By Nathaniel Crouch
Regardless of what year you’re in, you might get an idea for a new business, app or technology. Lucky for those coming to Ryerson, there are programs, spaces and funding available to help student entrepreneurs find their footing.
Student Grant Program: This stage-based funding program offers up to $15,000 per project. Stage-based means there are different amounts of funding available and the amount your business is eligible for depends on its size and current development stage. The criteria for applying is that the project must be Ryerson student-led and positively impact the Canadian economy and society. A total of six student start-ups received grants last year, equal to $50,000 total in funding overall six projects.
Startup Certified: This one-semester course is available for Ted Rogers School of Management students seeking tips to balance being a business owner and a student. Tips range from education on investing and sales to product management. At the end of the semester, students are connected with relevant businesses owners in hopes of implementing the skills they learned. Information sessions for Winter 2020 will be held throughout October and November in the Digital Media Zone (DMZ).
Basecamp: This six-week program for university students and recent graduates helps entrepreneurs develop techniques on branding, public speaking and coding to make their company unique helping them become more visible to potential customers. Basecamp is a Canada-wide program and runs at Ryerson in June and July. You can commit to 15 to 25 hours per week, and by the end of the program, five prizes of $5,000 are awarded to students with the best business models.
Entrepreneurship Clinic: One-on-one drop-in sessions are available for students worried they’re missing a key component to being a business owner or need help making or correcting a portion of their start-up. The Clinic is open for students to drop-in on a bi-weekly, first-come, first-served basis starting in September, Tuesdays from 3 to 4 p.m., and weekly on Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m.
FounderX: Imagine if you could sit with the head of Google for lunch. Intriguing, isn’t it? The FounderX program allows applicants to shadow esteemed Canadian founders during their workday to see what it looks like to be part of a successful business and meet with its founders. The program takes place over one day in the winter semester. Applications opened in February this past year, and a date will be set by the DMZ for the program in 2020.
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