Founders Fundamentals
An intro to the start-up method
What is Founders Fundamentals?
Founders Fundamentals engages and inspires youth to bring their innovative ideas to life. With a focus on the early stage innovation cycle and developing entrepreneurial skills & practices, youth will grow their start-up, and/or be ready to advance to next program stages.
This 7-week online workshops series is an intro to the start-up method with customer & process focused weekly activities, resources & business documents, and conversations & coaching with founders & start-up organizations.
It is designed to encourage diverse and creative start-up ideas, and support manageable ‘next steps’ action.
Youth (ages 18-30) will develop their start-up ideas and learn ‘how to’ entrepreneurial practices, including customer discovery practices and supply chain management.
They will explore start-up topics through weekly 1 hour online workshops and independent activities that combine entrepreneurial concepts & methodologies and practical & actionable tasks, as well as receive insights and feedback from founders from a variety of Alberta-based companies & programs. To support their next steps, micro-grants and prizes are available to further develop their start-up.
Why do Founders Fundamentals?
Job and career opportunities for youth have drastically changed and our Alberta economy has been impacted like never before. Broadening our knowledge & skills, developing new ideas and creating opportunities – like start-ups and businesses – are essential. Together, we can make an impact and grow a diverse & inclusive community that not only brings benefits now, but into our future.
With Founders Fundamentals, you will develop your start-up idea and hone your founder skills through:
- Conversations & coaching with founders & start-up organizations
- Customer and process focussed weekly activities
- Resources and business templates & documents
- Development of your entrepreneurial & innovation mindset
- Expansion of your network within Alberta’s entrepreneurial & innovation community
- Micro-grants for further idea development, upon workshop series completion
We are here to support you each step of the way by:
- Connecting you with founders and entrepreneurial experts
- Providing key idea development information and frameworks, as well as mentoring
- Introducing tangible entrepreneurial skills, and opportunities to discuss and develop them in a manageable, realistic way
- Offering support and community to explore your next steps
- Sharing resources and activities developed by industry experts and MindFuel education specialists
- Hosting a product/service showcase with opportunities to gain feedback and win micro-grants & prizes
Interested in the Start-up life?
Ready to take your start-up idea to the next level?
Be part of Founders Fundamentals – a 7 week intro to the start-up method series.
As a weekly 1-hour conversation-based learning sessions, this online collision space is a must for entrepreneurs, inventors & creatives, in the early stages of their start-up journey.
Diverse & creative perspectives are encouraged, and start-up/business ideas at any stage welcome – there is no workshop fee or financial obligation.
Our Fall 2023 sessions start October 11th.
Fall Session - October 11 - November 29, 2023
An ‘intro to the start-up method’ workshop series
Focus on your idea:
- Explore & do the customer discovery process
- Develop efficient product/service processes
Learn from founders & start-up organizations:
- Receive practical advise & strategies
- Participate in conversations and mentoring
Prepare for next steps:
- Build connections & supports within Alberta’s entrepreneurial community
- Celebrate product/service work developed at the showcase
- Decide how to develop your idea further and/or pivot with support from micro-grants
Prerequisite: to be 18 – 30 years old, living in Alberta, studying or working or in-between, and ready to take next steps with your start-up idea
Commitment: participating in weekly conversation-based learning workshops, completing weekly independent start-up focussed activities, having two mentoring sessions with a founder; and presenting a short start-up pitch at the showcase.
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What our participants say:
“The content helped me organize my thoughts. and start. In addition, the advice and guidance from the team allowed me to better understand my own idea and move it in the right direction.”
“Really helped me get a jumpstart into the world of startups and how I can help my team work towards getting the product we are developing in the lab into the community.“
“I am very grateful to Micah and Sabina because they kept me engaged with all the sessions and I really felt the growth of my start-up in seven weeks.”
“An inspirational experience, the program helped feel supported and encouraged. Having the opportunity to connect with more experienced mentors helped troubleshoot challenges.”