The QVENT Green Summer Incubator Program is a collaboration between the Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC), Smith School of Business Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact, as well as a Project Zero, a national circular economy incubator, that guides Queen's University student participants’ entrepreneurial journey.
The Green Summer Incubator Program will assist early-stage teams and founders interested in accessing resources and an entrepreneurial network to turn their green idea, technology, or inspiration into a venture that supports Canada's transition towards a net zero economy. Throughout the program, students will have access to net-zero, circular economy and venture creation workshops. Students will also participate in panel discussions with startup founders to help guide them through developing their business.
At the end of the summer, the program will culminate with a pitch competition where students will have the opportunity to pitch for seed funding to help further grow and launch their venture.
Dates: Early May to End of August.
Location: Virtual. Live anywhere, while developing your green business concept.
Time Commitment: Weekly content sessions (~3 hours) are held during the evenings, PLUS a weekly deliverable to keep the development of your green business idea on track. Estimated commitment of 6+ hours per week.
How to apply? Download the word document in the button below and submit your application to Sarah Lanteigne (sarah.lanteigne@queensu.ca) by March 17, 2024 at 11:59pm ET (undergraduate students) and by March 28, 2024 at 11:59am ET (graduate students and alumni).
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Make a Sustainable Impact
Project Zero Incubator Alumni
Salt Legacy creates durable adventure bags from upcycled sailcloth and other recycled materials at their Victoria, BC manufacturing facility. Since completing the Project Zero incubator program, they have transformed 69 sails and 119 kites into high-quality gear, diverting almost 3,000kg of material from landfill. As their operations grow, they’ve collaborated with organizations like ANIÁN, Clean Sailors, Debrand, MERS.
“With a background in biology & ecology, I had zero knowledge of how to start a business. The sessions helped me walk away with a polished business plan ready for action.”
Meaghan MacDonald, Founder & CEO of Salt Legacy
Learn more about Salt LegacyIncubator Workshop Topics Overview
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Introduction to Circular Economy
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New Venture Planning 101
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Design & Systems Thinking
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Designing a Circular Product / Service
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Assessing the External Market
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Determining your Circular Business Model (Impact & Financial)
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High-Performance Teams & Leadership
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Building a Co-Founding Team / Advisory Board
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HR and Recruitment - Scaling your Venture
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Operations
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Measuring and Tracking your ESG Impact
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Legal Essentials
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Customer Discovery & Acquisition
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Go to Market
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Communicating your Circular Business Value Proposition
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Financing Essentials
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Financing in the Circular Economy
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Funding Opportunities
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Funding in the Circular Economy
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Circular Policy & Industry Transformation
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Sectoral-based Circular Economy
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Pitching to Investors
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Pitch Event
Incubator Partners and Collaborators
About Project Zero
Launched in 2019, Project Zero is an initiative of the Synergy Foundation focused on catalyzing the transition to a circular economy through business incubation, acceleration, innovation, and education. Project Zero hosts an annual Incubator Program to support new start-ups and entrepreneurs with a business idea within the circular economy to develop their business model and prepare for launch, contributing to a low-carbon economic system. Project Zero also offers a variety of workshops and webinars to help build capacity, provides circular economy consulting to businesses and municipalities, and acts as a connector for stakeholders in our communities to support the transition to a circular economy.
Project Zero will deliver net-zero and circular economy workshops, and host entrepreneur alumni panels for the program.
Learn More about Project ZeroAbout the Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre's (DDQIC) mission is to catalyze this potential, developing entrepreneurial mindsets and fostering a culture of innovation across Queen’s University, the Kingston community, and globally. They build changemakers by encouraging and supporting their entrepreneurial initiatives through startup incubators, workshops, programs, courses, and pitch competitions.
The DDQIC will be delivering workshop content and supporting the incubation of students ventures through the program.
Learn more about DDQICSmith Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact
The mission of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact (CEISI) at Smith School of Business is generating knowledge, leadership and capacity to create a better world. The Centre does this by supporting the success of new ventures, building innovation capabilities in people and organizations, and fostering research, education and community engagement on responsible leadership and social impact.
In collaboration with the Smith School of Business Experiential Learning Team, the Centre will administer the Net-Zero Incubator program, connect students to sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and deliver content, while providing support and guidance for students.
Learn more about CEISI