"Schudents" Gateway to Entrepreneurism with LaunchYU

By HammadMotiwala, iBBA 2019

            Forthose of you who have that tendency to include entrepreneurship whenenvisioning any professional context, LaunchYU is the perfect start. Speakingof the perfect start, if you have anidea for a business and need assistance in getting started, then LaunchYU is where you should be heading for theOctober 24th workshop. The ‘Implementation & PrototypeDevelopment for your Startup’ (IT - PLEASE HYPERLINK THIS TEXTWITH:

http://launchyu.ca/event/fall2017revup2/?instance_id=8299) workshopis the perfect opportunity for potential entrepreneurs that want support ingrowing their business.

            LaunchYUwas created on November 10th, 2014 as a campus-wide initiative thatsupports early-stage entrepreneurs and helps in the acceleration of start-upcompanies. “Our goal is to help foster innovation and entrepreneurship in ourstudents and ensure that startup companies created at York University reachtheir maximum potential,” said Robert Haché, York’s Vice-President Research& Innovation. LaunchYU has partnered with organizations such as CollideHub, ventureLAB and York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI) in orderto expand and provide their services in a well-resourced manner.  “By partnering with these key organizations,we can leverage existing resources, bring them on campus and make themaccessible to our student population and surrounding community,” says SarahHowe, Director, Innovation York.

            LaunchYUconsists of several sub-divisions each providing its unique function forprospective entrepreneurs to benefit from.

IgniteUP: Doyou have a great business or social venture idea?

            TheIgniteUP assists the LaunchYU program by providing mentorship servicesthroughout the year. IgniteUP mentors provide expert advice from theirexperience in their respective fields. The IgniteUP team involves Aïko Thurlow,Founder/CEO, InFounders; Chris Carder, Chief CommercializationOfficer/Co-Founder, Kinetic Commerce; and Elliott Atkins, Co-Founder, OpilioLabs Inc. IgniteUP Forms can be filled at http://launchyu.ca/igniteup/followed by scheduling of Mentor Meetings.

RevUP: Learn to take your idea from concept toreality with RevUP!

            TheRevUP workshop series is the best route to take for prospective entrepreneurswho want to be guided through the various key topics to be considered whenstarting their own venture. The upcoming workshops on various topics can befound on http://launchyu.ca/revup/.Here is the opportunity for entrepreneurs in York University to step outsidetheir college buildings and head over to the Kaneff Building just across thestreet and take advantage of all the lessons to be learned.  

 AccelerateUP: Supporting entrepreneurs as they Build, Launch, and Scale theirventures

            TheLaunchYU AccelerateUP program is a 4 month program, run through partnershipswith ventureLAB andYEDInstitute.  The intensive programprovides lectures, workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and other services toassist ventures as they launch and grow. The program also provides an opportunityto receive a maximum of $8,000 in cash awards. The top startup will be awarded$12,500 and receive an equal amount of Aird & Berlis’s StartupSource legalservices. Applications for AccelerateUP can be accessed at http://launchyu.ca/apply/

            Theprogram has supported more than 1,850 entrepreneurs and 90 ventures. Theventures supported by LaunchYU have raised more than $2 million in externalfunding. The aspiring team behind LaunchYU involves Sarah Howe, MBA, RTTP, whois a Director at Innovation York and Nilay Goyal, MBA, who is theEntrepreneurship Manager at York University. The success of the LaunchYUprogram is clear. It is also clear that entrepreneurs are not just made in theclass room. Entrepreneurship is self-imposed! Face your entrepreneurial traits by taking part now and unleashing theventures that lie ahead. So… What are you waiting for?   

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