AFTER THE FINAL SCENE OF 2016-17 HAD BEEN PUBLISHED …
A new chapter has opened for the St. Clair College Genesis Centre.
The College has teamed with the University of Windsor’s EPICentre to form what will now be known as the “Epic Genesis Centre”.
New and improved services will be offered to students in the entrepreneurial space, giving them both a hands-on perspective as well as the theory behind it.
St. Clair’s Vice-President of Academics, Waseem Habash, said it’s all about maximizing opportunities: “We’re combining resources, faculty and, of course, students. The university students, they have the theory, and the college students would have more of the applied techniques. When we talk to employers they say, ‘If you could give me that student that has both, that’s my ideal student – and employee’, and that’s what we’re trying to do here”.
Provost and Vice-President of Academics at the university, Douglas Kneale, added that this partnership is a first of its kind: “This will be an incubator. It’s something new. It’s unique. It’s going to help the city and the region. It’s going to have an economic impact with new start-up companies which will, in turn, create new jobs.”
St. Clair student Ryan Nantais said his “Chance Coffee” company never would have become a reality without the help of the Genesis Centre. “They made me realize the ideas I had were actually achievable. The college and the university working together is only going to help open doors for students in the future - more resources to work with, and more people to talk to and connect with.” (Chance Coffee roasts micro-batch specialty coffees with a goal of worldwide wholesale distribution.)
Aurora Fowler’s “Toure” company features locally made, fair trade, eco-friendly and affordable yoga bags. She says that, while she’s still in the prototype phases, it was the direction she received at the Genesis Centre that helped materialize her ideas. “The Genesis Centre has been extremely instrumental. The staff give me benchmarks and keep me on the right track. There are steps, there’s progress, and I feel really good about the whole thing”.
The new partnership was launched in the spring, with the university providing the staff to run the centre. Former St. Clair employees will remain on board as well.
“Entrepreneurship often involves the collaboration of specialists, and that is certainly reflected in this development," said St. Clair President Patti France. "The opportunity for our students to work with the students and staff of the university – and their students and staff to work with the college's – means that entrepreneurs will have access to the cutting-edge expertise of both institutions. When both schools share the ultimate goal of providing tools for student success, why duplicate efforts in this field? The university was well positioned to be the lead agency in this particular partnership, and we'll continue to explore other opportunities to jointly assist the students of both institutions.”
EPICentre is the entrepreneurial hub at the University of Windsor created to encourage entrepreneurship on campus, and to support students and graduates interested in launching their own businesses. It hosts more than 100 programs and activities each year.
"The University of Windsor is looking forwarding to strengthening its collaborative relationship with St. Clair College and furthering opportunities for entrepreneurship in our region,” said University President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Wildeman. “St. Clair College faculty, students and alumni will add a new dimension to the innovative activities taking place in EPICentre, and expand opportunities to all postsecondary students and graduates in our region.”
EPICentre will now have three physical locations. At the University of Windsor, EPIC Innovation in the Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre provides incubation and co-working space, and the EPIC Industrial Hub in the Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI) provides equipment and incubation space for start-ups and collaboration space for industry.
At St. Clair, EPIC Genesis will continue to provide part-time co-working and event space. Facilities and programs offered at any EPICentre location can be accessed by postsecondary students and recent alumni of either institution.
For more information, visit its website on www.epicentreuwindsor.ca.
