Wes from Clearbanc wrote about their time up here for the Startup in Residency program:
“I work for Clearbanc, a financial tech startup building a bank for freelancers and the self-employed. For the last two weeks, we were privileged to occupy the seat of “entrepreneur in residence” at (co)space.
(For readers outside of Whitehorse, (co)space is a coworking space in Whitehorse, Yukon territory, Canada).
For most of the working hours, we occupied the floor above (co)space (dropping in below periodically for coffee and beer); this space was well equipped for our team. I was energized as if at a hackathon, excited at having a different level of focus and presence from the team and excited at having the chance to step outside of our routines and the daily grind and consider bigger issues of visions and longer-term goals. After hours, we tried to mix in with the environment, spending some time on mountain bikes on the trails in Riverdale, playing ultimate frisbee, walking the waterfront, meeting with local entrepreneurs, and getting to know a few of the local restaurants and watering holes. Our weekends took us to Haines Junction, Takhini Hot Springs, the Vista Outdoor Learning Center, Dawson City, and a stop in Carcross.
This was the first trip to the Yukon for all but one of our team, and we were all blown away: blown away by the beauty of the territory, blown away by the warmth of the welcome and hospitality, by the ingenuity and resilience of the variety of entrepreneurs and business-people we met, and by the strength of the community.
Thanks to Yukonstruct and (co)space for an incredible two weeks – these will be an easy two weeks to remember, and will remain an important part of Clearbanc.”