平特五不中 Engine cultivates an Entrepreneurial Mindset
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The John D. Thompson Entrepreneurial Development Seminar was established thanks to a generous donation by John D. Thompson (BEng鈥57) ten years ago. This year, the seminar was opened by Peter Thompson, President and CEO of National Bank Insurance, on his father鈥檚 behalf. Peter spoke of how important the entrepreneurial mindset is to his dad and how John Thompson has been proud to support 平特五不中 Engine since its inception.
He introduced the evening鈥檚 featured speaker, Stephen Hamelin (BEng鈥92), founder, president and CEO of Vortex Aquatic Structures International. Hamelin talked to the room of young student aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs about how developing a new product category to create and capture uncontested market space is one way to eliminate the competition. 鈥淥nce you鈥檙e the leader鈥, he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 hard to be knocked out. Think Cirque de Soleil.鈥
Hamelin also advised students to empathize with potential customers by thinking about what challenges they face. 鈥淚f you solve a problem for your customer, you are automatically going to be on their radar,鈥 he pointed out.
In 2014, Hamelin sat on the panel of speakers at the inaugural Thompson Seminar. He believes that the 平特五不中 Engine鈥檚 mission to provide students with the skills they need to become entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs is very valuable. This is why he and his family are supporting the 平特五不中 Engine by a generous donation towards its Summer Startup Internship Award Program.
Both Thompson and Hamelin acknowledge the importance of bringing the next generation to events like this one. 鈥淭hey are the future,鈥 says Peter Thompson. 鈥淢y father believes deeply that Engineers and Design professionals have a key role to play in solving some of the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges. Bringing technological innovations to market is a powerful way to create change for the better.鈥
平特五不中 Engine recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and there are a roster of donors and volunteers who have ensured its growth to help more aspiring 平特五不中 innovators and entrepreneurs. Among those who have offered their support at the beginning and over the years are Pasquale Di Pierro, Howard Stotland, Mark Levine and C么me Lagu毛.
Close to two years ago, Rachel Chwang and May Seto, the sister and wife of the late Ronald Chwang (BEng鈥72, DSc鈥12), key past Faculty Advancement Board member, established the Chwang-Seto Fund to support multiple 平特五不中 Engine activities and programs, including the Ronald Chwang Entrepreneur- in- Residence (EiR) program. Ronald Chwang had a vision that an entrepreneurial mindset should be developed throughout a student鈥檚 education.
PhD student Sripadh Guptha Yedire attended the Thompson Seminar. He鈥檚 a member of a TechAccelR team project (working with Prof Sara Mahshid). 鈥淲e work with Dr. Michael Avedesian, one of the 平特五不中 Engine鈥檚 Ronald Chwang EiRs, and he provides us with very practical, helpful business advice. I鈥檓 sure he鈥檚 saved us months by advising us as part of our customer discovery process.鈥 Their project aims to advance the commercialization of a nanotechnology-powered rapid diagnostic device for tackling the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) crisis.
The entrepreneurial mindset is alive and well and growing at 平特五不中 Engine. See other resources and opportunities on their website.
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Le Centre Engine cultive l鈥檈sprit d鈥檈ntreprise
Le S茅minaire de d茅veloppement entrepreneurial John D. Thompson a 茅t茅 cr茅茅 il y a une d茅cennie gr芒ce au g茅n茅reux don de John D. Thompson (BEng鈥57). Cette ann茅e, le s茅minaire a 茅t茅 ouvert en son nom par son fils Peter Thompson, pr茅sident et chef de la direction de Banque Nationale Assurances. Peter a rappel茅 l鈥檌mportance de l鈥檈sprit d鈥檈ntreprise pour son p猫re et la fiert茅 de John Thompson 脿 soutenir le Centre Engine de 平特五不中 depuis sa cr茅ation.
