Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking - UCalgary

Support the next generation of founders at the Business Playbook Showcase! Join us at the Hunter Hub on April 10th from 2–4 PM for an exciting afternoon celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the #UCalgary community. Business Playbook participants will be showcasing the ventures they’ve built in our 8-week hands-on program—from consultancies to service-based businesses. Come get inspired by bold ideas, connect with emerging entrepreneurs, and celebrate the incredible progress these individuals have made. Open to all UCalgary students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Space is limited—secure your spot today: https://lu.ma/1dc7f5ef University of Calgary | Alessandra Amato | Haskayne School of Business | Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary | UCalgary Faculty of Arts | UCalgary Faculty of Graduate Studies | UCalgary Faculty of Kinesiology | UCalgary Faculty of Science

We’re hosting back-to-back Skills Clinics on Tuesday, April 8 with Kazim Agha, Partner and Patent Agent at Aird & McBurney LP. At 11:00 AM, join us for Intellectual Property: The Basics for Startups, an introductory session on how IP can be used to protect and grow your business. Then at 12:30 PM, dive deeper in Patents: Protecting Your Ideas, where we’ll explore the process of obtaining a patent and why patent protection is key to safeguarding your intellectual property. These sessions are open to #UCalgary students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Join us for one or both—space is limited, so make sure to register. Register for the 11:00 AM session here: https://bit.ly/3FNRK3L And the 12:30 PM session here: https://bit.ly/3Ygvaaj

Join us on April 8th at 5:00pm for the Map the System #UCalgary Campus Finals! The top teams will present for a chance to compete at the Canadian National Finals and win cash prizes. Map the System is a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary challenge created by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford, that requires participants to use a systems-thinking approach to demonstrate a deep understanding of a pressing social or environmental challenge. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about systems change and how utilizing a systems thinking approach can help address the most complex social or environmental issues impacting our world today. Come show support for our teams, get inspired, and see who takes home the first-place prize of $2,500! Register to secure your spot: https://lu.ma/9qk3axpq University of Calgary | Map the System Canada

That’s a wrap on this year’s Launchpad program! 🚀 Last week, we hosted our annual Liftoff! Pitch Competition, where eight standout teams from Launchpad presented their ventures to an esteemed panel of judges. The winning teams were: First Place: Colokick — Nivethan Panchendrabose and Kapilan Panchendrabose Runner-Up: NeuraSense — Shekinah (Yna) Arpon, Fionna Dela Cruz, Christine Dowling, Lily Gentile, and Tania Rizwan People’s Choice Award: DNADetect — Amber Quo, Meagan Davies, Muhammad Faeez Ansari, and Sana Wahab Congratulations to all the winners and to every team that pitched! 🎉 A huge thank you to everyone who attended and Derrick Hunter for presenting the final awards. We’re especially grateful to our incredible judges — Megan Geyer, Jenn MacDonald, and Kartavi Shah — for lending their time and expertise. Want to learn more about the winning teams? Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4laJMBN University of Calgary | Alessandra Amato | Guy Levesque | Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary | #UCalgary

Meet the 8 teams who will be pitching their ventures at Liftoff! on March 27th! Liftoff! is the grand finale of Launchpad, our flagship program that helps students develop entrepreneurial skills, build ventures, and solve real-world problems. It’s where bold ideas turn into reality, and where top teams get the chance to showcase their hard work to a live audience and panel of judges. Get ready to be inspired, celebrate entrepreneurship, and make connections! Learn more and register to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3DmpLr4. University of Calgary | #UCalgary | #StartSomething

A full house, real talk, and powerful insights—what a night! The latest TC Energy Ingenuity Speaker Series featuring Fangjin (FJ) Yang, co-founder & CEO of Imply, was a huge success.   FJ didn’t just share the highs of building a unicorn tech startup in Silicon Valley—he got real about the challenges, sacrifices, and uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship. One key takeaway? Forming deep, meaningful connections can change the course of your life and career.   A huge thank you to TC Energy for making this series possible and to everyone who joined us for an engaging and inspiring session.   Up next: Launchpad Liftoff! On March 27, eight teams will pitch their ventures for prizes in an exciting live competition. Don’t miss the chance to see Calgary’s next generation of innovators in action! Secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3DmpLr4 TC Energy | Guy Levesque | Kurt White, MBA | University of Calgary | Imply | #UCalgary | #StartSomething

#UCalgary alum Sheena Virmani aims to revolutionize online shopping while navigating the innovation eco-system with LEWK, an AI-powered fashion-styling platform https://bit.ly/4izyy8g

Entrepreneurs, you inspire us every day, in so many ways! Your hard work, dedication, and get-it-done attitude are what make you thrive as an entrepreneur. We appreciate the hustle you put in, and want you to know that there is support, resources, and inspiration that was created for entrepreneurs, just like you, to make the process easier - and you can access it all at the 2025 Startup Canada Tour stop in Calgary this April! Not to mention, with the rising uncertainty and chaos around U.S. tariffs, Canadian entrepreneurs need more support than ever to navigate supply chain disruptions and rising costs. That’s why #StartupCanadaTour Calgary on April 29 is the must-attend event of the season! 💡 Get expert guidance in our Ecosystem Support Zone, where local and national partners will provide hands-on resources to help your business adapt. 🎤 Don’t miss out on hearing our speakers and mentors share advice and resources on mental health, rising technology, fundraising, and more. 🤝 Connect with industry leaders in our Ask the Expert Lounge, where you can get real answers on tariffs, supply chain solutions, funding opportunities, and scaling strategies. Be inspired by our #StartupGlobal Pop-up Pitch Competition as the top five finalists take the mainstage to pitch for $3,000 and a spot in the Grand Finale, where they’ll compete for a share of $70,000 in cash prizes. Don’t wait—secure your early bird ticket for just $69 before March 31: https://lnkd.in/gRirzwda Startup Canada Tour Partners: Presenting Partners: UPS Program Partner: Competition Bureau Canada, Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking - UCalgary, and University of Calgary Mainstage Partner: Scotiabank Production Partner: Encore Entrepreneur Support Zone Partner: RBC Event Partners: BDC, Constant Contact, Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada, Wagepoint, Dayforce, Futurpreneur, and Mastercard Ecosystem Partners: ATB Financial, Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), Lane Two Inc., League of Innovators Accelerator, Mammoth Agency Yukon, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), SDAC - Supplier Diversity Alliance Canada, TELUS Business, TD, and The Peak In-Kind Partners: IKEA Business Page, TechTO, Venn Innovation, Ivory Studio Booth, WEDO Canada | Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization, McKercher LLP, Startupfest, Susgrainable, Platform Calgary, and Calgary Catholic Immigration Society

Victor Cossich needed to add a motion capture system to his suite of tools—but the existing options were too expensive and complex. Instead of settling, he built his own. Recognizing its potential, he looked to grow the company but needed to expand his innovation skills. So, he left his flourishing career in Brazil to immerse himself in the University of Calgary’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Now, MokApp is helping athletes enhance their game. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4iAZ40J Aeir | Victor Cossich | UCalgary Faculty of Kinesiology | #UCalgary

Looking to find Canadian alternatives to your favourite products now that tariffs have hit? Maple Scan, created by UCalgary alum Sasha Ivanov, is built to help you do exactly that.   Maple scan uses AI technology to identify whether a product has Canadian ties or not — all with the click of your phone camera.   Learn more about Maple Scan below!