The Faculty of Applied Science (APSC) and the ICICS team behind HATCH are pleased to offer the 2023 APSC Summer Entrepreneurship Program (SEP). The program provides support to students and teams wishing to advance their ideas utilizing novel technologies or systems that could have an impact on the world. The program will also help teams position themselves for entering into the entrepreneurship@UBC (e@UBC) program.
The program will be individually tailored to the needs of individual teams.
Program
This free after-hours program provides:
Weekly “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) group entrepreneurship sessions with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR), guest speakers, and a social gathering.
- Open Office Hours – weekly scheduled mentorship sessions with the HATCH EiR.
- Training on and use of HATCH makerspace equipment, supported by the Makerspace Manager (3D printing, laser cutting, water jet)
- Weekly reading on specific topics for building a start-up linked to the Content (see below.)
- Shared office space.
- Limited support to cover prototyping costs.
Summer Program Participant Testimonials
“I would absolutely refer it to a friend. I think that getting advice from you both , and getting to listen to the challenges that other groups were facing was extremely helpful. “
“The program brought on really good speakers (notably the session on patent and storytelling), and I think having someone experienced to bounce ideas off is really helpful for someone like me who is working alone at the moment.“
“Amazing amount of support available. Having access to the maker space, ICICS library, pitch book, etc., is fantastic. Especially for teams.”
Eligibility
The SEP is open to all student teams, provided one student per team is from APSC. If applying as an individual, you must be from APSC. All teams with a passion for entrepreneurship are welcome.
Online Information Sessions
- Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 5:15-5:45pm. The session can be accessed via this Zoom link.
- Thursday, April 27, 2023, 5:15-5:45pm. The session can be accessed via above Zoom link.
Overview of the SEP Timeline
- Apply by April 30, 2023
- Applications reviewed by mid-April followed by request to meet team/student
- Interviews from mid-April to first of week of May
- 10 program sessions from May 9 to July 18
- 10-15 minute sessions (via above Zoom link) with EiR covering one of the below themes: Tuesdays 5-6 pm during program
- One-on-One sessions to (via above Zoom link) “Ask Me Anything”: Thursdays 5:15-6:15 pm during program; bookable 10-minute slots
Content
- Market Size – is the market size sufficient to launch your idea?
- Competition – is there space in the market for your company?
- Customer Discovery – what are the questions to ask potential customers? Is my product a vitamin or an aspirin?
- Intellectual Property (IP) – Do you have unique IP and / or do you have competitive advantage?
- Beachhead Market – Which market you should start with and why.
- How to use equity to build the team.
- What does it mean to be a CEO? Is it right for you – attitude, skills, experience?
- Decision Criteria – “Go”/”No Go” considerations for undertaking a startup.
- Pitching your idea – How to communicate your idea to investors and stakeholders.
- How to tell your story.
Applying
If you are interested in joining us, please send either one paragraph or a 45–60 second video covering product, problem, solution, market size, and target market), to the HATCH Manager listed below and list what help you would like from us – technical, financial, or commercial. Please apply by April 30, 2023, using the subject line “Summer Entrepreneurship Program.”
Information and Application Contacts
Applications to: Fatima Damji, HATCH Manager
More information: Francis Steiner, HATCH Entrepreneur-in-Residence