Faculty of ArtAre you an Arts student interested in starting your own venture? Are you keen to brainstorm your idea with mentors and peers? Are you curious about what it takes to get a venture off the ground?
This customized training for UBC Arts students, offered in collaboration with Innovation UBC, provides support to research, design, and prototype a start-up, B Corp, service, agency, social enterprise, venture, product, business, or not-for-profit. You’ll learn from experts at Innovation UBC, receive mentorship from Arts alumni, and get feedback on your ideas—all in a comfortable, supportive, curiosity-driven small group environment.
By the end of the program, you’ll know what steps to take to launch or expand your venture, and you’ll have the support from mentors to ensure you feel ready. You’ll get to know other Arts students interested in entrepreneurship. And you’ll also receive a document of completion if you finish all the required parts of the program, which you can add to your resume or portfolio.
There is no cost to participate.
Schedule
Kickoff Event (Jan 20, 4-6pm) at this event, you’ll meet the instructors and your cohort and learn more about how we’ll approach entrepreneurship together.
Workshop 1 (Jan 27, 4–6pm) is all about developing your concept, translating those ideas into reality, and discovering potential clients and customer bases.
Workshop 2 (Feb 10, 4-6pm) will focus on understanding your market. You’ll clarify your idea by creating positioning statements that identify your value and you’ll learn how to map the marketplace and distinguish your venture from available alternatives.
Workshop 3 (Feb 24, 4-6pm) will explore economic models and pricing strategies and help you determine how—or if!—you’ll generate income from your work.
Workshop 4 (Mar 10, 4-6pm) in this session we’ll talk about how to build and maintain a brand identity.
Workshop 5 (Mar 24, 4-6pm) in this optional session, you’ll have a chance to prep with your peers and mentors for the final showcase event.
Final Showcase (Mar 31, 4-6pm) in this final meeting, you’ll share and receive feedback on your venture from peers and mentors.
Facilitators
Andrea Lloyd (Associate Director, Engagement, Innovation UBC), As a member of the e@UBC team since 2015, Andrea brings her wide knowledge of the UBC community to support e@UBC collaborations and partnerships across campus. She manages the e@UBC Mentor Network and the internship program, which bring e@UBC entrepreneurs expert guidance and additional capacity to help accelerate their ventures.
Smruti Savkur (Engagement Specialist, Innovation UBC), Smruti builds partnerships across campus to democratize entrepreneurship, and supports the Mentor Network and internship program to build capacity for UBC founders.
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Eric Franzo holds a Master’s in Asian Pacific Policy Studies with a focus on human rights. He is the founder of Purposely, a platform that helps companies build strong team culture through employee volunteering activities and The Tea Drawer, an online tea company that sells Yaupon, the only caffeinated tea that grows natively in North America.