Innovation Program

During this week you will gain valuable skills to ensure that you can prove there is a problem worth pursuing before investing too much time and resources into designing a solution.   

Learn how to gather evidence to better understand and articulate problems worth solving by: 

• Applying systems thinking, and ecosystem/empathy mapping tools  
• Identifying key stakeholders impacted by the problem you have identified 

Now that you have identified a problem that people experience and are looking to have solved, it is time to test how your solution might deliver upon needs, alleviate pain points and generate gains for potential customers and users. During this week you will work to identify your target audience and what sets your idea apart from the competition.   

Learn to best connect your solution with your intended target audience by:  

• Understanding potential customer and user needs and pain points 
• Designing and conducting discovery interviews to test and validate your assumptions  

• Understanding where your potential business sits within the market 

During this week you will work on cash flow, sources of revenues and other finance essentials for startups, as well as learning about the different types of investors and funding opportunities available for early stage startups.    

Learn to capture value from customers, grow a business and find pathways to scale by:  

• Adopting startup finance principles  

• Investigating legal structures to fit circular economy solutions 
• Identifying investment opportunities and options  

As an entrepreneur with a newly formed business you will spend a lot of time convincing people to spend money on your solution, invest in your vison, or even become part of your team. To stand out and impress, you must tell a compelling and captivating story. During this week you will learn how to tailor your pitch to different audiences and use storytelling techniques to complement your pitch.   

Learn to develop a compelling narrative by: 

• Understanding what different audience members want to hear and connecting it with what you want to convey  
• Clearly defining what you are asking the audience to takeaway from your pitch (e.g. a call to action, investment needs, and many others)  
• Building highly visual slides to support your pitch 

Yes! The program has been designed to support those with ideas and those without them. The tools and skills you will build will help you identify a problem/opportunity worth tackling and the pathway to developing a desirable solution.  

The program is open for both individuals and teams. Hopefully, by the end of the program, you will have gathered the information and skills to build a team to support you deliver your solution.   

No, the program is also open for researchers and NGOs looking to scale their impact. Not everyone will be on a path to becoming a startup or business, however, we believe that building entrepreneurial skills and mindsets will enable any type of venture to improve its likelihood of success.   

Yes, you will have to attend all sessions. However, we understand that work and other life commitments can get in the way. If you are unable to attend any of the sessions make sure that you let the program facilitators know in advance. For those that have a team, at least one member must attend all sessions. All engagements will be recorded and shared with participants.  

The program is flexible to cater to different stages of maturity. Some of the content you might have covered, however, it is always good to revisit concepts and access new tools and frameworks. Coaching sessions provide an opportunity to deliver more targeted support based on your immediate needs. If you still think you’re too advanced for the program please reach out, there might be other ways the Hub can help you.  

The 4 weeks (Learn / Apply / Present) will be delivered online. The final graduation event, which will serve as a pitching and networking event, will be held in person. Final details are being arranged and will be confirmed soon.