DMZ finds permanent home in Caledon

May 21, 2026 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In March of 2025, the Town of Caledon officially announced its partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ to launch the Humber River Centre Business Incubator powered by DMZ.

Now, over a year later, it’s found a permanent home here in Caledon.

May 14 not only celebrated the opening for the next cohort of businesses, but it also marked the Humber River Centre Incubator’s evolution into DMZ Caledon following the pilot year, a change DMZ marks as a “long-term bet on Caledon’s entrepreneurs.”

During the pilot year, DMZ Caledon engaged 47 local businesses through targeted workshops and mentorship, and 15 startups participated in its inaugural cohort.

Now, applications have officially opened for the next cohort, and local leaders and businesses gathered at the Humber River Centre to celebrate.

At the celebration, a panel of entrepreneurs from the first program discussed what they had learned.

Members included Zainab C. Williams from FundEvolve, an AI-powered financial wellness platform, and Taylor Arrowsmith and Shaina Lindeyer from the bakery Blissfully Baked x The Little Almond.

Lindeyer and Arrowsmith began the conversation by saying they were stuck at the “what’s next” part of their business, unsure of how to grow or what the right next step was.

“When we found out about the DMZ program here in Caledon, we did not hesitate to join when we were told we should, and we took a lot from it,” said Arrowsmith.

Williams said she didn’t “need to be convinced” when she was told about DMZ Caledon.

“DMZ is already well-known as a platform that launches really great entrepreneurs, and having access to it in Caledon was just a game-changer.”

She had just finished refining her product and wanted to explore ways to better communicate with users.

The founders reflected on turning points in their businesses during their twelve-week incubator program, which ranged from finding new resources to social media integration.

Founders can meet with “mentors” and program leads to learn specific new skills, have in-depth conversations, and even build customized plans.

Williams said one of the most impactful moments for her was during a mentorship session when the mentor reviewed every aspect of her business and gave her back a 360-degree perspective.

“Just taking that back, it made me realize that I was focused more on building and building and building instead of remembering why I was building,” said Williams.

The founders also spoke to tangible results they saw through the program.

One of the sessions was on social media, where Arrowsmith and Lindeyer learned about targeted ads. From there, they were able to implement them and heard directly from customers about the impact it had on their reach.

Williams said being able to speak with mentors who had been on a similar path before her and seeing their journey made a big impact.

“For a lot of us entrepreneurs, we always think that when you’re thinking about technology, you’re just associating yourself with Toronto which, in fact, we have such a large base here in Caledon of really fantastic entrepreneurs and by having an actual ecosystem like this, it opens so many doors and so many possibilities to realize that you’re not alone on this journey,” said Williams. “When the Town of Caledon supports entrepreneurs, it starts to foster that community of innovation, of collaboration.”

With Caledon expected to grow to a city of 300,000 residents by 2051, the topic that day was how to ensure local businesses became a strong part of that growth.

“When we think about the future, we think about housing and schools and all those kinds of things, but we also have to think about what does the economic future of Caledon look like?” asked Acting Mayor Doug Maskell at the kick-off event. “It’s going to change profoundly in the next 20 years. When I come to an event like this and I see the future before me and where we’re going to go and where we’re going to grow, it makes me feel that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Caledon’s CAO Nathan Hyde also noted the expected growth, adding that “Caledon is small, but Caledon is mighty, and we’re going to get where we need to go through partnerships.”

Hyde remarked that the Town of Caledon knows strong communities are built through partnerships, and that is why the partnership with DMZ has been “so impactful.”

“What began just as a pilot has quickly become a strong example of how smaller communities can build thriving innovation ecosystems outside of major urban centers,” said Hyde.

“This work demonstrates how strategic partnerships can foster local innovation while connecting Caledon entrepreneurs to broader regional and global networks.”

Dr. Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President, Academic at Toronto Metropolitan University, provided remarks from TMU, reflecting on when the program first launched a year prior.

“Our goal was simple, yet ambitious, to see what happens when you bridge the gap between world-class start-up resources and the immense talent pool here in Caledon. In just 12 months, the momentum has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Iannacito-Provenzano.

She also noted that communities such as Caledon demonstrate that with the right support systems, mentorship and partnerships, “dedicated entrepreneurs can thrive everywhere.”

“Innovation, I really believe, is not about geography, it’s about opportunity,” said Iannacito-Provenzano.

Iannacito-Provenzano said she is excited to see the program sharpen its focus on sectors that are “vital to Caledon’s future,” such as housing and community development innovation.

As the program enters its second year, it was stated that DMZ Caledon will focus on housing, supporting founders developing solutions across construction, planning, design and related service industries.

Abdullah Snobar, Executive Director of DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures, said that when they began working with smaller communities, the partnerships proved “very rewarding and fruitful.”

Snobar echoed Iannacito-Provenzano’s earlier point, saying that their incubator isn’t just about working with cities that have “big skylines,” but instead about working with everyone, “and that’s where true prosperity starts to flourish.”

“People in Caledon know how to build businesses because they focus on things like trust, relationships, and the community buy-ins,” said Snobar. “They roll up their sleeves, they solve real problems, and more importantly, they build with grit and hustle.”

“Entrepreneurship doesn’t belong to big cities alone. It belongs to people willing to take risks and solve problems and bet on themselves. Communities like Caledon offer founders something incredibly valuable.”

Snobar said at DMZ, they believe innovation grows strongest when communities have the tools to build from where they are, rather than moving cities to try to build from there.

With applications now open for future cohorts, supported by the Town, selected founders can utilize the program for free and access services such as mentorship and coaching, founder development programming, workshops, and more.

Applications close on July 10, 2026.