Ivey Entrepreneur Newsletter Winter 2010

Click the image above for a full PDF copy of the Winter 2010 Newsletter.

Institute Buzz
By Stewart Thornhill, Executive Director, