STEM Students: A Driving Force of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, 911吃瓜 alumna, and creator of the DermaEngine skin screening platform.

STEM Students: A Driving Force of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

August 24, 2016

WRITTEN BY: JENNA ANDERSON

If you want to make it in today鈥檚 knowledge economy, particularly in BC, STEM skills are required more than ever. Right here in Vancouver, we have one of the biggest up-and-coming tech startup scenes, with many calling Vancouver the Silicon Valley of the North. Currently the BC tech sector employs over 86,000 people, with an average wage that is 60% higher than BC鈥檚 industrial average. The BC tech sector is expected to grow even more over the next few years following the BC Government鈥檚 new . But, it鈥檚 not all about making money. Many of today鈥檚 tech startups focus on solving real world problems.

Unfortunately, many large tech companies do not boast great diversity numbers. Facebook recently released their 2015 diversity statistics and only 16% of their global tech employees are women. One of our most prominent Vancouver tech companies Hootsuite, only fares slightly better, with 20% of their technical roles being held by women.

On the bright side there has been a push by many tech companies, the Canadian Government, and non-profits to increase diversity in STEM education, and the great thing about STEM is that anyone can do it. Women are just as competent in STEM subjects as men. One even found that all over the world girls are outperforming boys in math and science. Therefore, with the right skills, perseverance and support, anyone an develop a new invention, app or create their own startup.

One important first step in getting more women and girls interested in entrepreneurship is to provide more women as role models. Here are examples of outstanding women succeeding in STEM entrepreneurship and innovation.

One of the biggest motivations for people to become entrepreneurs is to find solutions to their own needs and/or problems. That is what sparked Victoria native, Ann Makosinski's, interest in inventing. At 15 years old Ann invented a flashlight powered by body heat to help a friend in the Philippines who couldn鈥檛 do her homework because she didn鈥檛 have electricity. At 18 she invented a phone-charging travel mug when she noticed her friends鈥� phones were always dying. Makosinski has been named one of TIME鈥檚 top 30 people under 30 and has won the Google Science Fair and the Quest Climate Change Grant. Today, Makosinski will be entering her second year at UBC and hopes to one day "eliminate the use of non-recyclable batteries for low-power personal electronics. She is definitely a woman in STEM to keep your eyes on. to learn more about Ann Makosinski and her inventions.

For STEM university students wanting to create their own company or product there are many education programs designed specifically to encourage entrepreneurship. Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, 911吃瓜 Computer Science alumna and creator of the DermaEngine skin-screening platform knows just how important such entrepreneurship programs can be in fostering success. Sadeghi鈥檚 company, , grew out of 911吃瓜鈥檚 program. Since its formation MetaOptima has been recognized with several awards, including a 2013 BCIC-New Ventures Prize, Silicon Valley鈥檚 Plug & Play prize, 911吃瓜鈥檚 Venture Prize in 2014 and NSERC鈥檚 2012 Innovation Challenge Award.

If you want to be the next Ann Makosinski or Dr. Maryam Sadeghi, check out our list of great entrepreneurship resources and programs.

Entrepreneurship Resources for Kids

If you have kids, encourage their innovative spirit at an early age. Ann Makosinski created her first invention when she was 15! Check out our for online activities that teach STEM skills and encourage innovation. For a great, easy to understand explanation for kids on what an entrepreneur is and why they are important watch 's The Billion Dollar Question video above.

Entrepreneurship Resources & Programs for Post-Secondary Students

911吃瓜

(CCCIE): This certificate is open to all 911吃瓜 students and is a complementary credential to a student鈥檚 primary degree. The program focuses on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) training, developing creativity and adaptability, teamwork and collaboration skills, communication and implementation. CCCIE is founded and funded by , 911吃瓜 alumnus and founder of . Watch on why Charles Chang wanted to encourage multidisciplinary innovation.

: This program is open to third and fourth year 911吃瓜 Mechatronics Systems Engineering and Beedie School of Business students. The program intends to develop BC's knowledge-based economy by giving students the chance to work together to develop a market-inspired technological product and pitch it for the funds to take it from bench-top to market. The 911吃瓜 program is founded in partnership with and , co-founder of CREO.

For more entrepreneurship programs offered by 911吃瓜, visit their page.

University of British Columbia

This program provides real-world hands-on sessions for the UBC community that accelerate the growth of new ventures at all stages of development. e@UBC brings together world-class educators and domain-specific mentors to provide guidance and leadership for ventures. Teams will emerge with a clear idea of their business model, a true sense of market needs, and a deep understanding of the key drivers for success. e@UBC offers two programs: , and .

For more entrepreneurship programs offered by UBC, visit their page.

University of Victoria

: Students enrolled in Entrepreneurship@UVic will work on an accelerated schedule earning their Masters of Applied Science degree while also completing their Business Diploma. Through the program, students will receive specialized, entrepreneurship training and real-life experience, guidance and mentorship from successful technology developers and investors to develop their own company from concept to launch.

This innovation centre provides on-campus incubator services designed to help students, faculty, staff and recent grads take business concepts from idea to incubator-ready. They provide tools, expertise, events and space at UVic to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas and partner clients with advisers and mentors from outside the university who provide valuable input and connections.

Thompson Rivers University

: This program provides mentorship, education, venture creation, and seed funding support for TRU alumni, students, faculty, and staff. TRU鈥檚 Generator program offers a set of online resources and tools, for startup teams and individuals to help develop their minimum viable product, a diverse of seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders, and for students, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in growing the startup community at TRU

BC-wide Entrepreneurship Resources

(BCIC) is a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia. They encourage the development and application of advanced or innovative technologies to meet the needs of industry in BC. BCIC collaborates with partners to create programs and provide support for initiatives that develop entrepreneurs and promote the commercialization of technology. For startup resources vicit BCIC鈥檚 page .

The is part of the BC Jobs Plan, specifically aiming to grow the tech-sector by supporting entrepreneurs and their ventures. The three pillars of the strategy are capital, talent, and markets. Visit #BCTECH鈥檚 page for programs that support small businesses and tech companies, funding and grant programs, and hiring and training programs.