Schedule

September to April

Alberta’s Colleges and Universities run their own on-campus activities to expose students to entrepreneurship as a viable career option. Those interested in becoming an entrepreneur can start working on the 10 steps to turn their idea into a business. From January to March a series of on-campus presentations are broadcasted live and recorded for future use. At the end of April, each school selects who it thinks is its most promising first-time entrepreneur.

May & June:

Those chosen to represent their post-secondary institution as the most promising first-time entrepreneur participate in a summer skills development program. The skills development program starts with a Kick-off Weekend where students and aspiring entrepreneurs learn and apply the Lean Startup method and Ash Maurya’s Lean Canvas. The summer skills development program then continues with Lean Startups Challenges and twice-a-week web meetings.

June to August:

Each school’s representative has the opportunity to compete for over $100,000 in cash and scholarships to Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurship program.

Up to $50,000 in cash is made available through a series of Lean Startup Challenges, regional pitch-offs and a final province-wide pitch competition held during the Innovation Rodeo that runs the same week as the Calgary Stampede and gives away $25,000 in cash and awards $36,000 US in scholarships..

September to August

It is the intent of the program that when the following fall semester begins, each school’s participants then return to campus as Student Entrepreneurship Ambassador to inspire the next batch of 150 first-time entrepreneurs and help those from prior years to continue developing their businesses.