The event, co-hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, IDEA START, and Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation, brought our UM community together to learn about entrepreneurship in various forms.

After an inspiring welcome from UM Chancellor, David Angus, four faculty members shared their experiences applying entrepreneurship and innovation:

• Associate Professor Kathy Yerex, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, shared about a new module in the Dental Hygiene program to help students develop skills for professional innovation and small business.
• Dr. Wenxi Pu, Asper School of Business, shared about his new research method that uses linguistic analysis of U.S. media, supported by machine learning algorithms and AI, to reveal cultural attitudes about entrepreneurship.
• Dr. Stephane McLachlan shared how his work in Indigenous data sovereignty led him to create a social enterprise that supports an app called Our Data Indigenous.
• Dr. Geoff Tranmer shared about the journey to create Borotherapeutics, an early-stage drug development company that seeks to develop boron-based therapeutics particularly focused on ALS disease.

Attendees also heard brief introductions from the units on campus that support entrepreneurship in all its forms:

• Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist, Entrepreneurship, The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
• Debra Jonasson-Young, I.H. Asper Executive Director, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
• Moe Levy, Director, IDEA START
• Dr. Loren Oschipok, Director, Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation

November marked the third annual Entrepreneurship & Innovative Thinking Month at the University of Manitoba. Along with the symposium, the month featured events, initiatives and highlights of how entrepreneurship and innovative approaches can support the pursuit of big ideas to help make the world a better place.

Check out the latest Entrepreneurship & Innovative Thinking Report on Activities for 2024/25.

There are a variety of events taking place through the month of November. These free events will build your entrepreneurship mindset, develop your skills and connect you with other innovators.

Check out all the free events and registration information here.

Witness a live pitch competition, visit the Indigenous Winter Market, participate in lunch hour learning opportunities, and so much more.

EIT Month coincides with Global Entrepreneurship Week and International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, but UM supports are available year-round.

• Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
• Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation
• The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
• IDEA START
• Faculty of Science – Science Innovation Hub
• Lab 2 Market Prairies

Explore the many opportunities that support and celebrate entrepreneurship and innovative thinking at UM.

Entrepreneurial thinkers are everywhere

On Day 1 of the event, held in UMSU’s Multi-Purpose Room, the nine Better Together teams were introduced to the concepts they would use during the design sprint.

Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist in Entrepreneurship at The Centre, helped attendees understand how very broad the idea of entrepreneurial thinking can be. “It is a willingness, and an ability, to make an impact,” she said. Today’s entrepreneurial thinkers develop solutions to a wide range of problems – in scenarios that may not involve starting a business. She explained that some innovative thinkers are “intrapreneurs,” working proactively within a company or organization to develop new products and services.

Carmichael noted that our global challenges increasingly require an entrepreneurial approach, whether by entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs. “Think mitigating climate change, bolstering human health, and advancing Reconciliation,” she said.

Participants reviewed the five steps of design thinking before jumping into the sprint, in which each team created a three-minute video pitch tackling one of these challenges:

• How might we build resilience within the UM community to reduce climate anxiety? (Submitted by the Office of Sustainability)
• How might we address the underlying causes of retail theft on campus? (Submitted by the University of Manitoba Students’ Union)
• How might we help newcomers navigate their successful transition into the UM community? (Submitted by the UM Graduate Students’ Association)

Teams were supported by three UM mentors during the event. Rajeev Koyal, Program Manager of UM’s IDEA START, Daniel Heschuk, Program Development Specialist at the Science Innovation Hub, and Ben Isakov, Startup Coach at the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, all lent an ear and helped teams develop their ideas.

Three-minute videos showcase creativity

By the time the teams submitted their video pitches after lunch on Day 2, a sense of community was evident, thanks to a feeling of shared purpose and a healthy dose of adrenalin.

Teams applauded each others’ ideas during the video watch party, which demonstrated how much can be accomplished in a short time when creativity and experimentation are encouraged.

Several participants from the 2023 event returned this year because they’d enjoyed themselves so much the first time around. International student Maryann Mozaffari, a Master of Supply Chain Management and Logistics student in the Asper School of Business, participated last year on a team that addressed food security on campus.

“The environment, the way they had us think outside the box – it was an amazing experience for me last year,” she said. “It’s a hands-on experience, it’s using a lot of our abilities. It’s also really refreshing, after being in classes all the time.”

