On April 8th, 20 students from Dr. Francine Schlosser’s Lean Startup course presented their final business models developed through the course, five of which applied for the RBC EPIC Founder’s Program to turn their business idea into a reality. The presentations were held at EPIC Innovation. Special guest Brian Hendel from Splice Digital was on-hand to view the presentations as was Entrepreneurship professor Thomas Kenworthy and Engineering professor Ali Abdulhussein.

The Lean Startup course (75-493) is designed to have student teams experience their own venture startup, from ideation to search to customer discovery and validation, wrapping up with final presentations and a minimum viable product/prototype.

The businesses presented were extremely diverse ranging from dedicated server hosting to video highlights for athletes to 3D-printed frames for glasses to organic, high-end beef. EPIC Innovation is hopeful that more professors will include a commercialization component in their courses so students can truly see the practical applications of their research.

The Lean Startup course allows students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the knowledge required to turn ideas into businesses. The course provides a hands-on opportunity and exposure to real-world business practices and experiences. It also allows students to participate in multi-disciplinary teams with innovative students from other faculties such as engineering, computer science, creative arts, etc. while exploring contemporary methods including the Lean Startup approach.

For anyone interested in learning more about entrepreneurship, EPICentre provides numerous learning resources and programs that allow students to explore their business ideas. Check out our website for more information regarding EPICentre’s offerings or drop by anytime from Monday to Friday from 8:30AM – 4:30PM.