Launchpad Live

In this session, you will learn:

- Program overview
- Learn how entrepreneurial thinking can enable innovation in all disciplines and why it’s important for our prosperity
- Strengths and weaknesses of entrepreneurs/entrepreneurial mindset
- Types of entrepreneurship
- Ideation (i.e. where ideas come from)
- Goal-setting for your project

In this session, you will learn:

- Startup dictionary: Demystifying innovation jargon
- How startups are different from big companies
- Why now is a great time to start a startup
- Introduction to market validation and customer development (finding problems worth solving with customers)
- Lean Canvas overview

In this session, you will learn:

 - An overview of business model design
- How to identify and validate your assumptions
- How to test a business idea; prototyping and the MVP introduction
- How to innovate using the business model canvas and innovative business models

In this session, we invited two entrepreneurs to discuss how they "found" their idea and began to build their startups. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Alice de Koning, academic director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking.

In this session, Keri Damon, executive director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking presented on how to effectively communicate for innovators. In this session, you will learn: - how to identify and capitalize on consumer pain points - how to differentiate yourself in the market - key communication skills and marcom assets needed to innovate - how to draft a value proposition and use it to validate your idea

In this session, Alice de Koning, academic director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking and Justin Massar, community engagement specialist presented on how to effectively communicate for innovators.

In this session, you will learn:

- Testing your assumptions identified in the Lean Canvas
- Conducting market research (i.e. interviews, survey, etc.)
- Crafting great questions
- How to organize your research
- Defining your customer and identifying customer development interviewees

In this session Justin Massar, community engagement specialist, presented on prototyping and product development.

In this session, you will learn:

- Intro to MakerSpace resources
- Lean startup: How to build a prototype and MVP
- Testing prototypes/MVPS with your customer
- Build/test/review/rebuild cycle

In this session Keri Damen, Executive Director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking presented on effective pitching.

In this session, you will learn:

-The format and content for an effective pitch deck
-The importance of storytelling

In this session Keri Damen, Executive Director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking presented on financing options for startups.

In this session, you will learn:

- Types of funding and pros/cons of each
- When to raise what kind of funding

In this session Saranjit Dhindsa and Jesse Dias of the BLG Business Venture Clinic in the Faculty of Law presented on startup law and intellectual property.

In this session, you will learn:

-Nuts and bolts of startup law including intellectual property (e.g., patents, copyrights, trademarks)

For this week's Launchpad Live session, attendees will get to hear from a group of esteemed panel of investors including Derrick Hunter, Andrea Drager and Peter Santosham for advice for entrepreneurs seeking investment. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from different types of investors.

In this Launchpad Live session, you will hear tips on how to raise money from a panel of startups. The panel includes Leigh Honeywell, CEO and Co-founder of Tall Poppy, Boris Mann, CEO of FISSION, Joshua McKenty, CEO of Delving.

Interested in learning about the innovation ecosystem in Calgary, and what resources you have at your fingertips? Watch this Launchpad Live session to learn more about the resources and programs that exist for innovators across UCalgary and beyond. Our panel will include: Jaime Kaufman, Director, Research and Innovation, W21C Kate Skotheim, Stream Manager, Creative Destruction Lab David Yiptong, Director, Acceleration, Platform Calgary Chelsea Yu, Venture Manager, Innovate Calgary

In this session Keri Damen, Executive Director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking presented on building and managing a team. In this session, you will learn about:

- Management and leadership fundamentals

- Building your team -Governance (i.e. Boards and other advisors)

- Working with mentors and advisors

Join us for today's Launchpad Live session on Go-to-Market Strategy and Sales, where Carey Houston, Founder and CEO of 321 Growth Academy, will speak about key sales and marketing skills and concepts needed to get your business off the ground and growing.

This Launchpad Live session is all about negotiation, a key skill needed to build a venture.

In this session of Launchpad Live, participants will hear from a panel of startup founders on how they scaled their social or tech venture. The panel will include Leighton Healey of KnowHow, Lucas McCarthy of Showpass, Colin Szopa of Plankk, and Hannah Cree Hemphill of CMNGD (COMMONGOOD).