Business Ideas Generation

Fueling Entrepreneurship: Collaboratively generating and supporting business ideas of young entrepreneurs

Modeled after competitions and programs at the Sauder School of Business at UBC, this aspect of the ARC program fosters business ideas. Fueling entrepreneurship is fundamental to the development of new businesses and the achievement of greater economic well-being. By infusing energy and resources, targeted at the next generation of leaders, the ARC hosts a competition to stimulate business ideas in the community. This is not a micro credit program, nor a venture capital initiative, rather, it is a series of events in which aspiring business people can pitch their business idea to a group of business professionals from both the local community and Canada.

The top business ideas will be awarded prize money to enable them to further develop their business idea. Effectively, this aspect of the ARC operates as a source of seed money to get a business idea from the concept stage to a more formalized business plan. Once the business plan is developed, mentorship will then be provided to recipients of these funds by Sauder alumni , faculty and business people from Canada and the local community in Phalaborwa or Addis Ababa. The goal of this seed funding is to inspire young entrepreneurs and to empower young people to create their own employment opportunities.