Startup 101 Bootcamp

Startup 101 Bootcamp took place on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 and was delivered in three parts. This program introduced U of R students, postdocs and faculty to the world of entrepreneurship and startups, while bringing the Saskatchewan ecosystem into the University. The first two sessions involved panel sessions with Q&As as well as interactive and entertaining group learning sessions. The final part was a pitch competition with cash prizes and mentorship was provided along the way from Startup TNT.

Winner:

• EcoFlex+ presented by Aaron Gerein, Samuel Oyedemi and Dr. Denise Stilling
  • Making trusted alternatives to single-use plastics

2nd Place:

• Aureus Pharmaceuticals presented by Joshua Adams and Colin Rieger 
  • Developing new solutions to combat antibiotic resistance

3rd Place:

• Health Link Direct presented by Trevor Tessier 
  • Creating an AI tool to better understand illnesses

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, innovation or startups, this program is for you!

Startup 101 Bootcamp took place on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 and was delivered in three parts. This program introduced U of R students, postdocs and faculty to the world of entrepreneurship and startups, while bringing the Saskatchewan ecosystem into the University.

The first two sessions involved introductory and exploratory learning of entrepreneurship that was open to anyone to participate!
Day 1:

• Taiwo Afolabi & Olusola John, PhD (The Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre Theatre)
• Kalen Leflar (Cultivator powered by Conexus)
• Harrison Lars-Hansen (Conexus Venture Capital)
• Dr. Emily Duncan
• Open Path Partners
• Veronica Santafe T., PhD
• Hassan Naqvi (Startup TNT)

Day 2:

• Joe Gill (McKercher LLP)
• Mike Wolsfeld (Startup TNT)
• Josh Stewart-Van Dusen (Tandem X Visuals)
• Keynote from University of Regina Alumni, Werner Biegler

The third and final day, our driven individuals presented their startup ideas in a compelling pitch to a panel of industry judges, showcasing their creativity, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit. With $10,000 in prizes* up for grabs, the stakes were high, and the energy was electric! Thank you to our judges: Michael Tate from the Regina & District Chamber of Commerce, Taiwo Afolabi from the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre, Divyesh Patel from Ground Truth Agriculture Inc., and Laura Mock, from the Cultivator.

Winner ($5,000):

• Chimly
  
  • Daniel Opata and Widom Igho

2nd Place ($3,000):

• FlashCall
  
  • Tu Anh Tran, Satyam Singh, Sathyajit Lohanathan, and Bernadette George

3rd Place ($1,000):

• Velorisce
  
  • Moluno Desire and Pureheart Moluno

People's Choice ($1,000):

• Xplore Genie
  
  • Md Khaled Hossain, Eftakharul Alam Bhuiya, and Md Moman Ul Haque Khan

“Opportunities like GATE ignites a beacon of hope for entrepreneurs. It’s a testament that startups, steered by students and recent graduates like me, can discover a supportive community and vital resources to transform our future visions into reality.” David Akinmade, JoyFuel Founder

“My experience as an entrepreneur has been relatively limited but thanks to GATE and the startup bootcamp I have had my first introduction into being an entrepreneur. GATE has provided me with support in the application of provisional patents for my research and has given me an introduction into the entrepreneurial world.” Trevor Tessier, BDM Healthware