Mentor Meet

Explore your startup idea with an experienced entrepreneur at any one of our Mentor Meet sessions! These 15–20 minute conversations are designed to help you clearly explain your venture and receive feedback from a Chang Institute Mentor-in-Residence.

Not sure how to explain your idea quickly and effectively? We run Pitch Workshops throughout the semester where you’ll learn how to structure and practice a clear, concise pitch. Check out our Events page to sign up for free.

These free sessions are offered virtually and are open exclusively to the entire SFU community (students, staff, faculty, and recent alumni). Please see mentor schedule for available meeting dates. 

Questions? Email cip_changinstitute@sfu.ca


Schedule

You’ll have 15-20 minutes with a Mentor-in-Residence (MIR) so maximize that time by booking your Mentor Meet slot ahead of time and prepare for your session. 

Please note that mentors require bookings to be made 1-3 days in advance. 

Note: All sessions are virtual unless otherwise stated. Each participant is limited to 4 Mentor Meet bookings per semester. 

While the Chang Institute engages over a dozen Mentors-in-Residence across its various programs, these the MIRs currently available for Mentor Meet bookings:

Rachel Chase

Mondays 4:00PM – 5:00 PM (PST)

January: 12, 26
February: 2, 23
March: 9, 23
April: 13

Schedule with Rachel

Areas of specialization
-Market Research/Discovery
-Fundraising Strategy
-Ecosystem Building
-Business Strategy
-Building Initial StartUp Functions

Doug Fast

Schedule coming soon...

Schedule with Doug

Areas of specialization
-Leadership development
-Embedded systems
-Product management
-Systematic Innovation

ROMAIN ROUX

Thursdays 3:00 – 4:00 PM (PST)

January: 15, 29
February: 12, 26
March: 12, 26
April: 9, 23

Schedule with Romain

Areas of specialization
-Early-stage Research & Development
-Medical Device Development
-Mechanical Engineering
-In-House and Outsourcing Manufacturing

Albert Seah

Fridays 1:30 – 2:30 PM (PST)

January: 16, 30
February: 13, 27
March: 13, 27
April: 10, 24

Schedule with Albert

Areas of specialization
-Retail Systems
-Business Strategy
-Leadership Development

Elizabeth Thorsen

Thursdays 1:00 - 2:00 PM (PST)

January: 15, 29
February: 19, 26
March: 12, 26
April: 9, 23

Schedule with Elizabeth

Areas of specialization
-Sectors (Cleantech, CPG/Retail, High tech, Biotech, Finance, Agritech)
-Business Operations
-Marketing
-ESG (Internal Sustainability, Team & Culture, ESG Plan Development, Strategic Initiatives, KPI Setting/Measurement)

Shiva Nanda

Thursdays 4:00 – 6:00 PM (PST)

Schedule with Shiva

Areas of specialization
-Sustainable & Circular Business Models
-Global Growth Strategy
-Startup Leadership & Operations
-Environmental Technology & Asset Recovery

Mentor Minute 

A video series where Chang Institute current and past Mentors-in-Residence offer entrepreneurial advice, from tips on cultivating a good team dynamic to the first steps of finding funding – they are here to help YOU. With new videos launched periodically, new topics will be explored to ensure you start your business off on the right foot.

Watch More  ---- Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship's YouTube Channel