Ignition Program

The Ignition Program offers post-secondary students a 10-week program that gives access to training, mentorship, resources, ecosystem connections; and honorariums to support personal and business development.

Registration for the fall is now open!

 

What to expect

Participants are trained in essential transferrable skills such as goal setting, design thinking, networking, pitching and more, ensuring they will understand the value of those complementary soft skills as they develop an entrepreneurial mindset. 

Training and Mentorship
Students will receive access to training sessions that cover a range of essential transferable skills. These skills include goal setting, design thinking, networking, pitching and more. The program aims to equip students with a well-rounded skill set that goes beyond academic knowledge, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.


Connections
Students will have the opportunity to connect with mentors, industry leaders and fellow students from different educational institutions.


Coaching and Consulting
The Ignition Program provides a support system through coaching and consulting sessions. Participants can meet with experts to receive guidance, assistance and accountability for achieving their personal goals or transforming their ideas into reality.


Resources
The program offers access to a range of professional and entrepreneurial resources. This access can be crucial for participants as they navigate their entrepreneurial journey, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed.

Honorarium

Participants can earn $20 per session for their attendance and focus.

Eligiility

This program is open to students who are enrolled in a post-secondary Canadian institution.

Schedule

 

Sept 16, 2024 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Sept 18 E-commerce and Online Retail
Sept 23 Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs
Sept 25 Design Thinking
Oct 2 Digital Marketing Strategies
Oct 7 Networking and Relationship Building
Oct 11 TBD
Oct 16 Leadership and Team Management
Oct 21 Social Impact and Sustainability
Oct 23 Introduction to Cloud Tech
Oct 28 Intellectual Property Rights
Oct 30 Market Analysis and Competitive Intelligence
Nov 4 Crisis Management and Resilience
Nov 6 Scaling and Growth Strategies
Nov 18 Personal Branding and Professional Development
Nov 20 Effective Communication Styles
Nov 25 Innovation and Disruption
NOv 27 How to Pitch: Strategies & Best Practices
Dec 2 Validating Your Business Idea Using Technology Including AI
Dec 4 Black Entrepreneurship Resources: Business Development

 

 

[add_eventon event_type_2="25" tiles=yes]

From our students

“Being a part of the Ignition program was truly a transformative experience. Over this incredible program, I gained invaluable access to a wealth of training, resources, and opportunities that have propelled me toward success. Being able to be an active participant and engage with the speakers and my fellow participants not only provided me with guidance but also inspired me to push my boundaries and pursue my aspirations with confidence. I would say that Ignition is more than just a program; it is a supportive community of mentors and peers that foster growth, innovation, and collaboration. I am grateful for the mentorship, support, and opportunities that this program has provided me, and I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Mariah Mulla, Saint Mary’s University

“The Ignition program has been so informative and eye-opening! I admittedly did not know a lot coming into the session, but my expectations were exceeded. The speakers have all been dynamic and always answer any questions that we may have, happily providing more insights. Need to know about Digital Marketing or how AI can help you run your business? Ignitions got you! The Ignition program expands on pressing subject matters that every entrepreneur should know while forming the foundation for success. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to start a business or who just wants to expand their knowledge on diverse topics.”

Augustina Tucker, Saint Mary’s University

From our instructors

“I had the pleasure of hosting a session for the Ignition program with the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and it was such a remarkable experience. We had around 70 students join in, and they were very engaged with the session and the topic, it truly shows the value of mentorship, connections and real-world experience for post-secondary students. We all learned something new that day”.

Mary Navas, Founder & CEO of MACAW Marketing Events and Ignition Speaker

PAST INSTRUCTORS

The Ignition Program brings the best of local and international entrepreneurs who have years of experience navigating the entrepreneurial world and remain passionate about sharing it with students:  

nevell provo

Canberk Bal

CEO & Founder Haligone 

Mohammed Issa BComm’16

CEO & Founder Eureka Technologies Inc. 
Sehmat Suri

Meredith Drost BComm’19 MTEI’23

Manager, Business Design at Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre 

 

Leah Skerry

Lopsii Olagoke

Founder of Ooreva Software & Technology Inc. 

nevell provo

Mary Navas BComm’20

CEO & Founder Macaw Marketing

Solmaz Ziaabadimiya MTEI’23

Women’s Entrepreneurship Specialist at ISANS 
nevell provo

Ritika Saraswat

Founder of Redefined 

Leah Skerry

Zahra Qureshi

Executive Director Social Venture Circuit 

nevell provo

Omena Babalola MBA’92

Tia Upshaw

BWIE/ Femme Noir Business Consulting 
Sehmat Suri

Aymen Dewji

CEO and Managing Partner at ShiftRight Consulting 

 

Leah Skerry

Lopsii Olagoke

Founder of Ooreva Software & Technology Inc. 

nevell provo

Adam Khamis BComm’21

Leah Skerry

Areeb Khawaja

Engineer in Training at TELUS 
Sehmat Suri

JulieAnne Dayrit

Founder and CEO of Herbiome Skincare

 

Quinn Cavanagh

Founder of RFINE Biomass Solutions  

nevell provo

Saeed El Darahali BSc’02 MBA’04

SimplyCast

Leah Skerry

Keisha Turner BA’12

Starberry Drink Co. / Akwekon Enterprises Inc.

Sehmat Suri

Evan VanderMeer

Indigenous Entrepreneurship Coordinator / MycoNutrients

Dianna Rievaj

Highlander Law Group

Stephanie Holmes-Winton 

CacheFlo

Ossama Nasrallah

Andreas Robinson

Social Impact Entrepreneur / Infinitus Academy Inc.

Tia Upshaw

BWIE / Femme Noir Business Consulting

Shubhra Singh MTEI’23

EmployNXT 

Dr. Darren Burke

Future Foods

Ossama Nasrallah

Bisola Ogamba

Ventrure for Canada

Ossama Nasrallah

Jennifer Montgomery

Blue Door Group / 40 Cups of Coffee

Ossama Nasrallah

Stephanie Clark

Blue Door Group / 40 Cups of Coffee

nevell provo

Nevell Provo

R&B Kitchen/Smooth Meal Prep 

Leah Skerry

Leah Skerry

SquigglePark 

Sehmat Suri

Sehmat Suri BComm’19 BA’19

Founder of POCketbook 

Tiffani Young

Natural Butter Bar

Sunil Sarwal 

The Small Monsters

Ossama Nasrallah

Ossama Nasrallah BComm’18 MBA’22

The Harbour Watercraft and Adventure Tours

Micah Brown BA’13

BATLX/ Halifax Harbour Hawks

Jason Buchanan

Premiere Van Lines

Mel Holmes

SpaceX

Ossama Nasrallah

Sahil Ahuja

Volta

Sponsored by 

Partner Institutions

Partners at Saint Mary’s UniversityNSCAD UniversityMount Saint Vincent UniversityNova Scotia Community CollegeUniversity of King’s College and the Atlantic School of Theology provide opportunities for people to connect and then nurture those connections as ideas become reality.