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.

WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s brightest young innovators will take centre stage this fall at the Falling Walls Lab Manitoba Finale, a global showcase for big ideas with the potential to change the world.

The event takes place on Wednesday, September. 11, at 4:30 p.m. onwards at the Desautels Concert Hall, University of Manitoba, and will bring together students, researchers, and entrepreneurs who will each deliver a dynamic three-minute pitch outlining their vision for breaking down barriers in science, technology, and society.

Falling Walls Lab is part of the Falling Walls Foundation, launched in Berlin in 2011 with a mission to celebrate breakthrough thinking across disciplines. Each year, winners from Lab competitions around the world converge in Berlin for the Falling Walls Science Summit, representing more than 60 countries. The Manitoba Lab is organized by IDEA START in partnership with the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg.

“The Lab gives participants a platform to share their passion and creativity in a way that sparks real dialogue,” said Hans-Joachim Wieden, Professor, Associate Vice-President Partnership, Knowledge Mobilisation and Innovation, Microbiology, “It’s about showcasing fresh perspectives and inspiring collaboration for a better future.”

Alongside the pitches, attendees will enjoy special performances designed to celebrate creativity and innovation in many forms.

The Honourable Mike Moroz, Minister of Innovation and New Technology of Manitoba, will attend as Chief Guest. Minister Moroz’s presence underscores the province’s commitment to supporting innovation, research, and technology in Manitoba.

At the Finale, a distinguished panel of judges from the province’s business and academic community will evaluate the pitches and select a winner. That individual will go on to represent Manitoba, Canada on the international stage in Berlin this November.

Past Falling Walls Lab participants from around the world have presented ideas ranging from climate solutions and medical breakthroughs to cutting-edge digital technologies. Manitoba’s competitors are expected to bring the same spirit of ingenuity to this year’s showcase.

The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required to assist with planning and catering arrangements. Community members are encouraged to register early through Eventbrite.

Organizers are also seeking volunteers to help deliver the event. Those interested in supporting the showcase can register by emailing Poonam Chopra, Falling Walls Lab Manitoba Project Event Lead. 

The Falling Walls Lab Manitoba Finale promises not only to highlight the talent of local innovators but also to connect Winnipeg audiences with a global movement that bridges science, entrepreneurship, and society.

“Every idea begins with one person willing to challenge the status quo,” said Moses Levy, Director IDEA START. “This event is about celebrating that courage and connecting those ideas with the community.”

For more information, visit the Falling Walls Lab Manitoba page through the University of Manitoba and IDEA START.

Starting in Fall 2025, up to 10 graduates per year from RRC Polytech’s engineering technology programs will be eligible for direct entry into the U of M’s civil or mechanical engineering degree programs through the Price Faculty of Engineering.

Read more at ChrisD.ca

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.

More than just a competition, Falling Wals Lab Manitoba is an opportunity for students and early career professionals to hone communication skills and foster collaboration to ignite social change.

Participants will share their solutions to pressing global challenges in three minutes presentations for a jury of experts and an audience of peers. The winning pitch will secure a coveted spot in the global finale in Berlin, Germany on November 7, 2024.

The application portal is now open until July 15, 2024 (4:30 PM CST). Applications are welcomed from across all disciplines by those meeting one of the following criteria:

• You have received a Bachelor’s degree no more than 10 years ago
• or you have received a Master’s degree no more than 7 years ago
• or you have received a PhD no more than 5 years ago
• or you are currently enrolled in a university and/or are currently a postdoc

Semi-final winners from over 150 countries will gain access to the prestigious Falling Walls Science Summit, a nexus of networking opportunities with influencers, businesspeople, and policymakers. Semi-finalists may also clinch the esteemed title of Breakthrough Winner in the Emerging Talents category, which includes prize money and a chance to pitch on the illustrious Falling Walls Breakthrough Day stage.

Three information sessions will be held on May 28, June 12 and June 27. Sign-up online to join the discussion!

To learn more about this global movement to break down barriers and challenge the status quo contact: FallingWallsMb [at] umanitoba [dot] ca

Fostering the creation of impactful ideas has long been a strength of the University, whether or not these activities have been labelled entrepreneurial. Now, UM’s first Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Report embraces a richer perspective to showcase the many ideas that have come to life at UM in the past year.  

