Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre team members review and discuss the building plans. From right to left: Jada Joseph, Project Manager; Natasha Fernandes, Student Project Assistant; Michael Sanderson, Director and Chirag Narang, Project Manager.
Saint Mary's University has a rich history of fostering economic growth in Atlantic Canada and the people who are the driving force behind it, and its Sobey School of Business is synonymous with entrepreneurial success. More than 75 start-ups have been created by Saint Mary’s students, faculty members, alumni and partners in the past five years alone.
Building on this strong track record of helping launch new businesses, and with the generous support of the university’s donors and supporters, the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC) is preparing to move into its new home in the Sobeys Inspiration Hub. Set to open in fall 2023, this 43,000-square-foot four-storey building is the cornerstone of a 62,000-square-foot capital project that extends from the Sobey School of Business to the Loyola Academic Building.
"We envision a space that provides a full suite of services that enable students to take a start-up or business idea from concept to actualization—all in one place on campus," says Michael Sanderson, the Director of SMUEC. " We are a place for people to come together and develop entrepreneurial skills that can help further their studies and career.
With a focus on growth, innovation and cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset, the Saint Mary's University Entrepreneurship Centre is committed to helping the Atlantic Canadian economy grow and prosper. A university-wide and interdisciplinary support centre, SMUEC's physical expansion will support the vast array of programming, such as training, mentorship and coaching, offered by the centre and provide the foundation to expand and fill the growing demand for their services.
“I am so honoured to have been supporting students through their entrepreneurial experiences over the past two years,” says Shannon Byrne Susko BCom’89 BSc’92, a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Saint Mary’s and the Founder and CEO of Metronomics. “The new space for the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre will allow for further collaboration between faculties, and also bring in an additional level of innovation that we’ve been working towards with initiatives such as the March Madness Pitch Competition.”
As the Sobeys Inspiration Hub takes shape, so does the entrepreneurship centre’s new home. What remains constant is that a variety of opportunities that will be made available to entrepreneurial-minded students and faculty from across all faculties.
The services envisioned include:
digital prototyping lab
This area will be dedicated to digital product design, enabling students to ideate and create prototypes in a virtual environment using state-of-the-art prototyping software.
podcasting studio
From weekly podcasts to influencer videos, this space is open for booking to support students creating original content for online audiences.
collider spaces
Open collaboration spaces that are modular and feature additional smaller areas to focus on different styles of collaboration and projects.
incubator space
A start-up area dedicated to supporting local community businesses and emerging entrepreneurs as they move on from the idea phase.
dedicated interdisciplinary space.
"While the exact nature and dedicated areas may change, we are focused on providing opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and local community to come together and exchange ideas," shares Sanderson.
Alumni and the local community play a critical role in the support and services provided by the SMUEC. From the entrepreneurs and alumni-in-residence programs supported through the philanthropic investment of the RBC Talent Hub to guest speakers and mentorship, SMUEC connects students with the larger community. Through co-operative education and internship placements, training, Entrepreneurial Mindset Success Certificate, and experts, the RBC Talent Hub provides students more hands-on learning opportunities. The skills developed through this program give students a leg up in the job hunt and help them to excel in the workplace post-graduation.
"From my time as a student to now working at the entrepreneurship centre, our alumni and connection with the local entrepreneurship community have been so important to supporting students," says Leslie Arsenault Bcomm’19, Project Manager with SMUEC. "I've seen student-led businesses receive key advice from community mentors at vital times in their growth. I've heard from students and alumni whose careers and businesses wouldn't exist without what they learned at Saint Mary's University and the support they received from SMUEC."
"We are excited to create new memories and opportunities for collaboration and innovation," says Monique Boudreau, the Manager of Operations and Community Engagement with SMUEC. "We've received great feedback and insights from different university areas to get to this stage, and we are incredibly grateful for that support. We can't wait to celebrate the opening of the Sobeys Inspiration Hub, the Exchange and the new entrepreneurship centre."