TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - November 18, 2016) - On Thursday, November 17 the Impact Centre at the University of Toronto hosted the first session of the new Entrepreneurship 100: Conversations series. Through direct interaction with the audience and open networking sessions, the three-week, live-only program is creating a dialog between panels of entrepreneurs and those interested in learning about starting a business.
The inaugural event focused on the question, what does it takes to become an entrepreneur? The diverse panel discussed their backgrounds, influences, motivations, how they handle risk, and thoughts on failure.
"Failure is only scary if you are doing something that isn't difficult," said panelist James Standen founder of nModal. Fellow panelist Leila Keshavjee, founder of Happy Pops and recent alumna of the University of Toronto followed up on the idea of failure with the comment that "there are always lessons in failure."
And on the fear of competition, Mia Andrews, founder of Manjya, said "no one can replicate your drive. No one can replicate your personality."
The panel's' passion for their work came across loud and clear to their audience. "Today, after speaking with the panel and listening to them on stage, their different perspectives on entrepreneurship really struck a nerve in me," said University of Toronto Book and Media Studies student Sakshi Khanna. "I think Leila [Keshavjee] was a great addition because she's fresh out of university, [a] young graduate, and I think that gives a lot of young people in the crowd a lot of hope for being an entrepreneur and that you don't actually need to have a business degree."
A common question that was asked of the panel was, how do I know if my idea is any good? This demonstrates the relevance of the topic of conversation for Entrepreneurship 100 on November 24. Three entrepreneurs will discuss where they get ideas and how to evaluate them. The panelists for that event are:
- Cynthia Goh, serial entrepreneur, University of Toronto professor and expert in translating university research into new products and benefits for society
- Noureddin Chahrour, founder of Adrenalease Inc, who is rethinking apparel designs for improved posture and health
- Zoran Duma, founder of NuVoxx Inc, who is advancing voice-application technologies for businesses
The final session, taking place on December 1, will look at how you start and who you can look to for help. All of the Entrepreneurship 100: Conversations events are free and some light refreshments will be provided. More information and registration is available at: http://www.impactcentre.ca/e100/
When:
All events take place from 6:00PM to 8:00PM.
November 24: Do you have a good idea? Where do ideas come from and how can you ensure they're any good?
December 1: How do you start? Who can you get to help you?
Where:
JJR Macleod Auditorium Medical Sciences Building, Room 2158, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto
About Entrepreneurship 100: Conversations:
Entrepreneurship 100: Conversations is a live-only experience where attendees interact with a diverse panel of entrepreneurs to learn about transforming ideas into successful business. The free events are moderated by Charles Plant, an entrepreneur, advisor, teacher, and senior fellow at the Impact Centre. Online polling and questions during the first hour as well as a networking session during the second hour of the event will ensure attendees engage with the panel.
About the Impact Centre:
The Impact Centre is a research institute at the University of Toronto that strives to bring science to society through industry projects and partnerships, entrepreneurial companies, and unique training programs. We connect exceptional research, talent, innovative companies, and government to create products and services both for existing industry partners and as the basis for startups.
Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/11/18/11G122645/Images/PB174819-d3be5ad1fd82b96d8d72a38362166f36.JPG
Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/11/18/11G122645/Images/PB174771-c58c69b68c98b3cf834b73a9e42b626d.JPG
Contact Information:
Contact:
Scott McAuley
Communications Coordinator
Impact Centre
smcauley@optics.utoronto.ca
