Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2021 Annual Report

ANNUAL

2021 REPORT

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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Table of Contents Our Mission ....................................................................................................

02

4.0 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................

24

Letter from Director .......................................................................................

03

4.1 Summary ............................................................................................................

24

4.2 Growth Catalyst ..................................................................................................

25

4.3 Innovation Accelerator .......................................................................................

27

4.4 Growth & Resiliency Speaker Series ....................................................................

27

1.0 DEVELOPING HIGH IMPACT TALENT .................................................

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04

2.0 LAUNCHPAD ..........................................................................................

05

4.5 Scaleup Report ...................................................................................................

28

2.1 JHM LaunchPad Pitch Competition ...........................................................

05

4.6 CityXLab ............................................................................................................

29

Donors ...............................................................................................

08

4.7 Trico Changemaker Studio ..................................................................................

29

Alumni Award Winner ........................................................................

08

4.8 Platform Calgary ................................................................................................

30

LaunchPad Alumni Award ..................................................................

09

4.9 Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub .........................................................

30

2.2 LaunchPad Advisory Board .......................................................................

09

2.3 LaunchPad Accelerator Course ..................................................................

10

5.0 TEAM ................................................................................................................

31

2.4 Founders Fund ..........................................................................................

11

Ray DePaul, Director ................................................................................................

31

2.5 Circle Meetups ..........................................................................................

11

Dr. Simon Raby, Associate Director ..........................................................................

31

2.6 EO Competition - MRU’s Competitors Shine .............................................

13

Sam Begelfor, Entrepreneur Development Officer ...................................................

31

2.7 2020 Innovation Rodeo ..............................................................................

14

Emily Knight, Entrepreneur Development Officer ....................................................

32

2.8 Where Are They Now .................................................................................

14

Khalid Abdul Razak, Entrepreneur-In-Residence .......................................................

32

2.9 Letter from a Student ...............................................................................

16

Tracy Pfeifer, Administrative Assistant .....................................................................

32

3.0 WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ..........................

18

3.1 Innovation Sprint .......................................................................................

18

3.2 Social Entrepreneurship Sprint ..................................................................

20

3.3 Platform Student Entrepreneurship Sprint ................................................

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3.4 Hacktogether ............................................................................................

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3.5 Innovation at MRU ....................................................................................

22

*Photos in this report were either taken in previous years or while abiding by Covid-19 precautions

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Our Mission The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s mission is to support the development of the high-impact talent that is essential to the continued economic prosperity of Alberta. This is accomplished by delivering transformative community-engaged learning experiences.

Letter from The Director For the second year in a row, I’m writing this annual letter from my hermetically sealed COVID bunker and I sincerely wish it’s the last time. I know I’m not alone in labelling this as an extraordinarily difficult year. But I’d like to put the spotlight on students for a minute. They missed out on one of the biggest joys of going to university - leaving their parent’s house. They struggled with online learning, connecting socially, and building a professional network. They had difficulty finding jobs. That not only hits them financially but means they don’t get the experience that employers are looking for. Suffice to say, it’s been a tough time to be a student.

This is why I’m particularly proud of our program, our donors, and the group of students we engaged with this year.

Our daily motivation was knowing that we are providing a rare opportunity for students to have paid work-integrated learning opportunities. By leveraging our donor generosity and government programs, we were able to engage over 530 students and provide $227,000 in paid experiences. Students were supported through our LaunchPad program that is focused on founders, our Sprint programs for innovators, and meaningful internships delivering the Institute’s many programs.

We are also very aware that this year has been challenging for small businesses. This made our Growth Compass initiative all the more important. We launched the Growth Catalyst program for SMEs and supported our third cohort of the Innovation Accelerator. In total, 11 small businesses and 48 leaders were given the intensive support needed to achieve their growth ambitions. We also delivered a popular Growth and Resiliency Speaker Series that attracted over 1200 people to see 6 international speakers who have literally written the book on growth. All of these programs were powered by student interns. We know this province can’t recover without small businesses, so we will continue to find innovative ways to support them.

I’m often asked why I’ve stayed in this role for over 9 years. My answer is simple: I feel like we’re making a real difference in people’s lives. I know not everyone can get up every day and say that, so I’m grateful for the opportunity.

I’ve also been blessed with talented colleagues. This year we said goodbye and thank you to Emily Knight who has been a pivotal member of the Institute for over four years. She brought expertise and a passion to have an impact, one person at a time, which has become our hallmark. It’s amazing what happens when you take the time to get to know the student, and Emily is a master at it. One of the things I love about education is that we get to play the long game.

If we are patient in supporting students, sometimes over years and even beyond graduation, we know it will have a lasting impact. For that, I’m thankful and look forward to continuing to develop the talent that will help transform this city and province.

None of this would be possible without the foundational support of donors David and Leslie Bissett and the RBC Foundation. Program level support is also greatly appreciated from Western Economic Diversification, JMH & Co, Trico Charitable Foundation, Calgary Innovation Coalition, Alberta Innovates, LaBarge Weinstein LLP, and Grant Design.

I look forward to seeing you soon over a coffee or a beer.

Ray DePaul

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1.0

DEVELOPING HIGH IMPACT TALENT High impact talent is more than a buzzword. While charismatic founders in Calgary often steal the spotlight, what creates, attracts, and retains innovative companies and jobs is not just the founders, but also the employees with entrepreneurial and innovative mindsets.

What exactly is an entrepreneurial or innovative mindset? It’s the collective result of experiences that builds the ability to spot opportunities, persevere, and turn ideas into action.

This is why we increased our programming for students who are interested in innovation, but don’t necessarily want to be founders themselves. Our Innovation Sprints exposed 60 students to the innovation process. Our Growth Compass program helped 11 local SMEs in our community innovate and reach new heights. These innovators are the key to creating thousands of new jobs in our city. Combined with the top founder talent Mount Royal is known for producing, the Institute has its sights set on creating a stronger Alberta economy for everyone.

