Innovate Calgary’s Social Innovation Hub announced this week that it is preparing to release a report on the region’s startup ecosystem later this month.
The SIH believes Calgary “is at a pivotal moment in its growth,” and that the city must “make data-driven, steadfast decisions to unlock a prosperous future for everyone.”
As Calgary’s startup ecosystem is approaches $3 billion in value, SIH supports “new, unexpected solutions.”
Collaborating with founders, nonprofits, and researchers, SIH operates out of the University of Calgary “to help these solutions grow.”
On March 20, the organization intends to publish a report that highlights innovators shaping Calgary’s future—”people who are solving real problems and making lasting difference.”
Brewing since 2021, the launch of Innovate Calgary’s Social Innovation Hub was formalized in 2023.
The Hub aims to foster innovation through a range of programs and resources including mentorship, workshops, events, and access to funding.
Programs under the SIH banner include the Artist-in-Residence initiative “designed to explore the intersection of art and entrepreneurship.”
Also out of uCalgary is the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, established in 2017. This component of uCalgary is “dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial thinking and innovation,” according to an official history of the organization.
In pursuit of this goal there is, for example, the Innovation Sandbox, a physical amenity that supplements the Hub’s various programs. Located on the 4th floor of the Hunter Student Commons, the Innovation Sandbox provides a “dedicated co-working environment tailored for entrepreneurial ventures.” The space includes work stations, meeting rooms, quiet zones, and a communal kitchen to stay fuelled.
Programs include Launchpad, a six-month co-curricular program aimed at building entrepreneurial thinking skills in students and researchers from every faculty at the University of Calgary, and The Summer Accelerator, which is designed to help promising startups in the UCalgary community continue to build and develop their startup.
Innovate Calgary was founded in 1986 to support the University of Calgary’s innovation community.
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