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By Tara Sharpe
Tremain
University of Victoria graduate Leah Tremain wants more children to have every chance to embrace literature with the same passion as she does. Her love of reading and advocacy for literacy issues have been the guiding forces behind her company Tremain Media Inc., which produces educational multi-media material for schools, universities, libraries, companies and non-profit groups.
After receiving her MEd from UVic in 2003, Tremain established Tremain Media in 2005, and its first production, “Read-TV,” was released that same year. Her company’s recent video is a 22-minute production, “I Love When You Read,” featuring tips for parents on how to help children learn to love reading. It is the perfect example of the community-minded business ingenuity behind Tremain’s company.
In May, the BC Chamber of Commerce applauded Tremain’s entrepreneurial efforts by giving her its first annual Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Tremain has received guidance from the UVic Innovation and Development Corporation (IDC) in support of her business endeavours. Tremain Media is one of numerous spinoff companies helped by IDC.
“IDC has been an excellent resource for us,” says Tremain. “People respect educational material that has strong links to the university community, so when IDC brought its name to my most recent production, that presence was definitely helpful in securing funding for the project. And IDC continues to help us grow by providing a solid base of expertise in accounting, bookkeeping, and more. It’s a very productive partnership.”
“IDC is honoured to be a shareholder in Tremain Media Inc.,” says Dr. Tim Walzak, IDC president and CEO. “Leah’s exceptional business sense and entrepreneurial creativity are excellent reasons for any company or organization to invest in her projects. She is one of many talented people from our university community who are bringing fresh and innovative ideas to the marketplace.”
Tremain is serious about encouraging children to read. She thinks of herself as a “momtrepreneur,” balancing the demands of her business while raising her two sons and volunteering for the Campbell River LiteracyNow task force and Campbell River Community Literacy Association. Through IDC, she also provides mentorship to UVic Business Co-op students.
Tremain Media distributes its productions widely through educational and home markets, and over 50,000 British Columbians will receive “I Love When You Read” for free this year through various learning initiatives. It will be included in the stack of reading treats tucked into give-away bags and distributed to new parents through local BC libraries as part of the provincial BC Books for Babies literacy program.
Tremain’s new DVD series “Educational Frontiers” is currently being developed with the participation of UVic’s Faculty of Education.
Further information is available online about Tremain Media (www.tremainmedia.com), IDC (http://web.uvic.ca/idc) and BC Books for Babies (www.bcpl.gov.bc.ca/books4babies).
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