YSpace is pleased to be a partner in Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. Experience Ventures enables students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements.
We believe entrepreneurial thinking isn’t limited to a personality type or a discipline or to entrepreneurs alone. It is an accessible set of skills that everyone can leverage to make an impact, big or small, in any career. The hallmarks of entrepreneurial thinking – creativity, resiliency and future vision – will be critical factors to ensuring Canada’s success today, and tomorrow.
How does Experience Ventures work?
Students can participate in:
- Hackathon: A one- to two-day event in which companies present students with real world challenges and ask them to provide innovative solutions.
- Challenges: Taking place over several weeks, these require students to build out more complete solutions to social, business, design or community challenges.
- Projects: Companies work one-on-one with a student on specific project over the course of a term.
- Student-in-Residence: Students receive unique opportunities to work with several companies over the course of a term.
- Interdisciplinary Team Projects: Teams of students from more than one discipline work together on a project for a venture or group of ventures over the course of a term.
After submitting an application, the Experience Ventures team reviews it to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria.
Any student from any discipline and faculty registered in a Canadian university who is:
- Enrolled in any full- or part-time program of post-secondary study
- A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations
Approved students complete the mandatory onboarding training. Training covers:
- The benefits of participating in Experience Ventures, as well as program parameters and expectations
- How to get the most out of your participation in Experience Ventures
- Entrepreneurial thinking and other relevant transferable skills learned through experiential learning placements
- The value of experiential learning
- Canada’s innovation ecosystem and the importance of new companies in job and wealth creation
Students participate in their entrepreneurial thinking opportunity with a venture partner
- Hackathon
- Challenges
- Projects
- Student-in-Residence
- Interdisciplinary Team Projects
Students complete a post-experience survey to reflect on the skills they developed through the program. Entreprenruial thinking involves:
- Systems and/or Transdiciplinary Thinking: Designing solutions across traditional boundaries
- Opportunity Recognition: Seeing problems as opportunities
- Risk Management: Coping with ambiguity and uncertainty
- Resiliency: Persevering through challenges, growth mindset
- Action Orientation: Taking initiative and learning through experience
Once a student has:
- Registered and completed onboarding
- Completed the experience
- Submitted the post-experience survey
Recieve your honorarium!
Amount varies depending on the type of placement.
Experience Ventures prepares both students and companies for the future:
Become future ready
Students can hone the entrepreneurial and digital skills they’ll need in their careers. Participating companies benefit from fresh perspectives and insights, at no cost.
Make an impact
We are energizing new companies with the next generation of talent, and innovating across disciplines to amplify impact.
Build innovation networks
Companies can tap into more multi-dimensional innovation networks, and a diverse talent pool.
Become a change-maker!
For Students
Experience Ventures creates entrepreneurial thinking placements for college and university students with innovative companies in Canada. Our goal is to inspire your creativity, resiliency and future vision – so you can seize your future with the right skill set.
Experience Ventures is structured and short-term to complement a student’s field of academic study and fit into busy course loads.
- After completing the opportunity, the student completes an evaluation.
- Experience Ventures offers an entrepreneurial thinking placement with a company that has partnered with York University.
- After acceptance, the student completes an onboarding process before participating in the entrepreneurial thinking opportunity.
Identify early talent
For Companies
For Canada’s startups and social ventures, identifying the right talent – and the right mindset—is a priority. Experience Ventures works with you to create entrepreneurial thinking placements for students.
Participating companies are asked to make an in-kind contribution unique to each school in lieu of payment to students. These can include any of the following: Time/salary; Space offered for an entrepreneurial thinking placement; Equipment or materials provided for the experience; Job and skills training; Student expenses (their participation in paid industry events, etc.)
Timeline
Applications open
Experience Ventures are open throughout the year but it varies depending on timeline and the placement type.
Application process
To inquire about Experience Ventures opportunities, email us at yspace@yorku.ca for more details and find out how you can qualify for the program.
Please note that there is a survey that must be completed at the end of the placement to receive the stipend. If you wish to learn more about the survey or have any questions, email us.
Program eligibility
- A registered student and enrolled in any full-time or part-time program at York University
- A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations
Frequently asked
Apply
To inquire about Experience Ventures opportunities, email us at yspace@yorku.ca
for more details and find out how you can qualify for the program.
OUR PARTNERS AND FUNDERS
Newsletter signup
YSpace is committed to working with emerging technology, agrifood, products and services. Get in touch today to find out how you can become a part of our community.
Contact us
For more information, please contact us at
yspace@yorku.ca
416-736-2100 ext. 44940
