About Us - Glendon ENtrepreneuriat et Innovation A L'international (GENIAL)

A male professor and a female student are proudly holding a certificate, symbolizing achievement and success. There are two GENIAL posters in the background.

Initiative

The Glendon ENtrepreneuriat et Innovation A L’international (GENIAL) Initiative was launched in 2018 by Dr. Angelo Dossou-Yovo, Associate Professor in Management and Entrepreneurship, after joining York University as a faculty member for the Dual Degree Program in International Studies and Business Administration. This initiative is comprised of 4 pillars.

A bilingual extracurricular experiential program in entrepreneurship called the Entrepreneurial Skills Passport (ESP) and bilingual workshops, conferences and events in entrepreneurship and innovation for Glendon students, faculty members, and Ontario francophones.
A series of courses in entrepreneurship and innovation as well as training modules for professionals.
A research program in entrepreneurship and innovation which provides students with training and involvement in research projects and academic publications.
A student business incubator which enables students to experiment entrepreneurship and launch their entrepreneurial ideas in the best conditions, and in the language of their choice.

Value Added

GENIAL complements the existing entrepreneurship ecosystem at York University. This initiative creates new impacts for York University students, faculties, and the Toronto Francophone and Francophile community at large.

The GENIAL Initiative supports several experiential credited courses at Glendon, taught in English and French that focus on entrepreneurship, business administration, innovation and project management.
Students from York University, Glendon Campus – in business and liberal arts programs (i.e., Psychology, Translation Studies, Communications, Business Economics, Sociology, History, and International Studies) – have benefited from the ESP Program and the incubator space as well as students from partnering organizations in Ontario and Quebec.
The Toronto business community (including Glendon Alumni in business) has been involved in GENIAL activities via its participation in panels of judges for ESP student business pitch presentations. Its involvement is expected to continue.
Several students from York University have been involved and trained within the research projects undertaken by the GENIAL Research Team.

Mission

GENIAL works in partnership with LaunchYU and Innovation York to achieve its mission.

Vision

GENIAL’s vision is to become a key player in the development and promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation by offering tailor-made programming for Glendon students, faculty members and Ontario francophones.