Already recognized as one of Ontario’s most entrepreneurial colleges, NC has launched a new hub that will expand and enhance the college’s entrepreneurship activities.
The project is supported by a $200,000 grant from Ontario’s On-Campus Entrepreneurship Activities program, managed by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and matched by Niagara College. The hub is designed to spread a spirit of entrepreneurship across all NC programs and activities, while enhancing the student experience by increasing access to experts, mentors, events and opportunities on campus and in the community.
“A thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem exists here at Niagara College and across the region, and this hub will tap into it to the benefit of our students and local business,” said Vivian Kinnaird, dean of Business, Hospitality and Environment. “For Niagara College, this is a great opportunity to incorporate entrepreneurship into all of our program areas.”
Led jointly by the Business, Hospitality and Environment, and Media, Trades and Technology divisions, this project will collaborate with several existing resource centres for entrepreneurs in Niagara, including Innovate Niagara, Start-Up Niagara, St. Catharines Enterprise Centre, Job Gym in Welland and Brock University. The project will also leverage the synergies that exist with NC’s Research and Innovation Division.
Activities delivered through the hub will be aimed at all Niagara College program areas, and will include workshops; clubs; pitch competitions; entrepreneurs-in-residence; mentorship panels and more.
“Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit among students is a key component of Ontario’s Youth Jobs Strategy, through programs that help transfer their ideas and skills to the marketplace while creating rewarding careers,” said Reza Moridi, Ontario’s minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “By partnering with colleges and universities to support entrepreneurship, we are ensuring our province’s business leaders of tomorrow are getting the support they need to succeed today.”
The project leverages NC’s strong culture of entrepreneurship, which has been developed through our unique learning enterprises, Business Development Centre and Research and Innovation division.
“A strong entrepreneurial spirit is nothing new at Niagara College,” said Misheck Mwaba, PhD, dean of Media, Trades and Technology. “Through our entrepreneurship hub, we will expand these activities and provide budding entrepreneurs from all of our program areas with mentorship and support.”
“Niagara is home to forward-thinking student entrepreneurs who are contributing valuable, innovative business ideas to the local ecosystem,” said Jeff Chesebrough, CEO of Innovate Niagara. “Partnering with Niagara College to support the entrepreneurship hub will help facilitate student entrepreneurs’ access to the game-changing services and resources available through Innovate Niagara.”
Project organizers have hit the ground running. Rachel Crane has joined the College as project manager, and faculty leads have been identified – Peter Vanscoy, professor and program coordinator of the Computer Programmer/Analyst program will be lead faculty for the Media, Trades and Technology division and Agostino Menna, PhD, professor of Business, will serve as lead faculty for the Business, Hospitality and Environment division. Activities are scheduled to begin in early 2015.
If you are leading entrepreneurial activities inside or outside the classroom, please contact project manager Rachel Crane at [email protected] to discuss opportunities to support entrepreneurial education.
