CATALYST - an entrepreneurship challenge
Looking for an introduction to entrepreneurship but don't yet have your own idea?
The Chang Institute's Entrepreneurship Challenges will guide you through development of innovative solutions to real issues faced by community partners. Through workshops, an at-your-own pace workbook, mentoring, and other tools, over 6-8 weeks you (as an individual or team) will explore a problem space and opportunities for change, and develop a potential solution to pitch to a panel of industry experts.
For a Spring 2025 pilot, the Chang Institute collaborated with Enactus SFU to offer the first of these challenges, "Catalyst", with community partner Translink.
This Fall 2025, the Chang Institute will be collaborating with OS Development and our community partner Moment Energy.
Eligibility: All SFU registered students, staff, faculty, and alumni within 2 years, and their team partners (each team must have at least 1 SFU community member)
SFU’s Catalyst Entrepreneurship Challenge is an initiative based on open-source discussion, encouraging an open exchange of ideas for both SFU students and our community partner's members. Any contributions made here may be freely used by any participant.
Cost: None
Time Period: 6 weeks over October-November 2025
Time Commitment:
- Attend the in-person kick-off event
- 2 workshops
- Final round & closing cermony
- Complete the challenge workbook, SPARK (online, on your own time).
- Optional pitch practice, additional mentoring and events.
Fall 2025 Challenge Prompt
Student teams participating in Catalyst Fall 20245 will explore the following real-world challenges, provided in collabortation by Moment Energy:
- What are other uses/solutions/business models for giving batteries a second life?
- How to deal with and/or reimagine supply chains given the current trade tensions and uncertainty?
- The BC energy grid is old, how might we speed up adoption of new energy technologies and systems change in BC?
- Blue sky version: What might a country without physical energy infrastructure look like?
- What would it take to have cheaper and customized power solutions in Canada (ex. Every block having backup power)?
- Talent for growing startups can be a challenge in Canada. How might we training, attract and retain talent in Canada?
- How do you scale hardware startups in Canada? (This could be policy, support, training, you name it)
Perks:
- Students are eligible for Co-Curricular Record (CCR)
- Cash prizes for challenge winners
- Skills training and development of your entrepreneurial mindset
- An introduction to SFU's entrepreneurship eco-system
- Network with peers and industry mentors / partners
Key Dates
All events held at SFU Burnaby
Note: Dates and times are subject to change
- Kickoff Event – Friday, October 17, 2025
- Challenge prompts presented by Chang Institute, OS Development, and Moment Energy
- Burnaby Campus, SECB 1012 @1:30pm
- Teams Check-in – Week of Oct 20
- Workshop 1 – Wednesday, Oct 29
- Workshop led by our lead mentor, Doug Fast - Problem Framing and Opportunity Recognition
- Burnaby Campus, SECB 1012 @3pm
- Teams Check-in – Week of Nov 3
- Optional office hours with a member of Moment Energy available only this week
- Workshop 2 – Wednesday, Nov 12
- Workshop led by our lead mentor, Doug Fast - Refining Ideas and Preparing to Pitch
- Online @12pm
- Final Pitches & Awards – Wednesday, November 19, 2025
- Teams pitch their challenge idea to jury members and compete for prizes
- Burnaby Campus @3pm
Registration
REGISTRATION CLOSED
Fall 2025 Community Partner
Our Fall 2025 Community Partner is Moment Energy!
The Moment Energy team are alumni from our incubator program, who have successfully made their place in the field of energy storage. They strive to provide greater access to renewable and reliable energy storage. As creators of battery units that can be used in a variety of applications, they are currently focused on storing energy for offgrid, end of grid customers and plan on powering remote communities in the future.
Funders
Catalyst is generously supported by Marion Man and Scott Shaw through the SEED Student Engagement Fund. We are grateful to donors like these whose generosity helps students build entrepreneurial mindsets and create positive impact across disciplines.
Past Challenges
Spring 2025 Challenge
Club Partner: Enactus SFU
Community Partner: Translink
First Place Winner: SkyConnect
SkyConnect took home first place for their innovative solution reimagining the transit experience for families and young riders. Their concept focused on creating dedicated family-friendly zones within SkyTrain systems — inspired by international best practices and grounded in user research conducted directly with passengers at stations across Metro Vancouver. Read about their incredible journey here!
Translink Challenge Prompt
Student teams were invited to explore one or more of the following innovation prompts:
- Create more personalized and tailored services to meet customer needs and preferences.
- Make our services effortless and convenient to use.
- Ensure that our riders can rely on transit to get them where they need to go, on time and without hiccups.
- Foster a safe and pleasant environment where riders feel they will have an enjoyable and welcoming experience.
- Give residents a better reason to ride and position transit as an opportunity to make a difference.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact eec_changinstitute@sfu.ca if we you have any questions or would like to learn more.