’s more important than ever that businesses continue to build out their online presence. Eligible businesses are still able to sign up for the ShopHERE powered by Google program, and can get helpful tips and tricks to expand online from Google for Small Business. Check out this blog to hear from a few of the Canadian businesses that participated in the program over the past year. 

Posted by Sabrina Geremia, VP and Country Manager, Google Canada and Darryl Julott, Managing Lead, Digital Main Street

1 Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 Tracker, Canada, n=1000 online consumers 18+ per market. May 20-23, 2021

Meet eight Canadian small businesses from the ShopHERE powered by Google program

As we celebrate International Small Business Week, we’re taking a moment to reflect on our one year partnership helping get small businesses across Canada online with the Digital Main Street ShopHERE powered by Google program. Read below to learn about eight small businesses who participated in the program and are now reaping the benefits of being online. And if you're a Canadian small business interested in building out your online presence - you can still register. 


As part of the festivities, we’ll be highlighting inspirational small business stories, including a new video spot featuring Rugs by Roo, a Vancouver-based sustainable rug business. And, on Thursday June 24th, we’ll also be hosting the first ever YouTube Small Biz Day, where you can shop from 20 unique small businesses across Canada and the U.S. live on YouTube, including ChopValue, Malleable Jewellers, Rugs by Roo, and more. 


Read on for the inspiring stories of small business owners supported by the ShopHERE powered by Google program 


Beads Bangles & Bows - Windsor, ON 
Five years ago, Alyssa Trumic started Beads, Bangles & Bows, where she brought her love for painting, creating and jewelry making to life. She would sell her handcrafted products as a ‘side job’ at local markets and art shows in the Windsor area. But when the pandemic hit, and she lost her job in the restaurant industry, Alyssa decided to make her side job a full time business. She didn’t have a website or online presence at that point, but came across the program at just the right time. Alyssa credits the program for not just building her website, but coaching her along the way, advising her on the layout and style, and providing ongoing workshops that added rigor, concrete goals and business objectives to follow. 


Cultivate - Toronto, ON 
Francesca Serwaa started her business as a counselling service in 2019, serving the Black community with mental health and addiction challenges. When the pandemic hit, she figured people needed something beyond therapy - and set out on a mission to create a business with a variety of self care products. CultiVate is a wellness lifestyle brand with products essential to your self care. It was inspired by Black millennials looking to connect within themselves, and it also aims to modernize Afrocentric healing practices. Francesca has been selling online since October. 


Doodle Lovely - Halifax, NS 
Melissa Lloyd started Doodle Lovely in 2016, following 20+ years in the corporate industry. After working nonstop, she was burnt out and stressed, so began using doodling as a tool for calm and mindfulness. When she realized the power of doodling, she knew she wanted to bring this to the rest of the world. With Doodle Lovely, Melissa sells stationery, pens and products for the home, but also provides guided doodling practices, called ‘Doodle Breaks.’ Once COVID hit, Melissa knew she needed to elevate her online presence - so she signed up for the program, and with her new website, her sales have grown 200%. 


Dumpling’s Treats - Toronto, ON 
For the past three years, Susan Lee-Macdonald has been making homemade treats for her dog Dumpling out of her kitchen in Toronto. When the pandemic hit and she began spending more time around the house, she started sharing Dumpling’s treats with other furry friends in the neighborhood. Soon enough, the dogs were starting to drag their owners back to Susan’s house for their daily snack. As popularity for the canine treats grew in her community, Susan decided to take a leap, joined the program and created Dumpling’s Treats, an online business where she sells one ingredient, human-grade dog treats. 


Momma Bears Boutique - Dartmouth, NS 
Erin Dawe always had a dream to open up a boutique. After losing her job during the pandemic - she accelerated the timeline, and set out to make this a reality in 2020. However, she knew that in order to succeed during the pandemic, she’d have to build out her digital presence as much as her in-store. Erin got her business online and says she could not have done it without the program. Prior to joining, she tried a number of different e-commerce platforms, but could not bring her vision to life. She credits the program for not just setting up the backend of the website, but also taught her how to use both the back and front end herself. So now, she’s been able to make changes, add a gift registry and add subscriptions all by herself. 


