Around the world and back: my post-MBET path

Thursday, September 25, 2014
by Clinton Ball

Clinton Ball is a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) alumnus, and since graduating, his year has only become more exciting! We caught up with Clint, and he told us about his new job with the Accelerator Centre (AC), his trip to Japan, and new products from his company, Verse Software Lab Inc. 

A great place for entrepreneurs to build a business

Accelerator Centre logo
While finishing MBET, Clint began working in a position at the Accelerator Centre as Manager, Client Services. Now working full time in the role, the position has provided him with an excellent opportunity to help out fellow entrepreneurs. The Accelerator Centre has unique program offerings, from the 'Momentum' program for idea stage companies, to the competitive 'Accelerator' program for top tier businesses.

The Accelerator Centre has been a wonderful experience so far. I get to work with the entrepreneurs and companies that make our Waterloo technology ecosystem what it is. I am passionate about building our Canadian start-up community with innovative emerging technology companies, and I invite anyone to reach out and connect with me about their venture.

A trip to Japan: an island of beauty and culture

After graduation, Clint was given the opportunity to travel to Osaka, Japan to present an academic paper that he wrote for the 2014 International Business and Information Conference (BAI). 

Clint at the BAI conference

Japan was an amazing experience. The BAI conference in Osaka was really valuable, allowing me to network and learn from students from all over the world. The business knowledge and presentations in the Innovation, Marketing, and Business Development streams were very interesting, and the research topics were cutting edge.

The Japan Rail bullet train 'Shinkansen' allowed Clint to travel all over the country, exploring the beauty in and behind the big cities. He found that while Osaka, and Tokyo have an amazing metropolitan feel with countless things to do, the castles and shrines within the busyness provide some quietness and compelling history.  

New products from Verse Software Lab

Verse logo
Clint has been pursuing Verse Software Lab Inc. (Verse) since the summer of 2013 (right before he entered the MBET program in September 2013). Clint met his co-founders, Cong Wang, and Edward Zhang (both undergraduate students at Conrad) while he pursued his MBET. During one of his MBET courses, BET 604, Clint was supported by classmate Alex Dwhytie to work on the project. Verse currently works out of the Conrad space located at Communitech. 

The company has two products in beta form. Portfolio Ten is a community-driven outsourcing marketplace, allowing technology businesses to hire professionals such as freelancers and agencies. Portfolio Ten showcases the detailed portfolios of professionals for hire with useful features such as smart profile matching, file sharing and collaboration, and flexible purchase/hiring options.

InThought is a software as a service (SaaS) that is allowing employees to anonymously interact with one another about any topic in the work place. Managers can see trending posts, and the sentiment of the messages— this enables them to turn valuable thoughts from employees into actionable items.

How it's been possible

Over the past year, Clint has grown as an entrepreneur, and as a person. He attributes his unique experience at Conrad to the "smart, innovative, approachable and fun" teaching environment during MBET.

The academic training and hands on approach of classes in MBET and Conrad's undergraduate courses are of special value. The programming—from diverse academic content, to practical project approaches—was excellent at helping me accelerate my business, and shaped my professional development. The faculty at Conrad offered an invaluable experience through their diverse professional and educational backgrounds.  

About Clinton

Clinton is an MBET alumnus. He works as Manager, Client Services at the Accelerator Centre, and is the Founder of Verse Software Lab Inc. provider of Portfolio Ten and InThought.

For business inquiries, employment, and potential partnership opportunities, please contact him at: clinton@versesoftwarelab.com or via LinkedIn.