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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.

Whether or not an entrepreneur should make their hobby into a career is a large debate within the business community. This path does not work for everyone, but through the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program, I have been able to take my hobby and turn it into a premise for my business, The Mod Market.

After injuring myself racing motocross, I decided to try a safer motorsport hobby so I turned to automotive tuning. I love the artistic expression, representation of individual taste, and illustration of a car enthusiast’s personality that each vehicle embodies.

Harry Gandhi, an Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) and BET 300 student, recently traveled to Silicon Valley to attend Startup Grind 2014 and a "Biotech Business Bootcamp" as a semi-finalist in the OneStart Competition, the world's largest biotech idea competition.

As entrepreneurs, most of us will probably end up going to Silicon Valley at some point, whether it’s to meet potential investors, build relationships or learn about the "Valley mentality."

These are five main take-aways I learnt in my recent trip to Silicon Valley.

In January I had the opportunity to travel to the region of Kerala, in South-west India to participate in an International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Women: The Role of Business Incubation & Social Business Development. The conference was primarily based out of Assumption College, a women’s college that is affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University.

At the conference, I had the chance to talk to and build relationships with a number of students and faculty at Assumption College. These students are keen, well spoken and many are driven to start their own business.

On Tuesday, January 28th, St. Paul's GreenHouse hosted a talk, Larry Smith presents, "So You Want to Change the World."

Victoria Suen, one of the Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) students that attended the event, wrote about a few of her takeaways:

Have a big vision, expect more from yourself, consider the challenges you face, ask tough questions, develop your understanding, social enterprises are businesses.