The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship takes a unique approach, delivering a number of transformational opportunities that will advance careers and personal success.

These transformational learning experiences are interwoven into every one of the Institute’s programs.

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735+ mentorship hours

531 students engaged

128 paid student WIL experiences

1385+ community membersengaged

$227,873 in student funding

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2.0

LAUNCHPAD 2.1 JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition The JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition is the pinnacle for student entrepreneurs at Mount Royal University. Students from across campus apply for their chance to pitch and win their share of $74,000 in funding and professional services. We are particularly proud of our program, our donors, and this group of student founders. Each of these students have decided to take matters into their own hands by attempting to start a business and reach for the stars during a turbulent year. This driven group of finalists gathered for pitch preparation, advanced mentorship, and peer-to-peer support over the course of the winter semester.

While these founders received competition-focused mentorship, it’s really the preparation they’ve done in classes, work-integrated learning experiences, and 1-1 mentorship over the years that have prepared them for this moment. When this tight-knit group of entrepreneurs took the stage, we saw the full potential of what Mount Royal contributes to Alberta’s innovation economy.

Impact:

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5 student owned companies

$74,000 awarded to student entrepreneurs

115 attendees online

85 hours of founder focused coaching

7 founders

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The second JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition held during the pandemic gave us a chance to create an exciting online showcase for our 2021 finalists. With over 100 people attending online to network and cheer on our founders, we felt the power of our community, even when we were physically alone. Our 2021 finalists faced the extra hurdle of a worldwide pandemic but banded together to show what entrepreneurship at Mount Royal is all about.

Here are our 2021 finalists:

Swim by Em is an ethical swimwear line that fosters comfort without sacrificing style. Founded by Emily Robitaille and Connor Pupp, Swim by Em diverts unused commercial fabric from landfills to create limited edition garments that cater to increasing body confidence.

Awarded: $10,000 JMH & Co.; $15,000 Grant Design

Donors The LaunchPad Program would not be possible without the enthusiasm and generosity of our amazing donors. JMH & Co., LaBarge Weinstein, and Grant Design are all key to creating the LaunchPad experience.

JMH & Co. JMH & Co. is a regional accounting firm with offices in Calgary, Brooks and Medicine Hat who have an oversized impact on their communities. Starting in 2012, JMH & Co. has committed $550,000 over 10 years to the LaunchPad Program. Each year at the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition the Institute has the honour of giving away $40,000 in JMH & Co. awards to Mount Royal founders.

LaBarge Weinstein For four years in a row, LaBarge Weinstein has donated $15,000 of in-kind legal services to the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition. LaBarge Weinstein is one of the best startup law firms in the country, and we are proud to have them as our legal partner.

Grant Design Moov is out to change the way the junk removal industry operates. By utilizing contract drivers with their own vehicles, founder Kevin Lee is finally making junk removal a painless process.

Jake McLellan is the founder of Bug Broz, a licensed pest control company aiming to make your backyard safer. Bug Broz eliminates pests that damage property and carry various diseases using safe and eco-friendly methods.

Awarded: $10,000 JMH & Co. Aarondeep Maan is the founder of Evergreen Lights, a custom outdoor LED Lighting company. Evergreen Lights offers permanent, cloud-enabled lighting solutions that provide homeowners control of millions of colours and animations year-round.

Awarded: $10,000 JMH & Co. Chinook Aerosports is bringing innovation to the rapidly growing world of disc golf. Founded by Ben Pearman, Chinook Aerosports builds technology that lets you track your athletic progress, and helps you find your disk when it gets lost (which it inevitably will).

Awarded: $10,000 JMH & Co.; $15,000 LaBarge Weinstein; $4000 LaunchPad Alumni

Aislinn Grant’s branding firm, Grant Design, returned as a donor this year. Grant Design donated $15,000 of in-kind professional branding and design services to the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition. The Institute is especially proud to have Aislinn Grant as a donor and as a JMH LaunchPad Alumnus.

Alumni Award Winner In 2013, Aislinn pitched Aisy Cakes on the JMH LaunchPad stage and walked away with $7,500 in cash. Aisy Cakes was inspired by Aislinn’s experience working with all-natural wellness products. While Aisy did not become a household name, it did become the launchpad for her career as an entrepreneur.

In 2016, Aislinn closed Aisy Cakes and dove headfirst into the passion she had developed for supporting startups in designing beautiful and compelling brands.

After three years of running her first branding agency, Trout + Taylor, in 2019 Aislinn founded Grant Design. Grant Design is a boutique branding studio that specializes in brand identities, packaging, and print. In her career she’s worked with brands like WestJet and Lululemon as well as startups and businesses across Canada.

Aislinn is also a mentor to dozens of student entrepreneurs across Calgary, volunteers at both Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary, and hosts workshops to crowds of hundreds on developing their brand values. In addition to her support of student entrepreneurs, Aislinn co-founded a group called Play Big & Jam which brings together women and femmes who want to play bigger in their professional and personal lives.

Aislinn has been an irreplaceable contributor to the LaunchPad program, not only with her time but also donating $45,000 in branding services to student founders. Aislinn embodies the LaunchPad core principle that if you look past the idea and mentor the person, great things can happen.

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LaunchPad Alumni Award This year, something special happened. The LaunchPad community has always been tight-knit, but our Director Ray DePaul opened an email he never expected.

15 LaunchPad alumni and 3 community members banded together to give back to the LaunchPad Program in a special way. Together, they donated an annual $4000 award to a promising LaunchPad Finalist. This gift is unprecedented not because of the amount, but because 19 people got together collectively to give back. These alumni and community members aren’t rich and most are still early in their careers. Despite this, they felt the importance of supporting the next generation of MRU founders both financially and through their mentorship.

