Concordia can help you take the next step with your business idea

The program is funded by the John Dobson Foundation and was started by John Molson School of Business (JMSB) professors Ronald Abraira and Tim Field. Speaker events and other activities are organized with the help of the Enactus Concordia team.

Participants in the practicum are paired with mentors and receive assistance with their business plans. They also have the chance to enter the $EED Competition next April, where they will get to pitch their idea to industry professionals and compete to win up to $5,000 in seed money for their businesses.

The practicum is open to both current students and graduates who convocated in 2015. Those interested are encouraged to sign up for Rocket Pitches, which gives participants five minutes to present their idea to the program’s mentors, who then select the top 20 for the practicum.

Scalia also found the feedback from the mentors invaluable, since it exposed his team to a different perspective on their operations and the challenges lying ahead. “The adjustments to our business plan suggested by our mentors not only allowed us to claim a monetary prize in the practicum, but also made for a more efficient go-to-market strategy.” Since the practicum, Scalia and Esposito have started a second business: Night Post, which makes software for event-based venues.

Bercu entered the Dobson Practicum with hopes of starting a business, but he had little money, no guidance and zero experience writing a business plan. “I was paired up with Klemen Ferjan, and it was a blast. We spent about a month learning my strengths and, more importantly, identifying my weaknesses to improve them,” he says.

"Participating in the practicum has been a rewarding experience for our team,” says Cherenfant. “We had the opportunity to be connected with a great mentor who was in our field and gave us valuable insights into the industry and our company. The feedback and coaching we received definitely prepared us to win the top prize.”