Computer engineering student Kanwar Lubana also attended both years. “I came to connect with like-minded people,” he said. This year his team generated five pages of ideas before developing an app to help international students find housing and roommates. “I’m excited about entrepreneurship,” Lubana said. “Given the limited time given, I think it’s cool how we came up with a good chunk of ideas and a prototype.”

Leveraging new skills

To wrap things up, Connie Korchak from UM’s Career, Community, and Experiential Learning Centre addressed participants, encouraging them to reflect on how many valuable competencies they had developed during the event. She demonstrated how the experience could provide valuable information for resumés, LinkedIn profiles and more, such as job interviews where employers ask situational questions like, “Tell me about a time that you had to solve a complex problem.”  

The Better Together event will be added to the participants’ Experience Record, an official record of university-approved and facilitated activities that support student development in venues that are not for academic credit. Participants also received a $50 gift card to UMSU businesses.

The collaborative event hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, IDEA START, and Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation, brought together our UM community to learn about entrepreneurship in various forms.

Four faculty members shared their experiences applying entrepreneurship and innovation

• Snehil Dua from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences shared how she incorporates entrepreneurship as a type of experiential learning into her courses to provide students with real world experience and help prepare them for their post-university careers.
• Nathan Greidanus from the I.H. Asper School of Business shared highlights from his career scholarship of entrepreneurship, including the relationships between entrepreneurship and Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) and exposure to natural disasters in childhood.
• Associate Professor Tijen Roshko from the Faculty of Architecture shared about her journey founding a high fashion felt company called Koyle TJN and how combining her background in science, technology and art with entrepreneurial approaches helped grow the company to be featured at this year’s Startup Fashion Week in Toronto.
• Claudio Rigatto from the Max Rady College of Medicine shared about his journey to build a start up around a UM technology for chronic kidney disease along with Faculty of Science researchers using accessible and affordable lab-equivalent technologies.

Attendees also heard brief introductions from the units on campus that support entrepreneurship in all its forms:

• Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist, Entrepreneurship, The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.
• Debra Jonasson-Young, I.H. Asper Executive Director, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
• Rajeev Koyal, Program Manager, IDEA START
• Andrea Kraj, Technology Transfer Manager, Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation

November marked the second annual Entrepreneurship & Innovative Thinking Month at the University of Manitoba. Along with the symposium, the month featured events, initiatives and highlights of how entrepreneurship and innovative approaches can support the pursuit of big ideas to help make the world a better place.

Check out the latest Entrepreneurship & Innovative Thinking Report on Activities for 2023/24.

He prefers to group his management classes into late-morning blocks, leaving time to study, hit the gym, and dedicate hours to his entrepreneurial ventures. UM students may have spotted Theriault in UMSU University Centre, discussing a soon-to-be-launched app called eleven59.

An idea conceived with fellow Asper students Todd de Groot and Hazel Nguyen, eleven59 is an AI-driven calendar tool designed for students by students.

Is eleven59 your first venture? When did your entrepreneurial journey begin?

AT: “Technically everything started with magic. I’m a magician, and my first entrepreneurial experience came from being a performer and doing shows around the city.

“I was really passionate about collecting playing cards because magicians use all sorts of cards, but some were really hard to get in Canada. I thought, there’s got to be a better way, so I started my own playing card shop, Kingdom Cards.”

—

Theriault has taken this entrepreneurial spirit into his Asper degree, connecting with de Groot and Nguyen in their Introduction to Entrepreneurship class, where they first devised the idea for eleven59 before taking it to the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship and engaging with the Start Up Coach program.

Could you talk a bit about taking eleven59 from an idea in class to the 2024 Stu Clark New Venture Championships and now to tabling throughout UM?

AT: “I remember seeing the 2023 Stu Clark New Venture Championships advertised online very early in my first year, and I saw it and thought, ‘I don’t have a new idea… how would I ever be able to do that?’’ And yet, the next year, we were there competing. That has a lot to do with the Stu Clark Centre because if you have any idea—big or small— they are there to help take it to the next level, whatever that means for you.

“They are there to ask, ‘how can we make this an even better idea?’”

“So much has changed in under a year with eleven59. The app is actively in development with ACE Project Space at Red River, and Todd, Hazel, and I are getting feedback from UM students with our on-campus booth.

“At our booth, we want to start by making a connection and learning about what students want and need from an app like ours. It’s not about getting someone to stand there for our spiel; everything starts with a conversation.”

—

Theriault emphasizes that collaborative entrepreneurship is all about the people with whom you work and consult. At their booth, they invite all feedback, determined to surround themselves with thoughtful, curious, even skeptical, perspectives, rather than with only ‘yes.’

