Apply by February 9, 2025, for an opportunity to win the $10,000 grand prize.
For the fifth year in a row, the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary’s University will host The Arena, bringing together 64 student entrepreneurs from across Canada for a high-energy showdown as they battle for the title of Top Innovator and a grand prize of $10,000. The runner-up will win $5,000, and third and fourth-place winners will each receive $1,000. All prize money goes toward the entrepreneur’s idea or business.
The Arena is modelled after the NCAA March Madness college basketball championship. The 64 selected student entrepreneurs compete head-to-head in brackets from March 3, 2025, to April 1, 2025. Students are coached throughout the month, preparing them for their month-long battle to victory. Each fast-paced match-up is treated as its own competition where pitches and judges’ determinations happen live. All matches are online and live-streamed.
“The Arena is an intense competition, and the entrepreneurial spirit of these students is contagious,” says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. “You see the dreams of these future entrepreneurs start to come alive.”
To qualify, participants must be current undergraduate, graduate, or PhD students or recent alumni (within one year of graduation) from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada. They must also own or part-own a business idea that has not generated more than $10,000 in annual revenue and has not received more than $10,000 through external support or investment (through investors or other competitions).
The Arena is sponsored by Metronomics, created in 1995 by founder and CEO Shannon Susko BComm’89 BSc’92. Metronomics is a business growth system, designed to empower CEO’s and leadership teams with the tools, frameworks, and rhythms needed to achieve exceptional growth. Among her many awards, Susko was recognized by the Universal Women’s Network “Game Changer” award in 2022, as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2018, 2020, and 2022 and was awarded Canada’s Top 40 under 40 in 2001.
In addition to providing an extraordinary opportunity for students, members of the SMU community are welcome to follow the competition, which will be live-streamed on the centre’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Faculty are welcome to participate as judges. Please reach out to Fatima Zohora fatima.zohora@smu.ca for more information.