“Of all the things we’re proud of accomplishing at the Institute, building a strong sense of community between staff, students and alumni is perhaps the most impactful. We are so touched that alumni felt connected enough to our program and MRU to want to support the next wave of student entrepreneurs.”

- Ray DePaul, Director

2.3 LaunchPad Accelerator Course Each year, a handful of high-achieving student founders take part in our LaunchPad Accelerator course, taught by Ray DePaul. This course is focused on students who have made early progress with their venture and need the structure of a class as well as individualized coaching. While many of these founders go on to the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition, the real goal is to learn about themselves as founders and gain the mindset and tools to help them get further, no matter what path they choose.

Each student received specialized mentorship with unique sprints for their business as the main class projects. Students also engaged in peer-to-peer mentorship, learning how to give and receive advice in a safe environment. The selfdirected learning in this course allowed students to chart their own path according to the needs of their business.

11 student founders took part, here are a couple of their stories: Alexander Brodie and Jordan Brenda, Criius Gaming “In entrepreneurship, there’s so much to do that it can be extremely overwhelming. This class really helped us prepare for all the little things that often become big deals later. It also helped us identify a lot of unexpected opportunities. We discovered ways to increase our brand presence directly in games, sign 3 players, and get ready to create brand partnerships.

It sounds cheesy, but we learned the entrepreneurial mindset. We’re applying it to everything now. Our day jobs, things around our homes - and we’re not afraid to fail.”

We are deeply honoured that our alumni would give back in this way. It’s a testament to the community we’ve built and will continue to foster for years to come.

Alumni Award Donors Priyash Bista Andrew Browne Landon Clost

Haley Daniels Danielle Gibbie Zachary Hartley

Wade Lahring Ozzy Lang Jenn MacDonald

Mike MacDonald Marc Nzojibwami Tracy Pfeifer

Aneil Rajaram Derek Rucki Alistair Shipley

Rudi Schiebel Paul Shumlich Brad Williamson

Ben Laughland, White Spruce Music “My favorite part of the class was getting to meet other student founders who were on the same path. We were all working on radically different ideas, but we all had the vision and drive to create something. It’s really inspiring to be in a group like that. When you’re building something, it’s easy to feel alone, but with Ray and the other students, I was propelled forward. My advice for other students is just to dive in. If you want to start a business, even if you don’t stick with it, what you’ll learn is applicable in every field.”

2.2 LaunchPad Advisory Board The finalists of the 2020 JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition had the opportunity to gain expert advice from our Advisory Board. Made up of Calgary’s entrepreneurial movers and shakers, the Advisory Board offers an advanced level of mentorship and exposure. Each advisor was kind enough to volunteer their time to help guide Alberta’s brightest young entrepreneurs.

Impact:

143 mentorship hours

11 student founders engaged

Our 2020 Advisory Board members were: • • • • • •

Adam Cragg, Executive Director, Innovate Calgary Chris Kneeland, Co-Founder of Cult Collective, The Gathering, & Communo.com Christy Lane, Founder, Vivametrica Kevin Reid, Founder, President & CEO, Nomodic Lucas McCarthy, Founder & CEO, Showpass Meghan Perry, VP Finance, Broadbill Energy Inc.

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Impact:

33+ mentorship hours

7 student founders engaged

6 external advisors

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2.4 Founders Fund Members of the LaunchPad community are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 through the Founders Fund. The Founders Fund supports student founders with early validation, creating a minimum viable product, solution testing, and more.

By removing financial barriers to these activities, students can take their idea to the next stage, complete with all the learning that comes along the way.

Thanks to the generous donation by JMH & Co., each year $20,000 is available in student awards through the Founders Fund. In 9 years, 62 students have removed financial roadblocks with the Founders Fund. This year, 9 student founders accessed the fund. Here are some of their stories: Rasveen Gill, XO Body Care “The sprints and mentorship helped me figure out how to take things to the next level, but without the Founders Fund, I wouldn’t have had the money to put that knowledge to good use. Overall, it allowed me to improve my operations and my products. I really want to make it to the JMH LaunchPad Competition, and the Funders Fund is helping me get closer to that goal!”

Aarondeep Maan, Evergreen Lights “The Founders Fund was integral to taking Evergreen Lights to the next level. Being a student with a job, loans, and a business is, well, a lot. The Founders Fund allowed me to focus on making my business a reality. Recently, we’ve gained more government funding and are expanding further into the B.C. market.”

Impact:

143 mentorship hours

11 student founders engaged

$20,000 in funding

2.5 Circle Meetups Circle Meetups are an opportunity for like-minded students and alumni to network, discuss progress and roadblocks, and support each other. While the pandemic made physical meetings impossible, we got creative in ensuring an engaging experience. Borrowing the Trico Changemakers Studio’s Hive Mind structure, 2 students or alumni currently working on an idea present a question to the group. Through a series of steps, the circle helps develop advice for the presenting founder. These meetups let students learn how to give and receive advice, but more so, they learn that what they have to say is important and worth hearing. For budding entrepreneurs and those curious about innovation, building their confidence is the first and most important step.

Building confidence and community breeds greater innovation, and even in a pandemic, our online circle meetups helped students feel like they were a part of something bigger.