What makes this team of Asper students work so well together?

AT: “Of course we all bring important skills to the table—Todd knows his numbers and is very good at financials and strategy, and Hazel is really good at getting work done and crafting our B2B approach.

“So, there’s obviously those tangible skills, but I think more of it also comes down to dedication. Ben Isakov [Startup Coach], from the Stu Clark Centre really instilled in me that good people can be taught skills, but it’s not easy to find someone that has the right dedication or motivations.

“With our team, we’re just so motivated to support each other and to help students.”

—

With eleven59, Theriault, de Groote, and Nguyen have embraced innovation driven by a desire to respond to needs, drawing from their own experience as students to guide their creativity. It’s this kind of entrepreneurship that lives at the Stu Clark Centre and the Asper School of Business.

For aspiring entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, the Asper School of Business offers a unique Entrepreneurship and Innovation major. Learn more about infusing your Bachelor of Commerce with an entrepreneurial mindset and read more about our programs here.

Continuing its tradition, 100% of the evening’s proceeds will directly support IBEP students—future Indigenous business leaders—through scholarships, bursaries, academic assistance, and educational opportunities.

Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic students with Riley Proulx (Director of IBEP) at the 2024 VIBE Awards from far left: Connor Giesbrecht (3L) [BA/2022], Jordan Wagner (3L) [BComm(Hons)/2022], Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/2019], Ravi Balchan (3L) [BComm (Hon)/2021], Jeremy Tran (3L) [BSc/2022], Mathew O’Connor (3L)[BA(Hons)/2018], and Emily Palmer (3L) [BA)/2019] (Moira Kennedy (3L) [BA/2021] not pictured).

Award Recipients

The event honoured renowned creatives Emilie McKinney, founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo, and Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc., for their entrepreneurial excellence and contributions to Indigenous business. To celebrate their achievements, each recipient was awarded a beautiful, customized sculpture that symbolizes their unique entrepreneurial impact.

2024 VIBE Award Recipients, left to right: Emilie McKinney, and Shaun Vincent.

At just 16 years old, Emilie McKinney of Swan Lake First Nation, founded Anishinaabe Bimishimo Corporation, specializing in producing traditional jingle cones. Over time, she expanded her business internationally and broadened her offerings to include clothing and sparkle ribbons, demonstrating her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to preserving Indigenous traditions while fostering economic independence. During her remarks, Emilie expressed deep gratitude for her family and community, who supported her vision and emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for future generations.

Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc., an artist, graphic designer and entrepreneur who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent, began his journey in 2007 after earning an Advanced Diploma from Red River College Polytechnic. Shaun identified a need for representational design and created a branding and marketing firm focused on advancing Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses through thoughtful storytelling rooted in tradition. Today, Vincent Design Inc. is a team of 19 renowned for its work, including the creation of the Survivors’ Flag, introduced during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. Shaun’s Two-Eyed Seeing approach—bridging Indigenous understanding with Western design practices—defines his work and continues to inspire others. Additionally, Vincent Design awards up to two scholarships each semester to Indigenous Youth pursuing college or university studies in graphic design and related programs in Canada.

Celebrating 30 Years of Asper’s Indigenous Business Education Partners Program

The evening was also an opportunity to celebrate IBEP’s 30th anniversary. A commemorative video shared during the event featured testimonials from alums and students who spoke about the profound impact IBEP has had on their lives. Many shared personal stories of overcoming barriers, finding belonging, and gaining the confidence to succeed.

Image from commemorative video.

Ashley Richard [BComm(Hons)/2017], an IBEP alum and 2017 graduate of the BComm (Hons) program and current Director of Indigenous Entrepreneurship at United College – University of Waterloo, reflected on her experience, explaining that IBEP profoundly changed her life. She shared how the program provided her with a sense of belonging and the tools to give back to others. She emphasized the value of the scholarships, mentorship, and opportunities IBEP offers, describing them as invaluable.

Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and Fostering Indigenous Entrepreneurship

The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic marked a milestone of its own, celebrating 10 years of supporting entrepreneurs. In just a decade, the Clinic has provided over 10,000 pro bono hours of legal support, with a 37% BIPOC client base. Notably, the most recent monthly demographic data showed that nearly 25% of the Clinic’s client base for that month self-identified as Indigenous.

