The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking provides a space for innovators across campus
By Julianna Keskic, August 7 2024—
The Hunter Hub is located on the fourth floor of the Hunter Student Commons Building and was founded in 2017. It offers a variety of events and programs designed to promote entrepreneurial thinking. While the Hub hosts events open to all students, it primarily operates on a membership basis.
When joining the Hunter Hub of Entrepreneurial Thinking as a member, you have access to many services and amenities. This includes priority access to Hunter Hub events, access to versatile workspaces, a kitchen and coffee bar, quiet zones as well as meeting rooms.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, Ricky Lam, the Hunter Hub marketing and communications manager, gave an overview of the Hub, detailing its programs and events available to University of Calgary students.
Lam describes the two main programs offered through the Hub. He discusses what each program offers and it strives to achieve. The first program Lam overviews is called LaunchPad, a six month intensive course on entrepreneurship.
“One of the flagship programs of the Hunter Hub is called LaunchPad. This course is for people who want to work on something like a startup but are unsure where to begin, or maybe they have an idea but don’t know the next step. Through Launchpad, participants will build key entrepreneurial thinking skills, as well as bolster their resumes and early work experience,” said Lam.
The second course Lam highlights is called the Summer Accelerator program. This program is geared towards individuals who are already establishing a startup and are looking for more resources and support while in the early stages.
“The Hunter Hub also offers a summer accelerater course designed to help promising startups in the UCalgary community continue to build and develop their startup,” Lam explained. “This program is designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs. The objective for this program is for startups to validate their business as viable and be able to definitively make the go or no go decision to continue with their venture.”
Lam emphasized that the Hunter Hub strives to support anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, and overall seeks to support the U of C as it strives to create entrepreneurial minds and maintain its spot as the number one startup creator in Canada.
“Having entrepreneurial thinking and skills puts you a cut above the rest. [Through the Hub] you learn things like creative product solving, working with confining resources and many other frameworks that entrepreneurs think about and work within. The type of skills we impart through our programs is knowledge employers look for as well,” said Lam.
The Hunter Hub Launchpad course starts in September. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit their website.