Impact:

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65 students and alumni engaged

6 online Circle Meetups

36 alumni attendees

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2.7 2020 Innovation Rodeo Covid-19 put a halt to many events this year, but Ben Pearman took the online Innovation Rodeo, hosted by Bow Valley College, by storm. With his venture Chinook Aero Sports, he tied for 1st winning $10,000 and tuition to Draper University in San Francisco. In San Francisco, Ben joined 1000+ Draper alumni who have launched their own startups and raised over $240 million in venture funding. Ben credits the Innovation Rodeo with preparing him for the intense experience in San Francisco, and taking the stage at the JMH LaunchPad competition in 2021. “The Innovation Rodeo forced me to get out there and do the groundwork. It broke down the barriers of how to get money to pursue my dream. It’s easy to give up on an idea when it’s in its infancy, but the Rodeo and LaunchPad, and everyone in the community, kept me moving forward.”

“The mentorship I received at the Institute is as good as it gets. Ray makes you feel like you are his primary focus. He really cares and that’s hard to find.”

Ben Pearman

2.8 Where Are They Now Alexandra Daignault

2.6 EO Competition - MRU’s Competitors Shine On November 12, The Entrepreneur Organization hosted their annual Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) virtually.

GSEA breaks the mold of the average pitch competition by focusing on the student entrepreneur and their journey instead of just the viability of their business. The judging criteria looks for evidence of the individual’s resilience to failure, openness to learning new skills, ability to identify and pursue new opportunities, and their ability to successfully juggle the complex demands that come with being a student entrepreneur.

Among the four students selected for the competition, three were Mount Royal student founders: Logan Grasby, Entrepreneurship Student and Founder of Quest Climbing; Ben Pearman, Entrepreneurship Student and Founder of Chinook Aero Sports; and Kevin Lee, Policy Studies Student and Founder of Moov.

We were thrilled to see the first female winner from the University of Calgary and are incredibly proud of this batch of finalists.

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Alexandra won $17,000 worth of cash and services as a JMH LaunchPad finalist in 2017, but she didn’t start out wanting to be an entrepreneur. One morning, Alexandra went to her favourite local coffee shop. Looking down at their array of beverages, she was struck with a thought. Here she was, purchasing product that supported small businesses and Indigenous communities elsewhere in the world. What if there was a tea that raised awareness of the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit people, while also using Canadian ingredients and donating to a local women’s shelter? Alexandra got straight to work. She went from blending tea into brown paper bags in her basement to a dedicated facility and boxes with iconic artwork of women who inspired each blend. Sarjessa’s 12+ tea blends are in Safeway, Sobeys, at Sarjessa.com, and at independent shops across Western Canada.

Taran Singh Kainth Taran Singh Kainth’s passion for entrepreneurship has only grown since participating in the 2019 JMH LaunchPad Competition. After LaunchPad, Taran won the Innovation Rodeo Pitch Competition and spent two months in San Francisco at Draper University. After wrapping up his first company, Sharyeo, Taran began his newest venture, Flahmingo, a digital investment app where you can begin trading with as little as $5. Taran joined forces with fellow LaunchPad alum, Gio Moros, as his co-founder. Flahmingo secured half a million dollars in their first round of financing, have a team of 24 and growing, and will launch their first product in the market by the end of 2021. On top of being Flahmingo’s CEO, Taran also became the Student Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Mount Royal, helping to support the next batch of entrepreneurs.

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Logan Grasby After the rewarding experience of coaching a competitive climbing team, Logan knew that entrepreneurship could offer a new opportunity to share his love of climbing with the world. This drive led to the creation of Quest Climbing and the Quest Homewall; an at home, customizable climbing wall to help empower children, increase physical ability, and physical literacy. With the help of the LaunchPad Accelerator class, Logan was able to bring the product to life. In the 2020 JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition, Logan earned both a $15,000 award from Grant Design, and $10,000 from JMH. When he came into LaunchPad, Logan had just over $4000 in revenue and 8 orders. Today, he has over $75,000 in revenue and more than 275 completed orders. Logan continues to innovate Quest Climbing by expanding his product line, making installation easier, and adding fresh artwork to the walls.

Derek Rucki Those who have been following the LaunchPad program for a while will recognize Derek from TLink Golf. In 2014, he and his co-founder Stefan Radeta were JMH LaunchPad finalists, and entrepreneurs to watch. Now onto his third startup, Derek is the co-founder of Inspired Go, a high-growth company providing readyto-eat healthy meals delivered to customers in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Saskatoon. Believing that all employees need an entrepreneurial mindset, he hires many key employees from the Mount Royal entrepreneurship community. Inspired Go also believes in supporting the communities where they operate and has donated over 10,000 free meals to front line workers and teachers.

2.9 Letter from a Student A year that was stagnant for most ended up being the one that propelled me into entrepreneurship. As a Marketing, International Business, and Entrepreneurship student, I had no clue as to what career I wanted to pursue. Entering my final year, the support of the Institute provided an opportunity to fine tune my path.

The entrepreneurial spirit had always run through my veins, even as a child. Whether it was selling lemonade, baked goods, or handmade jewelry at age 8, or charging my neighbour for handy work at 12, I always had a growing list of ideas. Luckily for me, this habit continued and at 19 I created Swim by Em and started selling handmade swimwear. Trying to balance this with jobs and school, I approached it purely as a hobby, but that didn’t last long. I wanted to see things grow and chatted with Ray in 2020 about joining the LaunchPad Accelerator class. Ultimately I decided I needed to do more soul searching before I put my business up to the test of that course. With COVID-19 making its way into the city, that summer ended up being the perfect opportunity for me to fully commit to Swim by Em and I successfully grew my business.

In the fall of 2020 I had the opportunity to join Khal Abdul Razak and Simon Raby as their Marketing Coordinator for the Institute’s Growth Catalyst program. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I dove in head first. This proved to be an invaluable experience. I was surrounded with like-minded individuals who had built their own empires from the ground up. At this point, I became more and more inspired. I asked myself, “If they could do it, why can’t I?” With the growth of my business, a new found mindset, and Connor Pupp as my new business partner, I was ready to take the plunge in the 2021 Accelerator course. With the knowledge and experience we gained through the course, we signed up for the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition. As discoveries ensued and gears kept turning, we were excited to pitch. Our hard-work paid off in unimaginable ways, being awarded a prize value of $25,000. This truly was the confidence builder we needed to show that our ideas were valid and had support behind them. All of this and 2021 isn’t even over it yet. I am extremely excited to see where my experiences take me from here!

