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Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, SFU alumna, and creator of the DermaEngine skin screening platform. Photo Source
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STEM Students: A Driving Force of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

August 24, 2016

WRITTEN BY: JENNA ANDERSON

If you want to make it in today’s knowledge economy, particularly in BC, STEM skills are required more than ever. Right here in Vancouver, we have one of the biggest up-and-coming tech startup scenes, with many calling Vancouver the Silicon Valley of the North. Currently the BC tech sector employs over 86,000 people, with an average wage that is 60% higher than BC’s industrial average. The BC tech sector is expected to grow even more over the next few years following the BC Government’s new #BCTECH Strategy. But, it’s not all about making money. Many of today’s tech startups focus on solving real world problems.

Unfortunately, many large tech companies do not boast great diversity numbers. Facebook recently released their 2015 diversity statistics and only 16% of their global tech employees are women. One of our most prominent Vancouver tech companies Hootsuite, only fares slightly better, with 20% of their technical roles being held by women.

On the bright side there has been a push by many tech companies, the Canadian Government, and non-profits to increase diversity in STEM education, and the great thing about STEM is that anyone can do it. Women are just as competent in STEM subjects as men. One study even found that all over the world girls are outperforming boys in math and science. Therefore, with the right skills, perseverance and support, anyone an develop a new invention, app or create their own startup. 

One important first step in getting more women and girls interested in entrepreneurship is to provide more women as role models. Here are examples of outstanding women succeeding in STEM entrepreneurship and innovation.

One of the biggest motivations for people to become entrepreneurs is to find solutions to their own needs and/or problems. That is what sparked Victoria native, Ann Makosinski's, interest in inventing. At 15 years old Ann invented a flashlight powered by body heat to help a friend in the Philippines who couldn’t do her homework because she didn’t have electricity. At 18 she invented a phone-charging travel mug when she noticed her friends’ phones were always dying. Makosinski has been named one of TIME’s top 30 people under 30 and has won the Google Science Fair and the Quest Climate Change Grant. Today, Makosinski will be entering her second year at UBC and hopes to one day "eliminate the use of non-recyclable batteries for low-power personal electronics. She is definitely a woman in STEM to keep your eyes on. Click here to learn more about Ann Makosinski and her inventions. 

For STEM university students wanting to create their own company or product there are many education programs designed specifically to encourage entrepreneurship. Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, SFU Computer Science alumna and creator of the DermaEngine skin-screening platform knows just how important such entrepreneurship programs can be in fostering success. Sadeghi’s company, MetaOptima, grew out of SFU’s Venture Connection program. Since its formation MetaOptima has been recognized with several awards, including a 2013 BCIC-New Ventures Prize, Silicon Valley’s Plug & Play prize, SFU’s Venture Prize in 2014 and NSERC’s 2012 Innovation Challenge Award.

If you want to be the next Ann Makosinski or Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, check out our list of great entrepreneurship resources and programs.

Entrepreneurship Resources for Kids

If you have kids, encourage their innovative spirit at an early age. Ann Makosinski created her first invention when she was 15! Check out our K-12 Youth Resources for online activities that teach STEM skills and encourage innovation. For a great, easy to understand explanation for kids on what an entrepreneur is and why they are important watch CurioCity's The Billion Dollar Question video above.

Entrepreneurship Resources & Programs for Post-Secondary Students

Simon Fraser University

Charles Chang Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CCCIE): This certificate is open to all SFU students and is a complementary credential to a student’s primary degree. The program focuses on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) training, developing creativity and adaptability, teamwork and collaboration skills, communication and implementation. CCCIE is founded and funded by Charles Chang, SFU alumnus and founder of Vega. Watch SFU’s video on why Charles Chang wanted to encourage multidisciplinary innovation. 

Tech Entrepreneurship @SFU: This program is open to third and fourth year SFU Mechatronics Systems Engineering and Beedie School of Business students. The program intends to develop BC's knowledge-based economy by giving students the chance to work together to develop a market-inspired technological product and pitch it for the funds to take it from bench-top to market. The SFU program is founded in partnership with BCIC and Ken Spencer, co-founder of CREO.

For more entrepreneurship programs offered by SFU, visit their innovation + knowledge mobilization page.

University of British Columbia

entrepreneurship@UBC Accelerator Program: This program provides real-world hands-on sessions for the UBC community that accelerate the growth of new ventures at all stages of development. e@UBC brings together world-class educators and domain-specific mentors to provide guidance and leadership for ventures.  Teams will emerge with a clear idea of their business model, a true sense of market needs, and a deep understanding of the key drivers for success. e@UBC offers two programs: e@UBC Accelerator, and e@UBC Accelerator for Genomics and Life Sciences.

For more entrepreneurship programs offered by UBC, visit their entrepreneurship@UBC page.

University of Victoria

Engineering Entrepreneurship@UVic: Students enrolled in Entrepreneurship@UVic will work on an accelerated schedule earning their Masters of Applied Science degree while also completing their Business Diploma. Through the program, students will receive specialized, entrepreneurship training and real-life experience, guidance and mentorship from successful technology developers and investors to develop their own company from concept to launch.

Coast Capital Savings Innovation Centre: This innovation centre provides on-campus incubator services designed to help students, faculty, staff and recent grads take business concepts from idea to incubator-ready. They provide tools, expertise, events and space at UVic to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas and partner clients with advisers and mentors from outside the university who provide valuable input and connections.

Thompson Rivers University

entrepreneurship@TRU: This program provides mentorship, education, venture creation, and seed funding support for TRU alumni, students, faculty, and staff. TRU’s Generator program offers a set of online resources and tools, Startup Academy for startup teams and individuals to help develop their minimum viable product, a diverse mentor network of seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders, and events for students, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in growing the startup community at TRU

BC-wide Entrepreneurship Resources

BC Innovation Council (BCIC) is a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia. They encourage the development and application of advanced or innovative technologies to meet the needs of industry in BC. BCIC collaborates with partners to create programs and provide support for initiatives that develop entrepreneurs and promote the commercialization of technology. For startup resources vicit BCIC’s page For Entrepreneurs.

The #BCTECH Strategy is part of the BC Jobs Plan, specifically aiming to grow the tech-sector by supporting entrepreneurs and their ventures. The three pillars of the strategy are capital, talent, and markets. Visit #BCTECH’s Business Resources page for programs that support small businesses and tech companies, funding and grant programs, and hiring and training programs.