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The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) at the regional level was an exhilarating experience. Now a month later, we were doing it all over again — on a global stage. In retrospect, I want to talk about a funny phenomenon at the competition. You’ll often hear about the “power of three” in fairy tales, and I like to think that we were riding on some powerful “three” tailwinds as we pursued a “top three” placement. To begin with, we organized three advisory meetings, aligned with three faculty advisors, and did due diligence on three start-ups over three days of competition.

Through the School of Accounting and Finance’s External Subsidy Program, my teammates and I were selected to compete in the Fast Pace to the Case Competition. This was an Ontario-wide accounting case competition that put our case writing and teamwork skills to the test.

Amid a global pandemic, virtual competitions have gathered inspiration from our current circumstances. The A4S International Case Competition (A4SICC) challenged us as students to develop a sustainable solution that addressed supply chain resiliency, which is a critical issue impacted by COVID-19. That’s a big ask!

The case competition was on March 11, 2021, and we had around one week to read the case, review the details, create a slide deck, and create a presentation where we assumed the role of investment bankers aiding in a potential acquisition bid. The case was based on a real acquisition that took place in the late 2000s, which added to the realism of the case.

On March 5th, 2021, for the second year in a row, students from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Student Venture Fund (SVF) captured the 2021 Undergraduate Canada Regional Finals Championship for the (VCIC). The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ claimed the title over the University of Alberta (2nd) and Acadia University (3rd)and has advanced to the International Finals being held on April 10.

Throughout my university experience, I was exposed to a variety of learning environments from the classroom to co-op to the Student Venture Fund. In all these environments, I learned from my professors, faculty members, managers, and industry experts. At the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), I was given the opportunity to learn by leading.

Going into the undergraduate Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), I was nervous. What if I wasn’t prepared enough? I mean, I was working in venture capital, was that enough? And then there was our team — I wanted us to work well.

Before participating in the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), I had very limited knowledge, if any, about venture capital. I was surprised at the responsibility to represent the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) in our graduate team, but I jumped at the opportunity, nonetheless.

On Friday, March 5th, I had the opportunity to participate in the Canadian Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). With hard work and preparation, my team was able to place first overall! This competition was an enjoyable experience where I was able to gain insights into the venture capital space as my team attended pitches, led due diligence sessions, and pitched a deal.

It had been four years since I last competed in a case competition, so naturally, I was hesitant when I was invited to join the School of Accounting and Finance’s (SAF) graduate team for the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). During the competition, we played the role of Venture Capitalists for a day, assessed start-ups, and presented and delivered an investment strategy in front of a panel of judges.