Play.Full.Goods - Hamilton, ON 
Denise Mayer worked as a kids fashion designer for many years, but unfortunately lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic. This reset period gave her an opportunity to live out a longtime dream - to start her own children’s boutique. She started slowly, selling children’s quilts through social media and word of mouth. As her business started gaining momentum, Denise knew she needed a website so her brand could have it’s own home. Denise was appreciative of the one-to-one training and support the program provided -- she wasn’t just handed a website and left to figure it out on her own. Rather, the program taught her how to make the website work for her business, and built her confidence and ability to manage the site on her own. Within two weeks of launching the site, Denise had over 3,000 people visit her website. 


Rezn Artstudio - Windsor, ON 
Prior to the pandemic, Rezwana Islam spent a lot of time day dreaming of starting a handmade business. When the pandemic hit, she started to source materials, price her products and build out her business values. Initially, she wanted to sell her items in boutique shops and local art fairs, but with the pandemic putting that to a halt, she joined the ShopHERE powered by Google program to build a website. Rezwana particularly appreciated how helpful her student coordinator was - he went above and beyond to answer her questions, move the website along at a quick pace, and suggest ideas for her website, all while staying true to Rezwana’s vision. 


Stagg & Paper Interiors - Hamilton, ON 
Margaret Stagg is a registered interior designer with over 15 years of experience in the industry. When the pandemic hit and she was faced with a slow-down in the workplace and changing family needs, she knew that the natural next step was to take the leap and start her own interior design practice. Her firm is rooted in the fundamental principle that home is where we start. Over the past year the COVID pandemic has created a deeper connection for many to their home and resulted in a boom in residential renovations. Margaret knew she needed a visual presence (website), to bring her vision to life, but she did not have the expertise to get started with building a website. She joined the program, and credits the program for not just helping her build a website, but helping to create clarity for her business and a clear plan of what she wanted to achieve moving forward. 


Posted by Sabrina Geremia, VP and Country Manager, Google Canada and Darryl Julott, Managing Lead, Digital Main Street

#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Now Open to Canadian Creators



#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Now Open to Canadian Creators Canadian YouTube creators who identify as Black can apply for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund here.

Last year, we announced the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, as part of our commitment to supporting racial equity. The multi-year global initiative is dedicated to amplifying the stories and experiences of Black creators and artists on YouTube. Today we are thrilled to announce that the fund is now open to Black Canadian creators on YouTube. 

The beauty of YouTube is its ability to connect creators and users from around the world, helping people share their stories and experiences with others. It not only provides a platform for connection but opportunities to listen and learn from diverse voices. 

The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund was created to support the Black creator community and amplify their voices. Grantees receive dedicated support from a Youtube Partner Manager, and seed funding for content creation. They attend workshops and masterclasses on cultivating new content ideas, video production skills, wellbeing, and more. They also get exclusive access to social and community programmes. 

Its inaugural year, more than 130 grantees from countries including the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Kenya participated. It included creators from across categories like music, lifestyle, education, activism and more. Aysha Harun, a Black, Muslim, beauty and lifestyle creator from Canada, now living in the U.S., was part of the class of 2021. 

“My experience has been great so far,” Aysha said. “The grant has allowed me to reinvest in my channel by hiring an editor, and bringing on an assistant to my team. The incubators have given me early access to features that keep me ahead of the game in terms of optimization. I’ve had more opportunities with partners to participate in panels and speaking engagements. And I’ve had complete autonomy with the grant, which makes my life as a creator a lot less stressful.” 

 Over the next few years, the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund will support 500+ creators and artists from around the world. We are thrilled to extend the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to Canadian creators this year. 

Applications are now open for the Class of 2022. Canadian creators who identify as Black are encouraged to apply here by July 11.


#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Now Open to Canadian Creators



#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Now Open to Canadian Creators Canadian YouTube creators who identify as Black can apply for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund here.

Last year, we announced the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, as part of our commitment to supporting racial equity. The multi-year global initiative is dedicated to amplifying the stories and experiences of Black creators and artists on YouTube. Today we are thrilled to announce that the fund is now open to Black Canadian creators on YouTube. 

The beauty of YouTube is its ability to connect creators and users from around the world, helping people share their stories and experiences with others. It not only provides a platform for connection but opportunities to listen and learn from diverse voices. 

The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund was created to support the Black creator community and amplify their voices. Grantees receive dedicated support from a Youtube Partner Manager, and seed funding for content creation. They attend workshops and masterclasses on cultivating new content ideas, video production skills, wellbeing, and more. They also get exclusive access to social and community programmes. 

Its inaugural year, more than 130 grantees from countries including the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Kenya participated. It included creators from across categories like music, lifestyle, education, activism and more. Aysha Harun, a Black, Muslim, beauty and lifestyle creator from Canada, now living in the U.S., was part of the class of 2021. 

“My experience has been great so far,” Aysha said. “The grant has allowed me to reinvest in my channel by hiring an editor, and bringing on an assistant to my team. The incubators have given me early access to features that keep me ahead of the game in terms of optimization. I’ve had more opportunities with partners to participate in panels and speaking engagements. And I’ve had complete autonomy with the grant, which makes my life as a creator a lot less stressful.” 

 Over the next few years, the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund will support 500+ creators and artists from around the world. We are thrilled to extend the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to Canadian creators this year. 

Applications are now open for the Class of 2022. Canadian creators who identify as Black are encouraged to apply here by July 11.


STEAMing Ahead in 2021 – A full day of online learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for Grade 3-12

In collaboration with Google Canada, Cobblestone Collective celebrated all things STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) with a full day of virtual learning, giving students a window into new worlds and teachers a chance to co-teach with  technology experts.  We hosted 5,800+ classes across Canada who dove straight in and explored CS First, Applied Digital Skills, art, and more!​


Google Canada strives to excite and educate students and their teachers in STEM as a catalyst for empowering the future. This full-day virtual student conference was created to support educators, students, and families after a difficult school year.  More than this, it was a day of celebration and exploring various topics within STEAM to inspire creation and not just consumption of technology.


Powered by Google Canada with Canadian Googlers volunteering their time, classes chose from 20 or 45-minute co-taught sessions allowing students the space to problem-solve, think critically, and create, all while exploring how these skills come into play in the workplace.  Sessions were in English with some offered in French.  More than 30 Canadian Googlers joined the lessons throughout the day and shared their love for learning, coding and so much more.


All of the sessions are recorded, allowing accessibility across time-zones and class schedules.  To date, there are 154K, and growing, views on the combined sessions.


STEAMing Ahead 2021 was on May 25th, 2021, and was full of learning for students, in Grade 3 to 12 classes, across Canada (and beyond). If you missed the learning day but would still like to explore the learning materials, we have a handy playlist of the recorded videos to use with your students and resources to support that learning below. Happy viewing and keep on learning!


Individual Videos:
  1. STEAMing Ahead Kick Off
  2. Code like a Googler with CS First - Grade 3-6
  3. Coder comme un googleur avec CS First - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  4. Next Steps to Code like a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  5. What?! My Chromebook Can Do That?! - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  6. Wage a Battle with Google Sheets - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  7. App-a-Palooza with Design Thinking - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  8. The Path to Becoming a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  9. Tour the Google Offices - Co-Taught Lesson
  10. Visitez le Bureaux Google - Co-Taught Lesson
  11. Ara the Star Engineer Read-Aloud - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  12. Ask a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  13. Around the World in 45 Minutes - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  14. Be Internet Awesome - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  15. Productivity Hacks with your Chromebook - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  16. Art Design with Google Sheets - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  17. Digital Escape Room Challenge - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  18. Découvrez une salle d'évasion avec des Formulaires Google - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  19. Digital Escape Rooms - The Next Level - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  20. STEAMing Ahead Closing

Posted by Michelle Armstrong and Emily Fitzpatrick, Co-Founders of The  Cobblestone Collective and Sandy Currie, STEM Program Manager at Google Canada

STEAMing Ahead in 2021 – A full day of online learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for Grade 3-12

In collaboration with Google Canada, Cobblestone Collective celebrated all things STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) with a full day of virtual learning, giving students a window into new worlds and teachers a chance to co-teach with  technology experts.  We hosted 5,800+ classes across Canada who dove straight in and explored CS First, Applied Digital Skills, art, and more!​


Google Canada strives to excite and educate students and their teachers in STEM as a catalyst for empowering the future. This full-day virtual student conference was created to support educators, students, and families after a difficult school year.  More than this, it was a day of celebration and exploring various topics within STEAM to inspire creation and not just consumption of technology.


Powered by Google Canada with Canadian Googlers volunteering their time, classes chose from 20 or 45-minute co-taught sessions allowing students the space to problem-solve, think critically, and create, all while exploring how these skills come into play in the workplace.  Sessions were in English with some offered in French.  More than 30 Canadian Googlers joined the lessons throughout the day and shared their love for learning, coding and so much more.


All of the sessions are recorded, allowing accessibility across time-zones and class schedules.  To date, there are 154K, and growing, views on the combined sessions.


STEAMing Ahead 2021 was on May 25th, 2021, and was full of learning for students, in Grade 3 to 12 classes, across Canada (and beyond). If you missed the learning day but would still like to explore the learning materials, we have a handy playlist of the recorded videos to use with your students and resources to support that learning below. Happy viewing and keep on learning!


Individual Videos:
  1. STEAMing Ahead Kick Off
  2. Code like a Googler with CS First - Grade 3-6
  3. Coder comme un googleur avec CS First - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  4. Next Steps to Code like a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  5. What?! My Chromebook Can Do That?! - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  6. Wage a Battle with Google Sheets - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  7. App-a-Palooza with Design Thinking - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  8. The Path to Becoming a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  9. Tour the Google Offices - Co-Taught Lesson
  10. Visitez le Bureaux Google - Co-Taught Lesson
  11. Ara the Star Engineer Read-Aloud - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  12. Ask a Googler - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  13. Around the World in 45 Minutes - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  14. Be Internet Awesome - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  15. Productivity Hacks with your Chromebook - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  16. Art Design with Google Sheets - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  17. Digital Escape Room Challenge - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 3-6
  18. Découvrez une salle d'évasion avec des Formulaires Google - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  19. Digital Escape Rooms - The Next Level - Co-Taught Lesson - Grade 7-12
  20. STEAMing Ahead Closing

Posted by Michelle Armstrong and Emily Fitzpatrick, Co-Founders of The  Cobblestone Collective and Sandy Currie, STEM Program Manager at Google Canada

Meet the inaugural Google Cloud Accelerator Canada class of 2021




In April we put out a call to Canadian startups for our inaugural Google Cloud Accelerator Canada program. The past year of the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of cloud technologies for businesses, governments, nonprofits and consumers, so we felt it was critical to dedicate an entire accelerator to startups that are leveraging the cloud to drive growth and innovation. 

Today, we’re excited to announce the class of the first-ever Google Cloud Accelerator Canada. This 10-week virtual accelerator program will bring the best of Google's programs, products, people and technology to startups doing interesting work in the cloud. In addition to cloud mentorship and technical project support, the accelerator also includes deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition and leadership development for startup founders and leaders. 

