On Tuesday October 21, I had the pleasure of gathering with some of Brock University’s most promising entrepreneurs here at BioLinc in order to meet with a representative from a prestigious entrepreneurial program known as The Next 36. The visit with Jon French, the director marketing and communications with The Next 36 was intended to inform those eligible of the program and hopefully to inspire the first Brock inductee.
The Next 36 is a non-profit organization designed to stimulate the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs. Named for its size, only the top 36 undergraduate student entrepreneurs from across the country are accepted. Those inducted into the program form teams and spend many months living and working together to build a business from the ground up. Along the way, these students receive guidance and mentorship from some of Canada’s top entrepreneurs and business leaders who work directly with the program. While working on their own project, the students will also receive academic instruction from award winning professors from schools including Harvard Business School, MIT, Wharton, Georgetown, Rotman, Ivey, and Sauder. Along with all of this, is the opportunity to receive up to $65,000 of seed capital for your venture.
During our meeting with about fifteen of Brock’s top entrepreneurs, we began by each introducing ourselves and speaking about the ventures and business ideas that we are currently pursuing. It was exciting just to hear about some of the great work being done by Brock students and to get an idea of the kind of talent and promise that exists within our school. It’s very inspiring and in some cases unbelievable to hear what some people have accomplished at such a young age.
After our introductions, the facilitator from The Next 36 gave us a rundown of the program and all that it entails before opening the floor for any questions. The talent and the interest of those at the table led to some great discussion regarding the program and our eligibility. I, and I believe many others, left the meeting with the renewed energy to build our portfolios as entrepreneurs and to become one of Canada’s next 36.
If you’re interested in applying to be part of The Next 36 or you just want to find out a little more about the program, check out their website at http://www.thenext36.ca.
Ian Farr
BioLinc Ambassador