The Clinic’s work, combined with its students’ active engagement, highlights its ongoing mission to support Indigenous entrepreneurs and contribute to reconciliation through respect, recognition, and ongoing collaborations.

This commitment was exemplified at this year’s VIBE Awards, where third-year law students Emily Palmer (3L) [BA/2019] and Ravi Balchan (3L) [BComm (Hon)/2021] were chosen to represent the clinic in the Grand Entry, led by Elder Carl Stone [BA]. Emily, who has attended the VIBE Awards for three consecutive years while attending UM Law, reflected on the event’s unique impact: “It’s inspiring to see a room filled with a diverse network of supporters, funders, students, entrepreneurs, and businesses all promoting the Indigenous business community in Manitoba. Every year, I’m reminded of the power of connection and the results that come from uplifting commerce communities in our province.“

For Ravi, the experience was equally powerful: “Taking part in the Grand Entry, I could feel the optimism, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit in the room. Hearing stories of Indigenous business excellence made me incredibly proud and inspired by my community.“

A Legacy of Support and Connection

The event concluded with a prayer from Elder Norman Meade, who emphasized the importance of community. His words resonated with the evening’s theme of collective action and support.

As the 18th Annual VIBE Awards came to a close, it was clear that the legacy of IBEP and the achievements of Indigenous entrepreneurs like Emilie McKinney and Shaun Vincent continue to inspire.

The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic strives to carry forward this inspiration by supporting and assisting Indigenous entrepreneurs in their journey. Clinic students look forward to attending the VIBE Awards gala again next year to celebrate even more stories of Indigenous business excellence; and thank the Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and Law for supporting the law students’ attendance this year during Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Month at the University of Manitoba.

Marsii! Hiy Hiy! Miigwetch!

This webinar was a part of the University of Manitoba’s Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Month and provided entrepreneurs with essential information needed to successfully launch and grow a business venture.  

Slide from the presentation introducing the three law students who gave the seminar: Ravi Balchan (3L) [B. Comm. (Hons.)/2022], Alli Knox (3L) [B. Comm. (Hons.)/2017], and Jordan Wagner (3L) [B. Comm. (Hons.)/2022].

Providing Entrepreneurs with Key Legal Information Needed To Thrive

This webinar explored critical topics such as the differences between various business structures, the steps required to incorporate a business, contracts, and the different forms of intellectual property. Webinar attendees were provided with the foundations needed to protect a new venture and enter into various business agreements confidently. The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship provide entrepreneurs with valuable opportunities to deepen their understanding of the essential aspects of successfully running a business.

Although a similar presentation has been given at the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship in the past, this year’s presentation focused more heavily on intellectual property and the elements of a contract, ensuring attendees could walk away feeling empowered to enter into various contractual agreements and understand the ins and outs of protecting their work. 

‘Key Takeaways’ slide from Startup Law 101: Protect Your New Venture

“We knew it was essential to feature a substantial intellectual property component in the presentation,” said Wagner. “We felt it was crucial to cover the different types of intellectual property, explore relevant legislation, and clarify the rights and protections these laws offer. This way, entrepreneurs gain a clearer understanding of their rights and can make informed decisions about protecting their work.”

Intellectual property is more critical than ever in today’s business landscape, with entrepreneurs needing to safeguard their innovations and creations.

“A basic understanding of how contracts operate is critical to successfully launching and growing a business venture of any kind,” said Balchan. “While entrepreneurs certainly do not need to become legal scholars, understanding legal concepts such as the requirements for an agreement to become a legally enforceable contract provides entrepreneurs with a confidence to effectively navigate business negotiations.”

Startup Law 101: Protect Your New Venture discussed many aspects of contracts, including why individuals make contracts, and what should be included in a contract. 

Business and Law School – Powerful Collaboration

Debra Jonasson-Young, Executive Director of the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Asper School of Business, oversees the Centre’s strategic direction to foster entrepreneurial engagement among University of Manitoba students.

“I would like to thank the students from the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic for collaborating with the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship to host the Startup Law 101: Protect Your New Venture webinar in support of our student entrepreneurs,” said Jonasson-Young.

She emphasized the importance of partnerships between faculties in fostering student success. “As always, the strong connection and collaboration between our two faculties serves to support our students by providing them with important information to assist them on their entrepreneurial journeys while showing them the power of sharing knowledge across faculties!”