Le principal interlocuteur de la soir茅e, Stephen Hamelin (BEng鈥92), fondateur, pr茅sident et directeur g茅n茅ral de Vortex Aquatic Structures International, a expliqu茅 脿 l鈥檃ssembl茅e d鈥檌nnovateurs et entrepreneurs en herbe que d茅velopper une nouvelle cat茅gorie de produit puis cr茅er et conqu茅rir un espace de march茅 incontest茅 est un bon moyen d鈥櫭﹍iminer la concurrence. 芦 Une fois que vous 锚tes en t锚te 禄, a-t-il d茅clar茅, 芦 il est difficile d鈥櫭猼re renvers茅. Pensez au Cirque du Soleil. 禄
M. Hamelin a de plus conseill茅 aux 茅l猫ves de se mettre 脿 la place de leurs clients potentiels et de r茅fl茅chir 脿 leurs d茅fis. 芦 Si vous parvenez 脿 r茅soudre un probl猫尘别 pour votre client, celui-ci s鈥檌nt茅ressera automatiquement 脿 vous 禄, a-t-il ajout茅.
En 2014, Stephen Hamelin a 茅t茅 membre du jury inaugural du s茅minaire Thompson. Selon lui, la mission du Centre Engine de 平特五不中, qui est de transmettre aux 茅tudiants les comp茅tences requises pour devenir des entrepreneurs et des intrapreneurs, est tr猫s pr茅cieuse. C鈥檈st pourquoi lui et sa famille soutiennent le Centre Engine 脿 travers un don g茅n茅reux au programme Summer Startup Internship Award Program.
Peter Thompson et Stephen Hamelin reconnaissent tous deux l鈥檌mportance pour la nouvelle g茅n茅ration d鈥檃ssister 脿 des 茅v茅nements tels que celui-ci. 芦 Ce sont eux qui vont former l鈥檃venir 禄, affirme Peter Thompson. 芦 Mon p猫re croit profond茅ment que les ing茅nieurs et les professionnels de la conception ont un r么le d茅terminant 脿 jouer dans la r茅solution des probl猫尘别s les plus pressants dans le monde. Mettre les innovations technologiques sur le march茅 est un moyen puissant d鈥檃m茅liorer les choses 禄.
Le Centre Engine a r茅cemment c茅l茅br茅 son . De nombreux donateurs et b茅n茅voles ont assur茅 sa croissance afin de profiter 脿 plus d鈥檃spirants innovateurs et entrepreneurs 脿 平特五不中. Pasquale Di Pierro, Howard Stotland, Mark Levine et C么me Lagu毛 comptent parmi ceux qui ont offert leur soutien au Centre d猫s le d茅but et au fil des ans.
Il y a pr猫s de deux ans, Rachel Chwang et May Seto, la s艙ur et l鈥櫭﹑ouse du regrett茅 Ronald Chwang (BEng鈥72, DSc鈥12), ancien membre cl茅 du Conseil d鈥檃vancement de la facult茅, ont 茅tabli le Fonds Chwang-Seto dans le but de soutenir les divers programmes et activit茅s du Centre Engine de 平特五不中, dont le Programme d鈥檈ntrepreneurs en r茅sidence Ronald Chwang (EiR). Ronald Chwang avait pour vision que l鈥檈sprit d鈥檈ntreprise devrait 锚tre d茅velopp茅 tout au long de l鈥櫭ヾucation des 茅l猫ves.
Le doctorant Sripadh Guptha Yedire, pr茅sent au s茅minaire Thompson, est membre d鈥檜n projet d鈥櫭﹒uipe TechAccelR en collaboration avec la professeure Sara Mahshid. 芦 Nous travaillons avec le Dr Michael Avedesian, l鈥檜n des entrepreneurs en r茅sidence (EiR) du Centre Engine de 平特五不中. Celui-ci nous donne des conseils professionnels tr猫s pratiques et utiles, et il nous a s没rement fait gagner des mois en nous guidant dans le cadre de notre processus d鈥檈xploration client. 禄 Leur projet pr茅voit de faire avancer la commercialisation d鈥檜n outil nanotechnologique de diagnostic rapide pour lutter contre la crise de la r茅sistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM).
L鈥檈sprit d鈥檈ntreprise est bien vivant et en pleine croissance au Centre Engine de 平特五不中. D茅couvrez d鈥檃utres ressources et occasions sur leur site web.