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Friday, November 28, 2014

Mo like a pro: MBET does Movember

The month of November is usually cold and grey, and most Canadians are still in denial of winter's arrival. Thankfully, there is a month-long charitable event keeps spirits lifted: .

Movember is an initiative that was started in 2003 by two Australian men and a group of 30 friends, and has now grown to over 4 million participants around the world.

The goal is simple: help accelerate healthcare outcomes for men living with prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues.

In September, I participated in  with my -ڴdzܲԻ,Derek Jouppi and Andrew Martinko, and our classmate Dave Badami. Hack the North is Canada's largest international hackathon, where students come together for 36 hours to collaboratively code a unique solution to a problem from scratch. For those familiar with ܲԳ’s technology (a marker ink that tells you when to reapply sunscreen), you may be wondering what on earth we were doing at a hackathon. For us, it was all about networking. We found out that , the president of , was going to be there, so we knew that we had to go too.

Clinton Ball is a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) alumnus, and since graduating, his year has only become more exciting! We caught up with Clint, and he told us about his new job with the (AC), his trip to Japan, and new products from his company, Verse Software Lab Inc. 

While finishing MBET, Clint began working in a position at the Accelerator Centre as Manager, Client Services. Now working full time in the role, the position has provided him with an excellent opportunity to help out fellow entrepreneurs.

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) student, Dan Allison, reflects on Ignition Week activity at .

Each year, the new class of MBET students participates in Ignition Week before classes begin. Ignition Week is a week-long introductory program to MBET, where students get to know each other, and are familiarized with the fundamentals of the program and life at Conrad.

During Ignition Week, our group of MBET students did a lot of team building activities. Among all of them, Innersee was in my opinion the best activity of the week. Innersee’s program consists of challenges that inspire individuals explore new ways of working together as a team in order to be successful, and acts as a way to get people out of their normal environment and comfort zone.

Our journey to Montreal to present our paper, "Providing Access to Education in Sub-Saharan Countries through Content-Oriented Technology" at the first was an adventure to say the very least.

The first order of business was a seven hour drive from ݮƵ to downtown Montreal. This provided ample time for team bonding, reflecting on our time spent in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program as we realized it is coming to an end, and debating the quality of my choice of music. After driving well into the night, we had arrived with just enough time for a short rest before the first day of the conference.

The event was a true eye opener. I was proud to attend the event as a representative of the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program, the Conrad Centre and my practicum 𳦳,.

On May 12th and 13th, 2014, I attended OCE Discovery, an event that showcases leading edge technologies, best practices in innovation, and new and emerging research and researchers in the technology and innovation fields. On day one, the event started with a series of speakers, including former University of ݮƵ President, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnson.

Having our startup  of the  pre-accelerator program, powered by , was an exhilarating moment for me and my co-founder Hussam Ayyad.

This was my first experience at an accelerator program of any sort. Compared to my background in engineering and working in the corporate sector, the startup space is a different ball game altogether. Startups require you to develop a process and structure conducive to your business, rather than follow an established process or structure as you do in the corporate world. The Toronto NEXT program provided great support as it guided me through the necessary processes for validating our business idea.

There are many entrepreneurial events in ݮƵ Region, but it wasn't until I startedٳMaster of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program in September 2013 that I was really exposed to them.

I decided to take time off from working in ݮƵ's technology sector to pursue an MBET degree and the business idea that I came into the program with, . The September 2013  seemed like a great way to expedite the process of vetting my business idea and potentially gain a team of designers and developers. Because of the positive experience I had, I also attended the April 2014 Startup Weekend.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

MBA vs MBET

I often get asked the question, “What is the difference between an MBA and an MBET degree?” My usual response would be that someone has to hire MBAs, but I realize that answer is a little too simplistic.

It is not that Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs are of poor quality or in some way inferior; in fact, on many occasions, I have suggested to students that the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program may not be the best path for them and that they may be better suited for the MBA path.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

My first Velocity Fund Finals

Thursday March 27th was the first time I attended the (VFF). While I have previously heard about the event, I've always missed the pitch competitions.

At this term's VFF, ambitious ݮƵ students pitched their startup ideas to a panel of judges to win funding. The VFF event was an exciting day with great opportunities for networking, enjoying our university's innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and learning about some of the amazing things fellow students are involved in.