The report explores the opportunities UM provides for students, staff and faculty to learn about, for and through entrepreneurship. Readers can learn how UM delivers entrepreneurship education, encourages student engagement, and empowers all members of the campus community to engage in entrepreneurial thinking. The report also shows how UM supports entrepreneurial ventures and how it contributes to the Manitoba entrepreneurship ecosystem.

A few highlights include:

• The return of the Shad program to UM, an innovative Canadian program in which Grade 10 and 11 students spend a month on a university campus learning about STEAM and entrepreneurship
• UM Microbiology student Natasha Theriault, who competed in the global Falling Walls Lab in Berlin
• Exciting pitch competitions that engaged hundreds of students, both from UM and North America.
• New resources to support faculty who are interested in teaching through entrepreneurship as a type of experiential learning

To read the Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Report on Activities 2022-23, visit Entrepreneurial thinking at UM.

Get entrepreneurial at UM

To learn more about entrepreneurship and innovative thinking at UM, visit our webpage.

For more information about how to bring an entrepreneurial mindset into your learning environment, get in touch with Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist: Entrepreneurship.

To spark your entrepreneurial spirit, visit the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship.

To move your invention or research into a practical application, visit Partnerships and Innovation.

“I congratulate all student participants in the Showcase. It was wonderful to see the vibrant atmosphere and networking between students and Faculty across many disciplines throughout the day,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research & International). “Research experience at the undergraduate level expands our horizons and can open doors to new career opportunities.”

More than 40 expert judges representing 10 UM faculties awarded cash prizes in five categories across two streams of competition, oral presentations and research poster displays. The Showcase will expand to include additional presentation streams in the future to reflect the full diversity of research and scholarly activities at UM.

Undergraduate Research Showcase 2023 winners

Applied Sciences

Poster format

1st– Kristo Oktaviano, Role of Nano Iron Catalyst and Hydrogen Peroxide Additive to Manitoba Virden Crude Oil Rate of Photodegradation under UV Light at Ambient Temperature
Research Supervisor: Feiyue Wang, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources

2nd– Kelly Tan Zhi Xin, Sequential extraction of fava bean protein for improvement of techno-functional properties
Research Supervisor: Nandika Bandara, Agricultural and Food Sciences

Creative Works

Poster format

1st– Asha Stott, Unstacking The Deck
Research Supervisor: Lisa Landrum, Architecture

Health Sciences

Oral format

1st– Megan Crooks, Virtual graded motor imagery for phantom leg pain: A feasibility case series
Research Supervisor: Renee El-Gabalawy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

2nd– Vicky Xie, Histopathological Indicators of Acute Lung Injury in the Porcine One-Lung Ventilation Surgery Model
Research Supervisor: Biniam Kidane, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Poster format

1st– Kaden Baskerville, Alternative splicing-dependent interaction between presynaptic neurexin-1β and postsynaptic mGluR5
Research Supervisor: Henry Dunn, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

2nd– Sara Crooks, Investigating the mechanism of cancer cell death induced by a novel experimental glycolipid therapeutic.
Research Supervisor: Mark Nachtigal, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

3rd– Louis Dela Pena, TEAD protein’s repressive role in Small cell Lung Cancer
Research Supervisor: Joel Pearson, Faculty of Science

Natural Sciences

Poster format

1st– Danica Dobson, Examining the 22q11 Chromosome Deletion in Neuronal and Glial Cells
Research Supervisor: Robert Beattie, Faculty of Science

2nd– Ryan Hay, Analyzing uncharacterized sugar alcohol dehydrogenase from Acetivibrio thermocellus
Research Supervisor: Richard Sparling, Faculty of Science

3rd– TIE: Nicolas Leclerc, Establishing Primary Fibroblast Cell Lines from Ursus Maritimus to Model Neural Development In Vitro; Darshan Singh, Developing RNAi-Based Technologies to Control the Peach Potato Aphid (Myzus persicae)
Research Supervisor: Robert Beattie, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences; Steve Whyard, Faculty of Science

Social Sciences and Humanities

Oral format

1st– Marley Pauls, Bro, who you talking to girl? Exploring gender performance in queer women’s speech.
Research Supervisor: Veronica Loureiro-Rodriguez, Faculty of Arts

Poster format

1st– Samantha Rennie, Family Characteristics and Study Methods in Research on Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: A Meta-Analysis
Research Supervisor: Kristene Cheung, Faculty of Arts

