Pasquale Di Pierro (BEng鈥�76, MBA鈥�80) has been a member of the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 Advancement Board (FAB) since 2016. An entrepreneur himself, Pasquale felt it was important for students in the engineering and design professions to develop the skills to explore innovative ideas, and perhaps even become entrepreneurs themselves one day.
Along with fellow FAB members Howard Stotland (BEng鈥�66), C么me Lagu毛 (BEng鈥�89), Frank Panarello (BEng鈥�87), Fil Papich (BEng鈥�83) and others, he championed the 平特五不中 Engine Centre and was instrumental in supporting its early development, advising on how to best support technological innovation and entrepreneurship, and building an entrepreneurial mindset and culture within the Faculty of Engineering.
Recognizing the need for student and faculty training and project funding, he worked closely with the Engine team advising and then serving as a judge on the TechAccel competition for undergrad teams and TechAccelR for graduate student and professor teams.
鈥淭he thing about Pasquale is that he always shows up,鈥� says Katya Marc (BEng鈥�91, MEng鈥�92, MBA鈥�04) and Associate Director of Engine. 鈥淥ur students showcase their TechAccel ventures after completing the program and they demonstrate their progress and what they learned. We also hold an annual Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship that acknowledges our community. Showing up at these events is seen as a huge sign of support. Pasquale is familiar and the students and professors are super appreciative.鈥�
Pasquale鈥檚 involvement doesn鈥檛 stop at showing up. Most recently, he funded the Di Pierro Innovation Fellowship for graduate students, designed to help enterprising engineering students stay on in the Faculty after graduate studies to commercialize their technologies.
He also still plays a vital role in advising on Engine activities and is currently spearheading an initiative called the Alumni Angel Investors Group, organizing early-stage alumni investors to come together and meet Engine startups.
Pasquale is not new to the innovation scene in Montreal. He is the founder and president of Fonex Data Systems, a telecom equipment supplier that has leveraged innovative technologies for almost 35 years, helping internet service providers optimize their products.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my entrepreneurial experience I want to bring to the Faculty 鈥� to encourage students to use their engineering backgrounds to become entrepreneurs.鈥� Pasquale says that Montreal has become an ecosystem of innovation since the gaming industry took root. 鈥淚 have to admit that I also want to encourage young innovators to stay in my favourite city.鈥�
Pasquale Di Pierro (BEng鈥�76, MBA鈥�80) with C么me C么me A Lagu毛 (BEng鈥�89) of FAB, Beno卯t Boulet, Director 平特五不中 Engine and Katya Marcs, Assistant Director, 平特五不中 Engine.
Pasquale鈥檚 wife, Lucia Mancinone (BCom鈥�77), and their daughter, Bianca Di Pierro (CPA鈥�13) are also graduates of 平特五不中. 鈥淚鈥檝e found that Engine鈥檚 emphasis on technological innovation and entrepreneurship corresponds with my own vision. I鈥檝e always supported 平特五不中 but it鈥檚 this shared vision that makes me feel I鈥檓 investing my time and money in the right place.鈥�
S'engager pour les 茅l猫ves du Centre Engine
Pasquale Di Pierro (BEng鈥�76, MBA鈥�80) est membre du Conseil d鈥檃vancement de la Facult茅 (FAB) depuis 2016. En tant qu鈥檈ntrepreneur, Pasquale a toujours su que les personnes qui s鈥檌nt茅ressent aux professions en g茅nie ou en design doivent d茅velopper leurs aptitudes pour explorer des id茅es novatrices et peut-锚tre cr茅er un jour leur propre entreprise. Aux c么t茅s d鈥檃utres membres du conseil, dont Howard Stotland (BEng鈥�66), C么me Lagu毛 (BEng鈥�89), Frank Panarello (BEng鈥�87) et Fil Papich (BEng鈥�83), s鈥檈st fait le champion du Centre Engine de 平特五不中 et y a jou茅 un r么le cl茅 en soutenant son d茅veloppement initial, en offrant des conseils sur les moyens de favoriser l鈥檌nnovation technologique et l鈥檈sprit d鈥檈ntreprise, et en instaurant au sein de la Facult茅 de g茅nie une mentalit茅 et une culture entrepreneuriales.