And with that, meet the 2021 Google Cloud Accelerator Canada class: 
  • Audette (Victoria, BC): Audette is accelerating the low-carbon revolution in commercial real estate. Their platform allows large portfolio asset managers to plan their net-zero transitions and access capital from impact investors to make it happen. 
  • BioBox (Toronto, ON): BioBox is a data analytics platform designed for clinicians and scientists working with genomic data. The BioBox platform aims to enhance collaboration, accelerate projects and support scientists & labs through a lifetime of research. The seamless integration between end-to-end tools and NGS data provides scientists with the ability to rapidly analyze and explore their research on demand. 
  • Caribou (Toronto, ON): Healthcare is the biggest expense in retirement, the number one reason for bankruptcy, and is currently the top financial concern for North Americans - and yet, financial advisors are not equipped to incorporate healthcare into their financial planning process. Caribou is a healthcare planning and navigation solution for financial advisors to differentiate themselves, build deeper client relationships and be better life planners. 
  • GeoMate (Waterloo, ON): Everyday, there are 17 pedestrians and 2 cyclists killed in crashes with vehicles, and over 120,000 people fall or slip on sidewalks. Studies show that most of these accidents occur due to infrastructure problems, including poor curb cuts, lack of visibility, obstacles, narrow walkways, steep slopes, and so on. That's where GeoMate comes in. GeoMate is a location intelligence platform that leverages AI to map the accessibility and safety of cities. 
  • Goose Insurance (Vancouver, BC): Goose Insurance is an Insurtech Challenger building a platform to solve consumer under-insurance. Through the Goose Insurance Super-App, consumers will be able to access up to 30 lines of insurance completely self-serve. 
  • loopt (Toronto, ON): loopt™ is an e-commerce platform that enables rental subscriptions for everyday items like fashion, furniture, toys, and more. 
  • nesto (Montreal, QC): nesto offers a positive, empowering and transparent home financing experience, simplified from start to finish. 
  • NURO (Waterloo, ON): NURO is the architect of the NUOS neurological platform allowing non-invasive communication and computing control by the brain. 
  • OpenHouse.ai (Calgary, AB): For homebuilders, OpenHouse.ai offers a scalable catalogue personalization platform that tailors the home buying experience to each unique individual. By leveraging AI-powered technology, the OpenHouse.ai platform predicts what home buyers need while providing powerful data to help home builders understand their unique market and their buyers; resulting in a 100% increase in online lead conversions and a 15% increase in sales velocity. 
  • Spoonity (Ottawa, ON): Loyalty programs are critical to securing the survival of restaurant businesses nowadays – be them small, midsize, or large. Spoonity offers high-quality end-to-end loyalty programs that integrate throughout the entire customer journey in order to create truly customizable loyalty experiences. 
  • UEAT (Québec City, QC): UEAT is a smart online ordering system. It allows restaurateurs to create highly relevant, personalized and non-intrusive online ordering experiences for their customers. UEAT’s online ordering system gives restaurateurs access to their customer data and deep analytics. These insights become the rock-solid foundation of any profitable restaurant’s marketing and operations. 
  • Vantage (Toronto, ON): Vantage helps retailers safely unlock their proprietary shopping data and better partner with brands on marketing. Most retailers only run analytics partnerships and collaborative marketing partnerships with a small percentage of their top brands. With Vantage, retailers can now safely unlock first party shopping data, analytics and marketing capabilities to the long tail of vendor brands to deliver personalized online ad and promotional experiences easily. 
We can’t wait to start working with these founders and startup teams to help drive growth and innovation in Canada’s cloud sector. 

Posted by Ashley Francisco Head of Startup Developer Ecosystem, Google Canada

YouTube Canada’s Creative Ecosystem Turns Opportunity Into Impact

At its core, YouTube is built around connection and community. In a year of great change, we saw Canadians come to the platform to tell their stories, grow their businesses, explore new interests, keep learning, or simply for a laugh. 

After a year where our online lives were front and centre like never before, we turned to Oxford Economics to independently quantify YouTube’s contributions to Canada. The result is YouTube - From Opportunity to Impact, a report that examines the economic, societal and cultural benefits of YouTube in Canada throughout 2020, based on direct feedback from our creator community and users. 

The report confirms that YouTube continues to be a place where Canadians go to understand our world, tell their stories and connect with others. And the COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized the importance of the platform as a source of information for Canadians. The report shows that nearly three quarters (74%) of YouTube users agree that the platform has been helpful to them since the start of the pandemic. In addition to being a reliable source of information, 58% of users agree that YouTube has had a positive impact on their mental health or physical wellbeing. 
Let’s dive into some of the highlights of the YouTube - From Opportunity to Impact report, starting with how the platform has contributed to the Canadian economy. 