Emily Robitaille, Founder, Swim by Em

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3.0

WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES The Institute is known for developing top founders and the LaunchPad program provides remarkable work-integrated learning opportunities for student founders. But what about students who are interested in innovation and not necessarily in starting a business?

3.1 Innovation Sprint The Innovation Sprint was launched to provide students from across campus with a unique work-integrated learning experience. Students were eager to gain meaningful work experiences to prepare them for their careers, so it was no surprise that our Innovation Sprints pulled in a record number of applicants. With only 20 spots each semester and more than triple the applications, we knew we were onto something.

The sprint brought together students from different backgrounds and programs with over 50% being visible minorities and 55% being female. 30% of students were in the Business program, 23% in Arts, 20% in Science and Technology, 17% in Communications, and 10% in Health, Community and Education.

In order to ground the innovation process in real opportunities and create a workintegrated learning environment, the Institute partnered with 9 local Calgary companies and matched each with a team of 4-5 students.

Thanks to the generous support of the RBC Foundation we were able to pay each student a $600 stipend. These stipends are essential to breaking down the financial barriers that prevent many students from being able to participate in programs like these.

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The following local companies were generous enough to donate their time and mentorship to help our students gain a unique set of real-world skills. Thank you to Deepwater Farms, YYC Cycle, PlayCity, askBetty, Inspired go, Nomodic Modular Structures, The Upside, Goodlawyer, and Communo for volunteering their time to support Mount Royal students.

3.2 Social Entrepreneurship Sprint The Social Entrepreneurship Sprint was launched to provide future social entrepreneurs with a structured ideation process and to provide a work-integrated learning experience in response to the loss of work opportunities over the summer of 2020. 20 students each received a $1000 stipend and endeavoured over six weeks to understand, ideate, and create solutions for real-world social problems. This program was made possible by the generous support of the Trico Charitable Foundation.

Each team was given 1 of 5 challenges: Clean Energy: Despite a growing number of financing and government programs encouraging renewable energy upgrades, there has not been a strong uptick in the use of solar panels in Calgary. How might we get more households and businesses to make the shift to renewable energies?

Aging Population: Canada has an ever-increasing aging population. Historically, seniors have been disproportionately vulnerable to neglect, illness, loneliness and fraud. How might we reimagine how we care for seniors to avoid and mitigate these issues?

“The Sprint has so far been an amazing experience because it challenges us to think deeper about entrepreneurship through trial and error. Not only have I built skills in teamwork and communication, I understand the process of discovering value-driven solutions.”

- Gracia Di N’zau Mbudi, 4th Year Marketing Student

Next Generation of Leaders: Community organizations or start-ups have struggled to recruit new Board members with the desired skill sets to help ensure both good governance and organizational success. How might we incentivize and prepare millennial and gen z’s to see the value in, and be ready to take on board roles?

“I was initially nervous to apply for the Sprint, because I’m a journalism student with only an entry-level amount of business knowledge. I’ve learned so many transferable skills over the last month, and the leaders have been exceedingly helpful and encouraging!”

- Kendall Bistretzan, 4th Year Journalism Student

Meaningful Representation: Stock pictures, icons and illustrations are dominated by images of white folks making it difficult for small businesses/nonprofits using stock content to accurately represent our population. How might content creators represent BIPOC / how can businesses represent diversity in their content in a meaningful way?

“I am surrounded by like minded individuals even though we are all from different programs, yet where we connect is the ideas we come up with. Being able to generate ideas and harness everyone’s creativity is definitely what I look forward to every time I meet up with my team.”

- Max Tiblenko, 5th Year Computer Information Systems Student “I enjoyed meeting the students and learning more about what they brought to the table. The diversity of individuals and backgrounds that the innovation program pulls in is its key to success and I would very much like to see this continue.”

- Ian Lees, Inspired GO, Mentor Innovation Sprint Impact:

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$25,500 paid to students

9 local Calgary startups

12 community volunteers

62 volunteer hours

Affordable Childcare: Accessible and affordable childcare is essential for families and working parents.

Removal of subsidized government funding and reduced capacity due to the pandemic have limited the accessibility of an already very costly childcare system. How might an inclusive solution to childcare support families safely?

Impact:

20 students engaged

30 hours of coaching

$20,000 paid to students

5 community partners

40 students in workintegrated learning experiences

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Here are some of the experiences our students had in the sprint. Each one was collected anonymously.

“It definitely provided me with more experience and had me take the first step through the door. The Sprint has actually helped me land another job at a start-up and I hope to take the skills I acquired from the Social Entrepreneurship Sprint and put them into play for an already existing company.”

“I learned how to dig deeper into the problem and test out different ways in order to come together to find a possible solution. Although our solution is nowhere near perfect and this problem requires a huge shift in ideology, if we had spent more time on it, I feel like it may lead to something great.”

The results of this program were truly transformational. Four students were accepted into Platform Calgary Student Entrepreneurship Sprint, where the students worked with advisors to validate their social enterprise ideas further. 95% of students agreed that the Social Entrepreneurship Sprint helped them build their professional networks.

3.3 Platform Student Entrepreneurship Sprint Mount Royal University teamed up with Platform Calgary and the University of Calgary to create a paid work-integrated learning opportunity for students from nearly every post-secondary in the province. Founder focused experiences like this allow student entrepreneurs with an idea to pursue their venture with the support of mentors, peers, and a toolkit of best practices.

