Genesis
Entrepreneurship
Centre
The Genesis Centre is the gateway to entrepreneurship and professional development at St. Clair College. The Centre provides the resources, programs, mentorship, and support that will help you succeed.
The Genesis Centre is the gateway to entrepreneurship and professional development at St. Clair College. The Centre provides the resources, programs, mentorship, and support that will help you succeed.
Genesis is a hub that connects students, alumni, faculty, and our local Windsor-Essex community. The focus is to prepare entrepreneurial leaders for success, whether it’s rising to the top of a global corporation or starting a new business, direction, expert advice, and connections are made here. If you have a business idea or solution, this is the place to start!
Evolution is a 3-month, tiered, badging and training program with two cohorts, running January – March and a second from June – August.
Each cohort will end with a Pitch Competition where participants will pitch their business plan to a panel of judges with a chance to win money to utilize for start-up. Both cohorts will also be eligible to take part in the Ford Innovation showcase in May and eligible to partake in the 3-month incubation phase.
The program is divided into four streams, “Ignite”, “Generate”, “Engage” and “Propel” with the first three streams earning a badge upon completion.
Those who do not wish to take part in the full program will still have access to Genesis programming including on-demand online workshops, one-on-one mentoring and use of our space and exciting new makerspace.
Showcases STEM champions and female leaders in their fields to promote women in STEM careers and the STEM Club.
Susan Taylor currently oversees Work Integrated Learning, Career Services and the Genesis Entrepreneurship Centre at St Clair College. Her role is to support students in their entrepreneurial aspirations through resources, workshops, mentorship and networking. Additionally, Susan and the Career Services team, bring students and industry together, facilitating program related job placements, experiential learning, job shadowing and career opportunities for our students and graduates.
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In this stream, participants will take 4 mandatory workshops and choose 2 electives that suit their business idea/proposition. The workshops will be recorded modules, delivered in an “on-demand” format. Upon completion of the 6 workshops, participants are eligible for a one-on-one mentor/coaching session, and a short knowledge test, after which they will receive badge number 1 in the series.
Find out how to register your business, different business structures, what expenses you need to keep track of and how to do it, government support programs, and free services available to you.
This workshop focuses on developing the right positioning statement with the right target audience in mind. The focus of the workshop is entirely centered around your customers, their primary jobs, their pains, needs and wants and how your company can relieve those pains, solve those problems and meet those needs. It will ultimately help you understand your target audience and develop a statement that resonates and speaks to them rather than delivering something that you think sounds good.
Change your mindset – about challenges and problem solving – and about creating something new! Build your creative confidence and learn how to innovate using a proven Design Thinking process using the globally recognized IDEO, Stanford School Design Thinking method.
Interacting with consumers on social media is an important marketing strategy for small businesses. Using social media helps you build brand awareness, increase your customer base, and connect with current customers. Learn how during this informative workshop!
Learn the fundamentals of LinkedIn, the social network for professionals! In this workshop, you will dive into the tools and services that LinkedIn offers to build your online profile. Valuable for employers and employees, this workshop will also give tips on searching for job openings or for talented future employees.
Learn about social innovation and how to start and grow your own social enterprise. Hear about the many social enterprises around Windsor-Essex (you’ll probably be surprised how many we have!) and get to know the Forbes International Top 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs and how they’ve combined purpose and profit.
Mind your manners! This workshop will teach you the proper etiquette and manners to use in a business environment. We’ll cover topics such as, how to give a proper, confident handshake, the differences between casual, business casual and business attire, proper email etiquette and even table manners for those dinner meetings with employers. Yes please!
Learn the how and why of Personal Branding to set you apart from others on social media platforms and how to establish a network of personal and business connections to help you and your business soar!
In this stream, participants will take their business idea to the next level and lay it out in a Business Model Canvas (BMC) as well as a Business Plan. They will start with 2 mandatory workshops and will receive two, one-on-one mentor/coaching sessions. Upon completion of presenting their plan in front of their cohort, they will receive badge #2 and can move to the next level of the program.
In this workshop, we will do a deep dive on the business model canvas to help you flesh out your ideas by mapping your customer segments and value propositions you offer, the channels you will use to reach your customers, the relationships you will maintain with them, the key resources, activities and partners you will need to deliver on your plan along with the cost and revenue generation models. We will also use the value proposition canvas to ensure we are creating compelling products or services that match our customer’s needs and desires.
In this stream, participants will learn how to properly present their business or idea. They will attend three workshops and two mentor/coaching sessions before competing against their cohort in a Pitch Competition, where they will be eligible to receive prize money to be used towards their start-up.
This will also lead to a natural progression to present at the Ford-Innovation Showcase held annually in May where our students can showcase their innovative ideas to industry leaders.
After completion of the Pitch Competition, they will receive badge #3 and can move into the Innovation Hub stream or a referral into our regional entrepreneurial ecosystem (ie: WE-Tech Alliance, Small Business Entrepreneurship Centre, Invest WindsorEssex) and/or to launch and scale their start-up.
Do you want to learn tips and tricks to help expand your marketing skills? Learn how to create logos, PowerPoint Presentations, build social media graphics, banners, etc. Join us to learn all about the basics of Canva, a free online marketing tool that will help you grow your business!
Learn to create persuasive presentation decks to grow your business, tell your story and effectively sell your vision. Half the battle creating a pitch is the overall look and feel of the presentation – preparing to impress your investors and captivating their attention every slide of the way! Design a custom pitch deck in PowerPoint and optimize your presentation.
An elevator pitch is a brief introduction of yourself and what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator. With this workshop you will be taught how to introduce yourself, business idea or your product with while leaving a lasting impact on those you meet.
If you want to become confident in how you deliver yourself, then this workshop is for YOU!
Upon completion of the main program, participants will have the opportunity to transition into our 3-month incubation program where they can foster and develop their ideas further in one of our innovation centres, namely the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, Centre for Automobility Technologies, and Centre for Community Health and Wellness.