Creating successful businesses that scale is essential if we are to foster a competitive Canadian economy that generates jobs and creates new value. We reached a milestone in our work with high growth companies in May when our 500th QuantumShift Leader graduated from the program. What we’ve learned from these leaders is at the heart of Ivey’s approach to entrepreneurship and that is the knowledge that high-growth ventures are built by people.
Ivey is Canada’s leader in developing the skills and knowledge that drive entrepreneurial success. In the coming year we will build upon our considerable accomplishments in this space by embarking upon an improved strategy to build pathways to practice for our entrepreneurially-minded students. Like the best basketball players, concert pianists, chess masters, and top surgeons; successful entrepreneurs practice their craft with knowledgeable mentors and coaches. Starting in September, we will:
- Evolve our established student-centric activities and programs to better support the pathways strategy;
- Build pathways to practice for our entrepreneurship students that will allow for direct practice;
- Create a Student Innovation Scholars Program where Ivey students will have the opportunity to work with graduate students from across campus on due diligence process and evaluation; and
- Host our inaugural HBA Business Plan Competition, sponsored by Spin Master Toys. The competition will take place alongside our prestigious IBK Capital – Ivey Business Plan Competition, making it the largest of its kind in Canada.
This is a sampling of the initiatives planned for the coming year. Stay tuned as we roll out more information in our fall newsletter.