July 17, 2013
Will you be the next 蓝莓视频 Apprentice?
Competition gives entrepreneurial students a chance to solve real problems posed by local startups
Students with an entrepreneurial spirit from across University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 six faculties will be competing this weekend for the title of .
The inaugural event, organized by 蓝莓视频 students, will bring eighteen competitors together with five startups based in Kitchener-蓝莓视频. The startups will provide the competitors with real problems they鈥檙e dealing with in their business. The students will then try to come up with the best business solution.
Students connect to entrepreneurs
鈥溊遁悠� students are so innovative we wanted to provide a way for them to connect to entrepreneurs,鈥� says Banuja Sivarasah, a graduate student in accounting and UW Apprentice co-president.
(l-r) Banuja Sivarasah and听狈颈尘谤补听Alam
Competitors will work in teams during the three-day competition that starts on Friday but ultimately only one student will be crowned UW Apprentice. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always that one person who catalyzes the progress,鈥� says Nimra Alam, co-president of UW Apprentice.
Sivarasah says the competition will be exciting, in part, because the competitors come from across the university. 鈥淲e have a lot of diversity in the competition. Students in each faculty learn to solve problems in very different ways,鈥� says Sivarasah. 鈥淚t will be exciting to see what kind of innovative solutions they come up with.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got engineering, accounting, business, science and environment students competing. They all have something to bring to the table,鈥� added Sivarasah who lived at University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 for two terms. Living with other entrepreneurs on campus inspired Sivarasah to get more involved with the startup community. 鈥淎ccounting offers a more traditional approach,鈥� said Sivarasah. 鈥淭hese kinds of events let me do something I love and support other entrepreneurial students at the same time.鈥�
Bigger and better next year
Three of the startups that will provide case studies and help with judging are currently part of the University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 program - 听, and Oikoi. Another startup involved in the competition is, , a VeloCity alumnus. 听 will also offer ideas and support.
Alam and Sivarasah are both graduating this term but they are hoping UW Apprentice becomes part of campus life every year.听 鈥淥ur team wants to make UW Apprentice bigger and better next time,鈥� says Alam. 鈥淭hey know the potential.鈥�
