Programs for Impact Entrepreneurship: SDG Innovation Lab – Sustainability Innovation Institute

A keystone series of experiential programming to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills and motivation to take action towards the SDGs through social and impact entrepreneurship.

Module 1 – Sustainability Series (4 Workshops)

  • 4 workshops where participants:
    • Learn about the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as overarching objectives for the world
    • Learn about specific actions that individuals and different stakeholder groups can do to mobilize sustainability
    • Learn how the economy and environmental sustainability can co-exist and net zero and circular economy efforts being realized
    • Learn and explore the ESG (environmental, social & governance) journey of a small to medium enterprise!
  • Leadership Passport eligible activity.

Module 2 – SDG Weekend Challenge (Global Goals Jam)

Marco van Hout, co-founder of Global Goals Jam, shares what makes the Global Goals Jam Canada at the SDG Innovation Lab special and unique.

  • An intense, hands-on, team-oriented and thoughtfully mentored weekend program, during which participants  work together to identify the root problem and explore solutions using human-centered design and lean methodology
  • Participants pitch to an expert judging panel and winners receive awards
  • Activity is eligible for the Centennial College Leadership Passport
  • Global Goals Jam Canada is held every Fall and Winter semester. Our next Global Goals Jam will be on March 8th – 10th weekend – click HERE for more details and to register!

Module 3 – Tech for SDGs Bootcamp / Hackathon

  • An intense, hands-on, team-oriented and thoughtfully mentored weekend program during which participants work together with engineers and developers to build and pitch strategies and digital solutions for an originally- or collaboratively-hatched idea focusing on SDG solutions. 
  • Expert judging panel selects winning pitches receiving awards.

Module 4 – Build Your Venture (Incubation Experience)

  • A 10- to 12-week program to collaborate and build solutions to pressing social or business challenges and invoke the participation of students, entrepreneurs, designers, creative thinkers and the community
  • The program uses the Lean LaunchPad® developed by Steve Blank in 2011, introduced at Stanford University, Columbia Business School and UC Berkeley and currently taught in more than 200 universities worldwide
  • The method is core to the U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program, which is the standard for commercializing science in the U.S. and applied in a variety of sectors, including non-commercial areas such as Hacking for Defense and for Diplomacy
  • Participants validate that they have created a repeatable, scalable business model through the combination of experiential learning with the three building blocks of a successful lean startup:
    • Alexander Osterwalder’s Business Model Canvas, 
    • Blank’s customer development model and 
    • Agile engineering.
  • The Incubation Experience program is held every Fall and Winter semester; details for the next program in April 2024 can be found here.

Module 5 – Make Your Venture Investment Ready

  • The program involves:
    • Mentoring, advisory, and lending program for underserved social enterprises with growth potential
    • Support and partnerships planned to operationalize the program
  • This is a custom program – please contact us to express your interest!