When Accounting and Financial Management graduate Jade Choy (BAFM ’17) co-founded Epoch alongside her brother Keith Choy (BAFM ’16, MAcc ’16) and a close friend, she hadn’t envisioned herself as an entrepreneur. Like many of her accounting peers at Waterloo, Jade was on a more traditional career path — aiming for a future in management consulting. However, a side project related to non-profit work sparked a much larger idea, one that would eventually evolve into Epoch.
Surrounded by game-changing ideas and people, it’s easy to feel inspired at Waterloo. Here, at Canada’s number-one university for founders, you'll find learning and entrepreneurship go hand in hand.
With unlimited access to free resources, you have everything you need to take your ideas to the next level: coaching, mentorship, funding, for-credit courses, workshops, pitch competitions, high-end tools and equipment – and, most importantly, people who believe in your potential.
Incubators: turn your ideas into action
Our incubators provide you with access to workshops, networking, one-on-one coaching, funding, mentorship, and student creator spaces.
Velocity
Velocity, our flagship entrepreneurship ecosystem – helps you grow your venture at every stage and level of experience
Pitch competitions – win funding to help advance your business idea
Velocity Foundations – learn about important issues while building an innovative mindset
Social incubators
Grebel Peace Incubator – help to build a more just and peaceful world
Greenhouse – for students who want to create social or environmental change
Flint Hub – Indigenous students can explore entrepreneurship and contribute to the growth of Indigenous economies
It all started with an innocent question while Aileen was on a co-op term in Ottawa. "Where can I get my hair done?" The Environmental Engineering student’s search for a nearby hairstylist who knew how to work on afro-textured hair turned into a much bigger quest — a journey to entrepreneurship and the launch of her tech startup, BeBlended.
Make entrepreneurship part of your degree
Want to learn about entrepreneurship but not ready to launch a business? You can take courses through the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business as part of your Waterloo degree.
Add a minor to your degree
- Entrepreneurship minor (or option if you're in Engineering)
- Indigenous Entrepreneurship
- International Trade
- Management Studies
- Social Innovation
Use co-op to gain experience
Bridging Entrepreneurs to Students – junior co-op students work with early-stage startup companies who don't have the resources to hire full-time staff
E-co-op – start your own business while earning a co-op credit
Waterloo's Velocity incubator provides support for students and startups and is ranked as one of the world’s top university-linked incubators.
Facilities to fuel your creativity
There's an incredible range of hands-on opportunities waiting for you at Waterloo.
Student design teams
Have fun and get experience with our 20+ student-led design teams working on solar cars, robots, rocketry, submarine racing, autonomous cars and sailboats, and more.
Canada's largest student hackathon
1,000+ hackers from around the world come to Waterloo for a hackathon like no other. At Hack the North, discover a community of like-minded hackers, connect with world-class mentors, and build because you love to build.
Go in depth with year-long projects
In many programs, you can complete a year-long project of your choice as part of your final year. Many students use their projects to explore potential careers, to start their own company, or as good training for a Master's degree.
Maker spaces
Get access to Architectural Engineering Maker Space (high-end digital fabrication tools), Velocity Digital (space to unleash new software, electronic, and medical technology ideas), and Velocity Science (access to instrumentation and consumables, mentorship, and technical advice).
With the help of courses, mentors, and our facilities, Waterloo graduate Richard Yim developed a robot that can safely destroy landmines which are buried in former war zones around the world.