Debra Jonasson-Young,
I.H. Asper Executive Director of Entrepreneurship
Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship

Ravi Balchan shared his experiences working with the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship. “When I was in Asper, I briefly tested out a business idea. At that time, I found the process of creating and establishing a business to be incredibly confusing,” said Balchan. “Thankfully, due to guidance from the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, I was able to successfully launch a business. Years later, delivering a webinar for the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship felt like a full-circle moment. It was a pleasure to be involved with the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship in providing entrepreneurs with the legal knowledge they need to thrive when launching or growing their business venture.”  

Alli Knox shared her excitement about collaborating with the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship. “A significant portion of my final year at Robson Hall has been dedicated to the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic working with business clients,” said Knox. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to present with the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship. Being an Asper graduate, I have seen and encountered the Stu Clark Centre on numerous occasions and greatly appreciate what they do for our community.”            

This webinar was recorded and will be an ongoing free resource available through the Stu Clark Centre Webinar Library. Plans for more community presentations are already in place. 

President Benarroch invites our entire campus community to participate in an event or two. “These events are for everyone,” says President Benarroch, “Even if you don’t see yourself as a traditional entrepreneur. At UM we nurture entrepreneurial thinking in every faculty as part of our pursuit of big ideas. Big ideas that help mitigate climate change, bolster human health, advance Reconciliation and so much more.”

Visit the Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Month webpage for all event details and registration information.

Attend the IDEA START Open House, UM’s new entrepreneurship gateway, witness a live pitch competition in the Asper School, participate in lunch hour webinars, or attend a 2-day learning event to build your entrepreneurial thinking skills during reading week. And, so much more!

Explore the many opportunities that support and celebrate entrepreneurship and innovative thinking at UM.

The Experiential Learning Spotlight Series documents the diverse and innovative ways in which UM faculty and instructors incorporate experiential approaches to their teaching. The series is curated by The Office of Experiential Learning within The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

Join UM’s growing Experiential Learning Community of Practice!

In March, UM students were able to access healthy, 4-course meals for only $7 at the Human Ecology lounge. Compared to other food options available on campus, it was a steal of a deal! The menu and all the prep were courtesy of fourth-year Human Nutritional Sciences students in the Quantity Food Production and Management course.

The hot lunch project is one of many ways that Dr. Snehil Dua incorporates Experiential Learning (EL) into her teaching. She is always looking for ways to help her students prepare for the dynamic demands of the food industry.

“The students simulate real-world scenarios by organizing the lunch sales,” says Dua, who is an instructor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences. “Through role-playing as managers and workers, they gain firsthand experience in menu planning, recipe standardization, inventory management, food preparation and sales.”

Dua understands the value of integrating real-life learning at all course levels. “In lower-level courses, I incorporate decision-making activities and case-study discussions, gradually progressing to more hands-on experiences such as laboratory work,” she says.

In advanced courses, students benefit from a range of EL opportunities. 

• Students write a comprehensive business plan for a for-profit or non-profit food service, where they consider all aspects of the business, including location, menu, human resources, break-even analysis and profitability, waste management, sustainability, and quality control. “The consistently impressive quality of the business plans students present surpasses my expectations,” she says.
• Guest speaker Randy Dagasdas, CEO of Me-Dian Credit Union, visits classes to share details on securing loans for small businesses and navigating the financial landscape.
• Students engage with local businesses to work on projects tailored to their course objectives with an entrepreneurial focus. “This fosters meaningful connections with potential employers and cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset.”

The feedback from businesses and students regarding EL initiatives has been overwhelmingly positive, with several students securing job offers due to their outstanding performance, says Dua. “It’s incredibly rewarding to receive emails from students, even a year later, expressing gratitude for the valuable skills gained through WIL experiences, particularly when navigating the job market.”

Dr. Dua’s story is one example of the many ways to incorporate work-integrated learning into courses. From industry projects to entrepreneurship, The Office of Experiential Learning is here to help you prepare your students to thrive in the real world!

For more information about how to teach through entrepreneurship,  get in touch with Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist: Entrepreneurship.

If you would like to be featured in this series, or know someone who should be, email The Office of Experiential Learning at OEL [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.

He’s an business founder, innovator and executive who has helped 400 founders get their startups going in India. Idea Start office is currently located on the main floor of UMSU University Centre, adjacent to the food court and you can meet with Rajeev every Friday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Watch the video to learn more.

UM Faces & Spaces is a monthly feature showcasing the people and places across UM that are transforming the student experience, advancing innovation in research, driving change and creating a lasting impact here in Manitoba and globally. For more stories go to our YouTube playlist.