3.4 Hacktogether The Department of Mathematics and Computing at Mount Royal University and the IEEE Women in Engineering of Southern Alberta Section got together to host an amazing opportunity: HackTogether: Alberta Virtual 2020 Hackathon.

This virtual event set out to help students explore two issues: COVID-19 pandemic challenges, and issues surrounding diversity in the STEM field.

Students from across Alberta competed in teams of 2-6 and utilized existing data sets and other resources to tackle these two challenges. The Institute provided support through $1500 in prizes and two workshops on understanding the problem and identifying riskiest assumptions. The event was kicked off by a keynote speech from Ray DePaul that inspired the students to think big and use technology to create a positive impact on the world.

3.5 Innovation at MRU While the Institute is focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, we are by no means the only group on campus that develops innovative student talent. The Institute partnered with Kerry Harmer from the Maker Studio in the Riddell Library and Learning Centre to identify the people, programs, and places on campus that help foster an innovative mindset. The results were published in a compelling website by Mount Royal’s Marketing and Communications department (mru.ca/innovation).

A critical part of the project was capturing the stories of graduates as they reflected on their time at Mount Royal. We commissioned this work from journalism graduate and LaunchPad alumni Sarah Green and published the personal journeys of Carille Mendoza, Ben Pearman, Logan Grasby, and Priyash Bista. Quotes from those articles are below.

Carille Mendoza (BCIS, 2017)

Over 5 weeks, the students work through lean startup methodology, sprints, and peer/advisor mentorship. Validating ideas, talking to customers, and bonding with peers helped to give this online program a true sense of community.

Once the students finished the 5 weeks, they had the information they needed to choose whether they pause, pivot or persist with their business. With 8 post-secondary institutions represented, 65 group mentorship sessions, and 57% of students being female founders, the Platform Student Entrepreneur Sprint helped these students get even closer to their goals.

This program was supported in part by Alberta Innovates.

“The whole experience really stood out for me, I was greatly able to go out of my comfort zone with this sprint. I was also able to build connections and network with some fellow entrepreneurs. The feedback I got from my cohort was amazing and my advisor was so great to work with.”

Kalin Kim, 3rd Year Finance Student

Impact:

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57 student founders engaged

$28,500 paid to students

“I don’t really know any other universities that put these kinds of opportunities in their students’ reach. Looking back, it’s great to see what was at my fingertips throughout my undergrad.”

“In my current position at ATB specifically, everything has to go through a lot of iteration and ideation in terms of creating ideas as well as backing those ideas up. Because of my time at MRU, I was well-poised and I understood exactly what I was getting into.”

Ben Pearman (BBA, 2021) “I thought my business idea was impossible until I talked to people at the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship who said that it could happen. The fact that MRU’s innovation community is so broad allowed me to gain knowledge in so many different areas.

For example, I was able to bring another student on to my business from the computer information systems program, who has been such a major help. I wouldn’t have met him unless MRU brought us together.”

“The Maker Studio was huge for my business early on. I was like, ‘I want to make a product. I want to make a physical thing, but I have no idea how to do that.’ Experts at the Maker Studio taught me the fundamentals of physical manufacturing and introduced me to the various prototype programs, how to design things in CAD (computer-aided design), and how to get access to some really expensive software programs.”

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4.0

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 4.1 Growth Compass Canada has a serious scale-up gap. While half of all business startups survive up to five years, only 0.1% of established small companies become midsize, and only 2% of established midsize companies become large. Small companies (those less than 100 employees in size) account for 97.9% of all Alberta organizations and employ 9 of every 10 private-sector workers. Between 2014 and 2019, small companies created the majority of jobs (Statistics Canada, 2020). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to employment, wealth and innovation.

The stark reality is that most companies are born small and die small. This is a significant challenge for the Canadian economy and has been further exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.

In early 2018, under the tireless leadership of associate director, Dr. Simon Raby, the Institute launched Growth Compass (www.growthcompass.org) to address this challenge. Growth Compass delivers evidence-based insights and intelligence on business growth and scaling. Over the past three years, Growth Compass has attracted over $500,000 from Western Economic Diversification, Alberta Economic Development and Alberta Innovates to design, test and evaluate curriculum that supports the growth ambitions of Alberta’s SMEs.

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4.2 Growth Catalyst The Growth Catalyst (growthcatalyst.ca) is an intensive five-month program that sparks the creation and sets the foundation for executing a growth strategy by CEOs and their senior leadership teams.

In the Growth Catalyst program, senior leaders form Strategic Growth Teams accomplished the following: • • • •

Align leadership behaviours to a growth mindset Assess the company’s capacity for sustainable growth Examine pathways to catalyze new forms of growth Build and implement a strategy for growth

We were fortunate to attract many partners in the community who share our desire to support scaling and growth.

These partners included Alberta Innovates, ATB Financial, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, EY, Platform Calgary, and Thin Air Labs.

The Growth Catalyst program is supported in part by the Government of Canada through Western Economic Diversification Canada, as part of the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund.

“Our biggest learning through the Growth Catalyst program has been the emphasis on thinking bigger, challenging the status quo, and really evaluating opportunities for significant yet sustainable growth.”

Onetwosix co-founder Nick Kazakoff

“The Growth Catalyst program has been a fantastic opportunity to challenge ideas, provoke new ways of thinking and refine our growth strategy. With the support of program leaders, coaches, and experts in marketing, sales, strategy, and innovation, we have strengthened 4Seasons Transportation’s collective plan and path towards the future. We are very grateful to be part of the Growth Catalyst program and thankful for the good it’s done within our organization.”

Brooke Garcia, CEO 4Seasons Transportation

Impact:

57 student founders engaged

44 new jobs created

23 leaders engaged

6 paid student internships

6 companies

6 companies formed the first Growth Catalyst cohort. These companies represented an exciting mix of fast-moving industries including consumer goods, engineering, transportation, furniture design, and environmental monitoring.

