Innovation Sprint
5 WEEKS | $600 STIPEND | NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED
Innovation Sprint is our introductory program to the world of innovation and entrepreneurship. In just five weeks, you will experience what it's like to work in an innovative environment with a local Calgary company. Absolutely beginner-friendly!
Get paid
Score $600 for 5 weeks of real-world work experience. Don't just learn – earn!
Expand your network
Engage with the Calgary business ecosystem, expand your circle for exciting career opportunities.
Strengthen your resume
Set yourself apart from the competition with a transformative work-integrated learning experience
Get a taste of the startup journey. Work in teams of 4 to research a problem and pitch a solution to an actual Calgary business at the end of 5 weeks.
Past businesses have adopted the students’ solutions and participants have been hired.
The Sprint journey
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Meet your team, the cohort, and your mentor. Get introduced to the partner businesses you'll be working with. You'll dive straight into customer discovery, starting to talk to real customers from day one.
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Keep running customer discovery while you start generating ideas. You'll learn divergent and convergent thinking, and use the three lenses of innovation (desirability, feasibility, viability) to narrow in on a solid concept.
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Shape your value proposition and start thinking about what an actual implementation would look like. This includes working through MVPs, mapping the competitive landscape, and testing whether your idea holds up.
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Learn the fundamentals of pitching and presenting, then put them to work building your final presentation. This is where the customer discovery, ideation, and value prop work from the past three weeks comes together into one story.
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Practice your pitch, get feedback, and refine it until you're ready. On the final day, businesses, mentors, students, and faculty all show up for final presentations, wrapping up the sprint with a chance to present your solution and celebrate your work.
Past Organization Partners
Program Details
Session info
The Fall cohort for this program runs from October 19 - November 18, and Winter runs January 11 - February 10.
Mandatory in-person session times:
Mondays: 4 to 6 p.m.
Wednesdays: 4 to 6 p.m.
Fridays: 30-60min meeting (flexible time, online or in-person)
All sessions will take place in Slate Innovation Lab (EB3121)
Program requirements
Sprint participants can expect to work 6-8 hours per week during the program.
Participant must complete the 5 week program, attending all in-person and mentoring sessions to receive the $600 stipend at the end.
To be eligible for the Sprint, participants MUST NOT have any classes scheduled during session times. Both you and us will get in trouble if you skip class for this!
Get in touch
Arvin is an Entrepreneur Development Officer at the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University. His experience includes building investor and sales presentations for Series A+ startups and working in the founder’s office of an early-stage venture. In Calgary, he has worked at Innovate Calgary's Social Innovation Hub, supporting a for-profit social impact venture from UCalgary and discovering pathways for students to enter the social innovation space. With an academic background spanning engineering and management, Arvin brings a multidisciplinary lens to entrepreneurship. He is passionate about inspiring students to take a hands-on approach to building. Arvin looks forward to supporting MRU’s student community in developing ideas and moving projects forward.
Arvin Das
Entrepreneur Development Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
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Complete the application form with the necessary details and confirm your availability for all mandatory sessions. Attendance in all sessions is required to receive the $600 funding. If you have any questions about the application, reach out to Arvin Das at adas1@mtroyal.ca
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Students that apply and participate in our programs see a significant increase in their personal and professional growth. By participating in our program, you'll be exposed to new ways of thinking and business concepts that aren’t taught in a classroom, which can be instrumental in shaping your future endeavors. You'll have the chance to work inside a business and learn essential skills that are highly relevant to your career path, enabling you to stay ahead in an ever-changing job market, and build your network.
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We seek imaginative individuals eager to explore innovation, acquire career-enhancing skills, and make a positive impact on the world. If this resonates with you, apply now!
To qualify, you must be a full-time or part-time MRU student enrolled in a degree or transfer program with good academic standing. Unfortunately, open studies students are ineligible for our programming. However, we warmly welcome you to join our community events and benefit from our mentoring and coaching services, extended to students campus-wide.
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We’re thrilled that you’re interested in supporting our students. Find out how to apply here.
Applying
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You'll be grouped into teams of four students, each from various educational backgrounds. Our aim is to curate diverse teams, allowing you to leverage your collective knowledge and expertise to tackle challenges presented by your designated problem mentor.
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We make every effort to match you with your preferred problem mentor. Upon acceptance into the program, you'll have the opportunity to rank your top mentors. We strive to accommodate most students with their first or second choice, ensuring a meaningful and rewarding mentorship experience. Please be aware that while we strive to pair you with your first or second mentor of choice, we can not guarantee this will always be the case.
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All sessions take place in the Slate Innovation Lab (EB3121) and are conducted in-person. Occasionally, there may be off-campus sessions, but rest assured, we will provide ample advance notice for your convenience.
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Rather than submitting a final project, you and your team will have the exciting opportunity to showcase your solution, along with the journey that led you there. This presentation will take place during the program's last week, where you'll share your remarkable insights with your fellow peers and problem mentor.
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This is not an internship; rather, it's a transformative work-integrated learning experience where you'll collaborate closely with your problem mentor and their business, collectively tackling a business challenge. This opportunity allows you to enrich your resume with invaluable hands-on experience, positioning you strongly for future internships or post-graduation positions.
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Whether you are pursuing any degree program across campus, the Innovation Sprint program welcomes you. Our inclusive approach values diverse perspectives and knowledge, making it the perfect fit for students with varying degrees of business experience. Rest assured, your background and expertise will be highly appreciated and contribute significantly to your team's success.
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We are excited that you enjoyed it so much you’d like to reapply. We want to ensure students get ample opportunity to take part so we encourage you to apply to our other programs we offer. You can check out our program page to learn more or reach out to our team to chat about the opportunities we can offer you.