2nd– MacGregor Goodman, Promising practice: Non-forced care as a harm reduction approach to violence in long-term residential care
Research Supervisor: Laura Funk, Faculty of Arts

3rd– Kazuki Nishikiori, Understanding the Development of Online Safety: Children’s Evaluations of Invasive and Noninvasive Games
Research Supervisor: Shaylene Nancekivell, Faculty of Arts

The twelve types of experiential learning identified by the University of Manitoba reflect our commitment to the education of the whole student, the diversity of learning experiences at UM, and the dynamic, seamless nature of the experiential learning landscape. During November we are shining a light on one type of experiential learning: entrepreneurship.

For our inaugural Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking month, we have gathered events in November that help you foster an entrepreneurial mindset. These events will provide faculty, staff and students with opportunities to learn about, for and through entrepreneurship.

“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.”

President Benarroch invites you to participate in an event or two. Take in a talk from UM alum Dr. Anastasia (Stasi) Baran, co-founder and COO of nQube Data Science, witness a live pitch competition, participate in lunch hour webinars, or attend a 2-day learning event to build your entrepreneurial thinking skills, and so much more.

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

For more information about how to bring an entrepreneurial mindset into your learning environment, get in touch with Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist: Entrepreneurship.

To spark your entrepreneurial spirit, visit The Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship.

To move your invention or research into a practical application, visit Partnerships and Innovation.

“I’m entirely self-taught with a healthy dose of trial and error,” Szczerski added.

His journey continued with learning 3D CAD software to modify, design and print his own models. He now actively prints on filament and resin printers, and comfortably designs his own models for various purposes.

One of those purposes is to support faculty like Dr. Joy Stacey in Biological Sciences. Dr. Stacey teaches chordate and invertebrate labs and was intrigued about the potential of 3D printers in her teaching lab.

Dr. Stacey and Szczerski worked together to find high quality scans in public databases and then Szczerski assisted with editing the models to make them ready for printing. They targeted particular skulls that students were having the most trouble with learning. Dr. Stacey then devised a learning activity where students could paint their models as they learned to identify specific bones.

“Acquiring original bones or plastic copies is fairly expensive – usually a couple of hundred dollars each. But with 3D printing, we can get materials at less than two dollars per skull. That makes it feasible even for students to take them home as a good quality study aid,” Szczerski noted.  

Szczerski has also supported Dr. Carla Zelmer in Biological Sicences, who teaches flowering and non-flowering plants, by providing affordable models of plant cell organization. The models were enlarged and simplified in several ways to allows students a better visualization of the material.

Szczerski’s simple 3D printed add-ons also support the Buller Greenhouse with things like plant watering and bait traps to capture slugs.

Szczerski’s advice to others: “I think the best way to live life has always been to follow your passions and find ways to explore your own individuality and creativity. One never quite knows where things will go and many additional opportunities may be out there if you just start.”

Gallery of Carl Szczerski’s painted 3D models on display at the recent 3K Science Spark Pitch Competition from the Science Innovation Hub. Photo Credit: Mike Latschislaw

Get entrepreneurial at UM

For more information about how to bring an entrepreneurial mindset into your learning environment, get in touch with Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist: Entrepreneurship.

To spark your entrepreneurial spirit, visit The Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship.

To move your invention or research into a practical application, visit Partnerships and Innovation.

We are looking for instructors who would be willing to explore embedding Map the System into a for-credit course.

• Do you teach topics such as qualitative research methods, social and environmental issues, systems thinking, social entrepreneurship, consulting, social change, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, UN Sustainable Development Goals, advocacy, etc?
• Are you interested in offering a new experiential learning opportunity to your students?

Map the System Information Session

In this one hour online Zoom meeting, Faculty Specialists Rebecca Brooks and Janine Carmichael will share: 

• More about Map the System, including key dates and deliverables
• Benefits to students of participating in Map the System in a for-credit course
• Available supports for instructors to make any necessary course adjustments

Date: Monday, June 19, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Delivery method: Remote – UM Zoom

Register now

Learn more

To learn more about Map the System, contact Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist in Entrepreneurship at janine.carmichael@umanitoba.ca.

To learn more about past Map the System competitions, visit the Map the System Canada website.

To learn more about the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, visit their website.

Register for the Map the System information session.