Growing the Canadian creator economy 
YouTube’s open platform has enabled creators to both contribute to the Canadian cultural landscape and build economic opportunity for themselves and their communities. These creative entrepreneurs are finding success on their own terms and building thriving businesses that span all types of genres and topics. 

Simply put, the YouTube creator economy has a real and positive impact on the wider Canadian economy. The report estimates that in 2020, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed approximately $923 million to Canada’s GDP. In that same period YouTube supported the equivalent of 34,100 full-time employment jobs across Canada. 

To dive even deeper into this impact, we took a look at our own platform data and found that Canadian YouTube channels making six figures in revenue (CAD) increased 30% year over year. These creative small businesses continue to flourish and find audiences at home and abroad. As of December 2020, more than 450 Canadian channels had over 1 million subscribers, and 3,500 channels had over 100,000 subscribers. These continually growing subscriber counts and revenue figures are strong indicators of the overall health of the Canadian creator economy, which draws on advertiser revenue, channel subscriptions, merchandise sales and additional revenue streams from an engaged global audience. 
 

Protecting the openness of YouTube 
For more than 16 years, Canadian creators have embraced YouTube. They have built businesses, connected communities, told important Canadian stories and are impactfully contributing to the Canadian economy. 

On a competitive, global stage, Canadian creators are some of the most successful and diverse on the platform. It’s no surprise to us that they do well both at home and abroad - in fact over 90% of watch time for Canadian content creators comes from outside Canada. 

Creators in the YouTube Partner Program receive a majority share of any advertising revenue generated around their content, which means that with their huge global viewership, creators can generate significant revenue from around the world. 

For independent creators in Canada, this access to a global audience and revenue matters. 79% of Canadian creators agreed that access to an audience outside of Canada is essential for their channel to be sustainable. YouTube’s openness is what has made all of this possible and protecting it is our number one priority. 



YouTube gives everyone a voice 
One of the things we love most about YouTube is its ability to break down barriers, and we don’t just mean geographic ones - YouTube enables creators to share their opinions, talents and experiences with the world, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, income, or language. The openness of the platform has allowed creators like Deddy and Sasha Ruddock (Deddy’s Kitchen) from Brampton, and Leah Wei (Leah’s Fieldnotes) and Gabrielle Marion from Québec, to create space for themselves and other diverse voices. A large majority of Canadian users (78%) agree that the platform is home to diverse content. 


YouTube has become the launchpad for those who don’t fit the traditional mold of the Canadian mainstream media. Artists like The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes are just two of the household names who started on YouTube and went on to conquer the world. But perhaps no one embodies the YouTube journey more than Lilly Singh, one of the many Canadians from traditionally underrepresented groups who used YouTube to build a career on screen and went on to become the country’s biggest digital star. And that pipeline to success continues, with rising talents like Faouzia, Jonathan Roy and Mustafa. 



The report also showed us how YouTube is a catalyst for industry growth; more than three quarters of music, media and entertainment companies with a YouTube channel agree that the platform helps grow the overall market for media content, and two thirds of that same group agree that YouTube is essential for breaking undiscovered artists. 

In a time where the visibility and amplification of diverse perspectives is more crucial than ever, we love to see that Canadian creators from all backgrounds are finding success on YouTube. 


Supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes
YouTube is also a place where any business, of any size, can connect with customers in Canada and around the world, unlocking tremendous new opportunities for growth. Take Morritson, Ontario-based Ryan Savin, a former electrician who decided to turn his passion for leatherworking into a full-time business. Within a few years through YouTube, Ryan was able to scale his hobby into the successful online shop called Little King Goods. Today Ryan’s community is over 350,000 subscribers strong and includes fellow leather enthusiasts and international customers. Thanks to the reach of the platform, Ryan was able to successfully scale his business, not only sustaining but growing his business through the pandemic. 