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4.3 Innovation Accelerator

4.5 Scaleup Report

The Innovation Accelerator provides companies with the innovation mindset and capacity to increase growth potential. In an intensive 90-day program, the Innovation Accelerator trains teams on a repeatable and scalable innovation process to capture new value and revenue streams. By the end of the program, each company develops and tests a new product and/or service concept.

Dr. Simon Raby was commissioned by Alberta Innovates to study how existing global programs targeting SME leaders ambitious for scale and growth operate, and the ways these programs positively influence the behaviour of SME leaders.

The key findings below will inform future Growth Compass programming as well as provide Alberta Innovates with insights toward their mission.

This year we welcomed our third cohort of companies.

• • • • Impact:

5 companies

20 students engaged

25 leaders engaged

3 paid student internships

• •

4.4 Growth & Resiliency Speaker Series In order to empower Alberta SMEs to build resilience and catalyze growth, the Institute partnered with Alberta Innovates to launch the Growth & Resiliency Speaker Series (growthcatalyst.ca/speaker-series). The series featured six globally recognized speakers who literally wrote the book on growth.

Verne Harnish

Scaling Up: Strategies That Will Help You Win BIG

Michael Bungay Stanier

Leading to Scale: The 5 Question Leader

April Dunford

Positioning That Clicks

Shawn Kanungo

Innovate to Grow: Strategy in a World of Disruption

David Hoffeld

Catalyzing Growth through Sales: Proven Strategies to Build and Win Bigger Deals

Lance Mortlock

Flexing Your Operating Model: Scenario Planning for a Post-Pandemic Future

While Alberta has one of the highest start-up rates in the world, scale-ups generate the majority of jobs.

Alberta, like Canada, has a scale-up gap. While half of all start-ups survive over 5 years, only 0.1% of small firms become mid-sized, and only 2% of mid-sized firms become large.

Eastern Canada has a more established set of scale-up programs.

One of the most important predictors of organizational growth is ambition or willingness of the business leader to grow, followed by their capacity to champion strategic and innovative change.

Leaders attending scale-up programs report enhanced levels of confidence in their decision making capability, and in their beliefs that their organizations will be more successful.

Scale-up programming supports leaders in their transition from tactical and functional specialists to strategic leaders, with the capabilities and skills needed to lead a high-growth firm being fundamentally different from those required at a start-up or low growth phase.

Profile - Khalid Abdul Razak, Entrepreneur in Residence In the summer of 2020, the Institute was fortunate to bring on Khalid Abdul Razak as an Entrepreneur in Residence. Bringing a breadth of experience as a founder, a consultant, and an advisor, Khalid quickly had a meaningful impact on the Institute and on the business community. Working side-by-side with associate director, Simon Raby, Khalid was the managing director for all three Growth Compass programs: Growth Catalyst, Innovation Accelerator, and the Growth & Resiliency Speaker Series. He brings both an entrepreneurial and an execution mindset to the role and has been a valued mentor to the student teams that he engages on these programs.

Quickly making a name for himself in the ecosystem, Khalid was highlighted by Avenue Magazine and facilitated a panel discussion on access to capital. He was also a mentor for Techstars Startup Weekend.

We are thankful that Khalid chose to apply his many skills at the Institute and look forward to the ongoing impact he will have on the province.

The series was a huge success, attracting over 1200 attendees from across the province. The key messages from each speaker were captured in a series of blogs, ensuring the impact will continue far after the speakers finished. (growthcompass.medium.com)

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4.6 CityXLab

4.8 Platform Calgary

The Institute continued to support Dr. David Finch’s ambitious city building programs under the banner CityXLab. This initiative includes ActiveCITY (activecitycollective.ca) whose goal is to transform Calgary into Canada’s most livable region. The program hit full stride with 23,000 Calgarians engaged in a survey, 21 workshops and forums and 25 podcasts. The collaboration involving over 30 community partners was successful at securing $500,000 over three years from the Government of Alberta to advance the program’s outcomes.

CityXLab also partnered with Calgary Economic Development (CED) on two initiatives focused on building the talent the city needs to thrive. After securing $40,000 for a pilot, the Competencies for Life (Competenciesforlife.ca) project kicked off with 14 community partners. In addition, $30,000 was secured from CED to map Calgary’s talent development ecosystem. Prompted by a capstone student project on the potential migration of youth out of the province and a Calgary Herald OpEd co-authored with Senator Doug Black, Dr. Finch collaborated with the Canada West Foundation to secure $250,000 to study youth retention in the province.

Dr. Finch, a professor in Mount Royal’s Faculty of Business and Communications Studies, is now a senior fellow with Mount Royal’s Institute for Community Prosperity. Calgary is fortunate to have a tireless academic who is passionate about the city and province we live in.

Impact:

44 community partners

15 paid student WIL experiences

Platform Calgary brings together the resources of Calgary’s tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow. Through collaboration and programming with more than 50 partner organizations throughout Alberta and the world, Platform supports and champions Alberta innovators at every step of their journey, from ideation to scale, and beyond.

The Institute has been a partner of Platform Calgary, and its predecessor Innovate Calgary, for over 5 years. Institute Director Ray DePaul is the second longest serving board member of Platform and has helped guide it toward being a community and entrepreneur-focused organization. We are proud that Platform regularly hires Mount Royal graduates to help build the innovation ecosystem. Alumni including Mike MacDonald, Ormhel Manuel, Madelaine Kendrew, and Andrew Browne, the Director of the Calgary Innovation Coalition, are all making a significant impact on our province.

In the fall of 2021, the 50,000 square foot Platform Innovation Centre will open in East Village and will be a central engine for accelerating tech driven economic diversification and job creation. The Institute was one of the first to partner on this important initiative.

