News

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is set to host the Problem Lab’s Problem Pitch Fall 2025 Competition Finals, where student teams will demonstrate the depth of their research into important real-world problems.

Sponsored by Quantum Valley Investments®, the competition awards $7,500 to the team that shows the strongest understanding of the problem they aim to solve.

This year’s finalists represent a wide range of challenges and innovative thinking, supported by a panel of accomplished judges from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This week, Waterloo News shines a spotlight on professor Larry Smith, who marks a remarkable 45-year milestone of teaching at the University of Waterloo. Over four decades, Smith has become a pillar of the university’s entrepreneurial spirit, helping build its reputation for innovation, risk-taking, and real-world relevance. 

Nicole Troster (MBET ’18) is helping women-led service businesses scale with clarity, confidence, and customer-centric strategy. After more than 15 years supporting entrepreneurs and co-founding ELLA, Nicole launched Coeurage Labs to fill a growing gap in Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Inspired by her own family’s journey and driven by a commitment to empowering founders, Nicole combines evidence-based frameworks with deep customer understanding to help entrepreneurs build sustainable, scalable companies. 

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is delighted to announce that professorMarc Hurwitz has been appointed associate director, Professional Graduate Programs. In this leadership role, Hurwitz will help guide the continued growth of the School’s professional graduate offerings, including the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program, while enhancing student learning, strengthening industry engagement, and supporting the Conrad School’s ongoing evolution as a leader in entrepreneurship education at Waterloo. 

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business joins the University of Waterloo community in remembering Dr. Wayne Chang, an inspiring teacher, mentor and entrepreneurial champion whose optimism, creativity and compassion shaped generations of students and founders.

An associate professor and coordinator of the Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) program, Wayne was known for his infectious positivity and unwavering dedication to helping others realize their potential. His influence continues to define the culture of creativity, collaboration and confidence at the Conrad School.

On Friday, August 1, 2025, the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business proudly hosted and sponsored the Waterloo Ventures Problem Lab's Spring 2025 edition of the Problem Pitch Finals competition.

The Problem Pitch Competition challenges students to deeply understand and articulate a significant problem before proposing solutions. This approach fosters strong analytical and research skills, with funding awarded to support venture research and development (R&D). 

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is proud to announce that Professor Sharlene He has been awarded a 2025 Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for her project, “The Psychology of Innovation with Generative AI: Understanding Human Ideation Processes.”

Silas Ifeanyi came to Waterloo with industry experience and a passion for entrepreneurship. Through BE 600: Management and Leadership at the Conrad School, he refined his leadership style and now applies those lessons every day as an Engineering Educational Developer at the Pearl Sullivan Engineering IDEAs Clinic.

From leading student teams to driving innovation in nanotechnology and MedTech, Silas is a prime example of how technical expertise + entrepreneurial mindset = real impact.