The majority (64%) of small and medium businesses (SMBs) with a YouTube channel consider the platform to be a strategic partner in their business operations. Over 70% say the platform has helped them grow their customer base and 79% of SMBs with a YouTube channel agreed their YouTube presence helped customers find them. 

During the pandemic, once again, YouTube was a space that Canadian business-owners leaned on, with over half of SMBs who use YouTube agreeing that the platform helped them sustain their business during COVID-19. 


Canadians continue to come to YouTube to learn 
Whether you come to the platform to follow a makeup tutorial by Cynthia Dulude or to prepare yourself for an important job interview with the help of Linda Reinier, YouTube is one of the quickest, easiest and most useful resources to find educational content - 86% of users say they use YouTube to gather information and knowledge. 


The helpfulness of this virtual learning tool was further amplified by the global pandemic. As students moved from the classrooms to virtual learning, 63% of teachers who use YouTube stated they integrate the platform’s content in their lessons. Meanwhile, our report found that 100% of students who use YouTube say they use the platform to help them with their assignments or personal study. The past year was tough on students, teachers and parents but we’re glad YouTube was part of the solution and made learning more accessible to Canadians. 


On behalf of everyone at YouTube Canada, we look forward to supporting Canadian creators as they continue to meaningfully impact the world by doing what they love. To view the full report and to discover more Canadian YouTube creators check out the full 2021 YouTube Impact Report. 

Posted by Andrew Peterson, Head of Content Partnerships, YouTube

New for Pixel: Starry night clips, Pride wallpapers and more

Our latest Feature Drop is making your Pixel smarter and more fun, while also helping you feel safer, too. From Locked Folders to expanding some features to more countries to short videos in astrophotography, there’s a lot to unpack. 


 

Summertime fun for Pixel


Pixel owners love using astrophotography in Night Sight to take incredible photos of the night sky, and now it's getting even better. You can now create videos of the stars moving across the sky all during the same exposure. Once you take a photo in Night Sight, both the photo and video will be saved in your camera roll. Try waiting longer to capture even more of the stars in your video. This feature is available on Pixel 4 and newer phones and you can learn more at g.co/pixel/astrophotography.



Pride events across many parts of the world kick-off in June, and Pixel has new wallpapers and ringtones to celebrate. Three bold, joyful wallpaper designs were created exclusively for Pixel by Ashton Attzs. Check out new Pride-themed ringtones and notifications created by other LGBTQ+ artists and YouTube Creators.  


More privacy, more safety


Last month at Google I/O we previewed Locked Folder in Google Photos, which is now rolling out to Pixel users. For photos and videos that need a little extra privacy — like pictures of an upcoming gift for a loved one, or screenshots of your recent receipts — you can save them to the new Locked Folder. To make it even easier to add photos and videos to Locked Folder on Pixel, you can choose to save them there straight from the camera. They’re saved on your device and won’t show up in shared albums, Memories or any other apps on your device, and can only be accessed using your device passcode or fingerprint.



Animated gif showing a Pixel 5 capturing a photo, and then saving it into a dedicated locked folder that can only be accessed using the device passcode or fingerprint. 



Pixel can also help you stay alert while walking. With the new Heads Up feature inside Digital Wellbeing settings, your Pixel can detect when you’re walking and periodically remind you to look up from your screen.


Your Pixel keeps getting smarter 

When your phone is ringing but isn’t within reach, you can answer or reject a call with Google Assistant. Say "Hey Google, answer call" or "Hey Google, reject call." 


Cutting and pasting important information also just got easier thanks to an even smarter Gboard. When you copy text that includes a phone number, email address or URL, you’ll see those key snippets of text suggested in the clipboard. You can easily drop them into places like Messages to share contact information quickly, or Maps to get started on your road trip faster. For more information, including language availability, see g.co/gboard/clipboard. 



To see the full list of new and expanded features for Pixel, see the Pixel forum post.

Posted by Daniel Gundrum, Product Manager