This year, the Institute partnered with Platform and the University of Calgary to co-design the Platform Student Entrepreneurship Sprint. This successfully brought the entrepreneurship knowledge that exists at the Institute and made it available to students from post-secondaries across the province.

4.9 Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub $820,000 in funding

4.7 Trico Changemaker Studio The Trico Changemakers Studio is a vibrant co-working and learning space located on Mount Royal’s campus. This one-of-a-kind co-working space is open not only to Mount Royal changemakers but those from across Calgary and from around the world. Created in partnership with the Institute for Community Prosperity, the Trico Changemakers Studio opened its doors May 2018 and has since welcomed a dynamic community of changemakers including students, alumni, social entrepreneurs, activists, artists, and leaders from across sectors making a difference for people and the planet.

The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) is a federally funded program created as part of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy investing $5 billion with the goal of doubling the number of women entrepreneurs in Canada by 2025.

The WEKH Alberta hub is housed within MRU’s Bissett School of Business. Driven by the national WEKH mandate, our regional hub works to support Alberta’s women entrepreneurs through information, resources, and connection. It challenges gender stereotypes, brings awareness to female entrepreneurial success, and connects women entrepreneurs to the organizations that serve them. By working with key partners throughout Alberta and across Canada, WEKH is understanding the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem better and building a community of practice that is more inclusive and supportive to women entrepreneurs.

WEKH and the Institute co-hosted an event with 50 attendees focused on removing barriers to young women choosing entrepreneurship as a career.

The WEKH Alberta’s many contributions to the community can be found at mru.ca/WEKHAlberta.

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5.0 Team Ray DePaul, Director Ray is a veteran of the Waterloo, Canada technology sector and has launched many innovative products in his 30-year career. Ray was part of the original team that brought the iconic BlackBerry to the world. Responsible for product management, Ray helped to guide Research In Motion (RIM) through the revolutionary early years and established the BlackBerry brand as the smartphone market leader. After leaving RIM in 2003, Ray became the President & CEO of a University of Waterloo spin-off which pioneered GPU computing.

He guided the company through venture funding, established market leadership, and secured a successful exit through an acquisition by Intel Corp.

Ray DePaul is currently the inaugural Director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University in Calgary, where he supports the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. He is a member of the prestigious A100 and serves on the board of directors of Attabotics, Platform Calgary, and the Trico Group and is an advisor and mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs. Ray holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Ray was named as one of three finalists for the national BDC Mentorship Award and was the recipient of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award.

Dr. Simon Raby, Associate Director Dr. Simon Raby is a “pracademic” working as an Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University Bissett School of Business and co-founder of Business Improvement and Growth (BIG) Associates Ltd. BIG identifies the drivers of growth, challenges convention and offers practical ways for ambitious business owners and their organizations to achieve sustained growth and performance.

Emily Knight, Entrepreneur Development Officer Emily is a Mount Royal University Alumni who joined the Institute’s team in 2017 during her final year of study. As a student at MRU, she focused her studies and extra-curricular involvement on Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Today, she plays an integral role in fostering community and opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across campus. Emily believes that entrepreneurship is a unique opportunity to explore curiosity and play, unlocking the bold child within each of us and ultimately leading to the world’s most impactful innovations. She is energized by the opportunity to help students develop their entrepreneurial mindset, leading them to exciting careers, new venture ideas and roles as changemakers in their communities.

Khalid Abdul Razak, Entrepreneur-In-Residence Khal is a recognized creative, strategist, and intrapreneur. Khal brings to the team globally proven methodologies and a deep experience in scaling organizations, having worked with 50+ customer facing companies, from startups to Fortune Global 500 companies. Also a former startup founder, Khal has been bitten by the entrepreneurship bug and is always on the lookout to try something new, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore the application of emerging technologies to solve some of today’s pressing challenges. Khal has co-authored nationally published points of view on Digital Transformation, Integrated Planning, Operating Models, and Expansion Strategies.

In his role as EIR, Khal has co-created the BounceBackYYC hackathon and is currently the Managing Director of several Growth Compass programs. Through these initiatives, he is bringing together academia, industry, and the public sector to create transformative experiences, generate exponential value as an ecosystem, and establish Alberta as a beacon for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Simon’s research program is focused on uncovering the strategies, practices and methods of support that enable business growth, leadership transitions and people’s performance. Most recently, Simon delivered a program of research on the growth of Alberta’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to understand the drivers of growth, innovation and diversification for these firms. This research has since led to the creation of the Leader’s Growth Mindset.

Tracy Pfeifer, Administrative Assistant Tracy Pfeifer has dedicated over 17 years to Mount Royal University. She provides administrative support to both the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Institute for Community Prosperity. Tracy plays the critical role of being the interface between the Institute’s team of impatient entrepreneurs and the university’s many policies and procedures.

Simon is a trustee and board member for the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, a large, well-established network that enables excellence in small business and entrepreneurship, and builds bridges between research, policy and practice. Simon serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.

Sam Begelfor, Entrepreneur Development Officer Sam comes to the Institute with a wealth of experience in helping Alberta’s early-stage tech startups grow. She ran the operations of The Accelerator as the Director of New Ventures, recruited significantly more female founders, and coached founders from a variety of industries. Having worked at some of Calgary’s top startups, she’s excited to bring that experience to help Mount Royal students reach their full potential.

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A big thank you goes out to the students who worked with the Institute this year: Alex Brodie Alexandria Campbell

Sarah Green Chayse Hnatowich

Hannah Hahn Tarandeep Kainth Natasha

Konwitschny Robert Leduc Tram Nguyen

Emily Robitaille Earl Webb

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THINK

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BIGGER

mtroyal.ca/innovate | @innovatemru