Entrepreneurship 101: Learn startup fundamentals and connect with fellow entrepreneurs
Are you interested in starting or growing a business or simply learning more about entrepreneurship? Then Entrepreneurship 101 is for you! This free, non-credit introductory course on entrepreneurship will introduce you to the nuts and bolts of building a business.
On Wednesday, September 26, we’re kicking off the eighth season of the course in the MaRS Centre Auditorium. Lectures are held weekly from 6:00–7:00 p.m. and are also accessible by live webcast.
Aimed at technology and life sciences researchers and trainees, as well as social innovators, the Entrepreneurship 101 lectures are delivered by successful entrepreneurs and industry specialists and cover a range of introductory business topics.
Learn how to:
- Develop your product
- Define your market
- Hire and lead teams
- Protect your intellectual property
- Raise capital
- Sell your product or service
New lectures this year:
- Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Legal Fundamentals
- Negotiations
- Building and Managing a Team
The course culminates in an Up-Start! Competition, where selected participants can pitch a business idea to win a $10,000 prize.
What our audience is saying:
“I have been attending the Ent101 course on and off for the last two years… What I learned in Ent101 gives me a solid foundation to transfer my skill sets from the corporate world into the entrepreneurial world.”
“I think your program is excellent… It is very helpful for new entrepreneurs, especially those (like myself) without formal business education.”
Week 1: Introduction to Entrepreneurship 101/Finding and Validating Your Idea
Join us for the introductory lecture where you’ll get a sense of the scope of the course and how it can help you build a business. We’ll talk about why entrepreneurship matters so much in today’s world, what makes entrepreneurs different (and successful) and how you can come up with your next big idea (or test the one you already have).
Week 2: Lived It Lecture with Bruce Poon Tip, founder, G Adventures
In 1990, Bruce Poon Tip founded G Adventures in order to deliver authentic experiences to travellers who craved adventures beyond all-inclusive resorts. When no bank was willing to provide a loan, he started the company with two credit cards. Since then, G Adventures has grown to become a world leader in adventure travel, with offices around the world, offering small group experiences in over 100 countries worldwide to more than 100,000 travellers annually. Come hear his story!
Check out the calendar for upcoming lectures.
Meet some of our speakers:
Margo Crawford, President & CEO, Business Sherpa, examines effective recruitment methods for 2012 and the difference between recruitment and strategic talent sourcing when planning your organization.
http://vimeo.com/channels/ent101/37409246
Mark Evans of ME Consulting discusses effective digital marketing strategies that highlight the importance of storytelling, the benefits of having a great website and how a startup’s marketing efforts should focus on its target audience.
http://vimeo.com/channels/ent101/41512223
Peter Evans, founder and CEO of Speakerfile, covers the essentials of building and delivering an effective pitch and points out 11 key signals that smart investors watch for.
Please share this information with those you know who are interested in entrepreneurship. We hope to see you there!