Blog

What does disruptive innovation look like in the higher education space?

How are we going to assess and measure learning outcomes in times of blended and online learning, big data and flipped classrooms?

These and similar questions brought me to Anchorage, Alaska to attend the Higher Education Teaching and Learning (HETL) conference with my colleague Doug Sparkes and one of our BETS students, Emma Reesor. We were invited to present a paper on our experience of developing the virtual incubation program (VIP).

Our journey to Montreal to present our paper, "Providing Access to Education in Sub-Saharan Countries through Content-Oriented Technology" at the first IEEE International Humanitarian Technology Conference was an adventure to say the very least.

The first order of business was a seven hour drive from Waterloo to downtown Montreal. This provided ample time for team bonding, reflecting on our time spent in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program as we realized it is coming to an end, and debating the quality of my choice of music. After driving well into the night, we had arrived with just enough time for a short rest before the first day of the conference.

The Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Discovery event was a true eye opener. I was proud to attend the event as a representative of the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program, the Conrad Centre and my practicum project, ULLO.

On May 12th and 13th, 2014, I attended OCE Discovery, an event that showcases leading edge technologies, best practices in innovation, and new and emerging research and researchers in the technology and innovation fields. On day one, the event started with a series of speakers, including former University of Waterloo President, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnson.

Having our startup accepted into the inaugural cohort of the Toronto NEXT pre-accelerator program, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, was an exhilarating moment for me and my co-founder Hussam Ayyad.

This was my first experience at an accelerator program of any sort. Compared to my background in engineering and working in the corporate sector, the startup space is a different ball game altogether. Startups require you to develop a process and structure conducive to your business, rather than follow an established process or structure as you do in the corporate world. The Toronto NEXT program provided great support as it guided me through the necessary processes for validating our business idea.

Part of my responsibility as a co-founder of SparkGig during my winter 2014 Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) term was to raise money, through student competitions, to help finance the SparkGig team.

When I started doing some research I was amazed at the number of student startup competitions out there.

While I completed my E Co-op term, SparkGig competed in eight competitions, in seven cities, across three countries. You are probably thinking that all of these plane tickets must have cost us a fortune! Well, one of the big advantages of being a student is that travel expenses are often included in part of the package.

There are many entrepreneurial events in Waterloo Region, but it wasn't until I started the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program in September 2013 that I was really exposed to them.

I decided to take time off from working in Waterloo's technology sector to pursue an MBET degree and the business idea that I came into the program with, Jük. The September 2013 Startup Weekend seemed like a great way to expedite the process of vetting my business idea and potentially gain a team of designers and developers. Because of the positive experience I had, I also attended the April 2014 Startup Weekend.

I often get asked the question, “What is the difference between an MBA and an MBET degree?” My usual response would be that someone has to hire MBAs, but I realize that answer is a little too simplistic.

It is not that Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs are of poor quality or in some way inferior; in fact, on many occasions, I have suggested to students that the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program may not be the best path for them and that they may be better suited for the MBA path.

Thursday March 27th was the first time I attended the Velocity Fund Finals (VFF). While I have previously heard about the event, I've always missed the pitch competitions.

At this term's VFF, ambitious Waterloo students pitched their startup ideas to a panel of judges to win funding. The VFF event was an exciting day with great opportunities for networking, enjoying our university's innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and learning about some of the amazing things fellow students are involved in.

Three factors motivated me to apply to the MBET program, and finally pursue my dream of starting my own business: family support, a passion for innovation, and an interest in improving the efficiency of the use of natural resources. I was able to see how these three motivating factors are represented in the Kitchener-Waterloo community when I recently attended the Business Excellence Awards.

The Business Excellence Awards are a way for the community to recognize and congratulate fellow outstanding businesses and individuals who are making an exceptional contribution to the Kitchener-Waterloo community.

I’m a non-technical entrepreneur. Before my last term at the Conrad Centre, my experience with Near Field Communication (NFC) was no more than using the access card to enter the building. Yet, in 2013 I surprised myself with my involvement in two startup ideas related to NFC.

My first NFC experiment began when my focus shifted for my project in BET 604 (New Technology-based Venture Creation) from Ontario wine exports to an anti-counterfeiting merchandise software, GenuineAce.