Conscient du besoin de former la population 茅tudiante et le corps enseignant et de financer des projets, il a collabor茅 茅troitement avec l鈥櫭﹒uipe du Centre Engine en conseillant et 脿 titre de juge du concours TechAccel pour les 茅quipes de premier cycle, et TechAccelR pour les 茅quipes de dipl么m茅s et d鈥檈nseignants.
芦 Pasquale r茅pond toujours pr茅sent 禄, explique Katya Marc (BEng 禄 91, MEng芦 92, MBA 禄 04), directrice adjointe du Centre Engine. 芦 Nos 茅l猫ves pr茅sentent leurs initiatives TechAccel 脿 la fin du programme, et d茅montrent leurs progr猫s et leurs acquis. Nous tenons aussi une c茅l茅bration annuelle de l鈥檌nnovation et de l鈥檈ntrepreneuriat qui valorise notre communaut茅. Participer 脿 ces 茅v茅nements est per莽u comme un 茅norme signe de soutien. Pasquale est bien connu et tout le monde, 茅l猫ves et professeurs, l鈥檃ppr茅cie beaucoup 禄.
L鈥檌mplication de Pasquale ne se limite pas 脿 sa simple pr茅sence. Tout r茅cemment, il cr茅ait la Bourse d鈥檌nnovation Di Pierro pour les 茅l猫ves dipl么m茅s, con莽ue pour permettre aux 茅l猫ves entreprenants de prolonger leur s茅jour 脿 la Facult茅 dans le but de lancer leurs technologies sur le march茅.
Il continue 脿 jouer un r么le essentiel en conseillant les activit茅s du Centre Engine et dirige actuellement l鈥檌nitiative Alumni Angel Investors Group, qui met en contact des investisseurs en phase de d茅marrage dipl么m茅s avec de jeunes entrepreneurs du Centre Engine.
Pasquale est reconnu sur la sc猫ne de l鈥檌nnovation 脿 Montr茅al. Il est le fondateur et pr茅sident de Fonex Data Systems, un fournisseur d鈥櫭﹒uipements de t茅l茅communications qui a su miser sur les technologies innovantes depuis pr猫s de 35 ans pour aider les fournisseurs d鈥檃cc猫s Internet 脿 optimiser leurs produits.
芦 Je souhaite faire profiter la Facult茅 de mon exp茅rience d鈥檈ntrepreneur, et encourager les 茅l猫ves 脿 utiliser leur formation en g茅nie pour devenir eux-m锚mes entrepreneurs 禄. Selon Pasquale, Montr茅al s鈥檈st transform茅e en 茅cosyst猫me d鈥檌nnovation depuis que l鈥檌ndustrie du jeu s鈥檡 est implant茅e. 芦 Force est d鈥檃dmettre que je veux aussi inciter les jeunes esprits innovants 脿 rester dans ma ville pr茅f茅r茅e. 禄
Pasquale Di Pierro aux c么t茅s de C么me A Lagu毛 du Conseil d鈥檃vancement de la facult茅, Beno卯t Boulet, directeur du Centre Engine de 平特五不中 et Katya Marcs, directrice adjointe du Centre Engine de 平特五不中
L鈥櫭﹑ouse de Pasquale, Lucia Mancinone (BCom鈥�77), et leur fille, Bianca Di Pierro (CPA'13), sont 茅galement dipl么m茅es de 平特五不中. 芦 L鈥檃ccent que met le Centre Engine sur l鈥檌nnovation technologique et l鈥檈ntrepreneuriat correspond 脿 ma propre vision. J鈥檃i toujours soutenu 平特五不中, mais cette approche commune me confirme que j鈥檌nvestis mon temps et mes ressources financi猫res au bon endroit. 禄