We’re very excited to share with you the launch of our brand new Compass! Run in partnership with SFU’s incubator, Coast Capital Savings Venture Connection, Compass empowers student Navigators across various faculties whose mission is to promote the entrepreneurial mindset across the university and show the wide range of paths available through entrepreneurship. From the creation of new innovative technologies to change-making in policies and systems, these students trail-blaze the way for their peers and push the perceptions of what entrepreneurship can accomplish.
In exchange for their time, students get to work hand-on to build skills in areas of their interest – all while earning co-curricular credits!
Kim is a compass navigator and she’s excited to share with you all the latest and valuable information about the Chang institution and about entrepreneurship in general! She’s a communication and publishing student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, but originally from Israel. She moved here with her family and little puppy Moana. She’s also a yoga teacher so in her free time she’s busy doing downward facing dog with Moana or being active in any kind of way!
Kaleb is a second-year Sustainable Energy Engineering student at SFU. He chose this major because of his passion for sustainable transportation and the electric vehicle industry. In his free time, you can find him either wakesurfing at Cultus Lake or playing video games with his friends.
He is excited to be a Navigator and to develop his character and learn to show confidence when he is sharing ideas. He also looks forward to connecting with other clubs or groups at SFU to share the importance of the entrepreneurial mindset.
Navi is a 3rd year Sustainable Energy Engineering student. She is interested in district energy and sustainable energy solutions for buildings. She decided to become a Navigator not just because it’s part of her name– but through BUS 238 she learned about the many enticing opportunities that business has to offer, regardless of your major or academic background. She wants to be a navigator to allow students to consider a path that they might not have considered before, since there are so many ways to explore the entrepreneurial mindset!
Sajjad is a fourth year student of computing sciences at the Faculty of Applied Science at SFU. He is passionate about the innovative solutions computing sciences could offer to the old problems that society faces. He is also passionate about educating the next generation of youth about computer science as he believes computer science is a must-have tool in the 21st century. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking the gorgeous trails of British Columbia or reading about the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and Buddhism.
Kai is a second-year business student at SFU Beedie. He’s passionate about bringing positive changes to our society through innovative strategies or solutions. He have been involved in several entrepreneurship programs or experiences, such as JABC (Junior Achievement BC), Make Change Studio, and a new start-up company that he is currently working with that aims to solve the food beverage and waste issue. Through those experiences, he has observed the obstacles or challenges that most start-ups will be facing and built a better understanding of how entrepreneurship truly functions in society. As part of the 2021-2022 Compass Program, his goal is to promote the entrepreneurship mindset to all students and gain as many interests as possible.
Student Engagement and Empowerment are among the priorities of the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship. The Compass Program is a dedicated evolving platform for highly engaged students to gain experience, build their skills, and exchange their ideas and actions on an interdisciplinary level. At the same time, these students will be Navigators (Ambassadors) for the Institute and will act as role models and amplifiers of the Institute’s vision.
The Navigator team is expected to meet on a weekly basis to discuss updates and progress on projects, promotions, and engagement activities.
The Navigators are expected to oversee their own time and availability to deliver on classroom presentations, club collaborations, student engagement, event attendance, and team meetings.
Weekly: 10-12 hrs/week
Timeline: *Sept ‘21 – Aug ‘22 (academic calendar)
Location: Primarily virtual/online, with gradual safe integration of in-person participation.
*Onboarding for this year will occur approximately 2-4 weeks prior to September 2021.
We are looking for students who have:
The role includes but is not limited to exclusively the following:
*Applications are currently closed and will open july 5th 2021
My name is Emma Hannaford, a second year Sustainable Energy Engineering student. My passion for providing remote communities with access to clean energy through independent power projects is something I want to explore further with this degree. In terms of the Compass Program, I’m excited to share my experiences, help student led teams attain the resources they need, and organize events to help inspire my peers.
I am a photographer and designer who loves telling stories and sharing experiences through creative means. I started my company before entering university as a “side hustle”. Naturally, I decided to take a few business classes and became drawn to entrepreneurship and innovation. It widened my perspective and allowed me to think about aspects of business that I never would have thought of before. There are also countless opportunities to apply my learnings right away which challenged the way that I think and has provided an entrepreneurial mindset that has proved to be valuable for many aspects of my life.
Hi! My name is Emily Lam (she/her), and I’m excited to be a Navigator this year through the Compass Program! Besides being a 3rd year Health Sciences (PQH) and Business student at SFU, I’m a serial multitasker, aggressively caring individual and the type of person who laughs before the joke is told. I’m interested in stigma reduction and trauma-informed practice and how that can help us work towards healthier and more equitable communities.
I love eating food (there is no such thing as a bad chocolate chip cookie), listening/living to music, going on runs, watching the sun set, and telling random, but very relevant stories to anyone who will listen. Being involved in entrepreneurship and innovation as a student, a teaching assistant, and a co-director of a social enterprise that tackles food waste has shown me that an entrepreneurial mindset is important across every discipline, but most importantly, to build up our communities. Find me on LinkedIn!
My name is Theresa Doan. I am studying Sustainable Business, a joint program between business and environmental science- two naturally opposing fields. Business courses focus on maximizing profit. In contrast, environment courses teach about prioritizing sustainability over profits. Because of this and my passion for seeking sustainable changes in our society, my studies have made me strive to find innovative solutions to these two contradicting industries.
I am continually thinking about ways to generate profits for businesses while also considering the company’s environmental impact and overall sustainability. Having an open and entrepreneurial mindset helps me find creative and innovative pathways that bring me closer to realistic solutions to the problems I see. I am very passionate about sustainability and fighting social injustices that I hope to work for or create an organization that aims to help those who don’t have the means to help themselves. If I’m not in class or seeing my friends, you can either find me watching the newest movie/show on Netflix or scrolling through my phone, learning about the latest social media trends.
I’m Lucy Lei, a 5th-year Environmental Science student that’s passionate for entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management. Over five years of experience with transforming ideas into reality enables me to provide insights and creative strategies for building strong organizations, businesses, and public relations.
Personal development and human relationships are at the core of my learnings and have inspired me to explore fields beyond scientific lab work and fieldwork. Therefore, as I uncovered my new passions, the Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Technology Entrepreneurship programs seems like the perfect fit following my Bachelor of Science. My other hobbies and interests include travelling around countries, practicing dance, or trying new food places. Say hi! I’m always open to meeting new people or catching up.
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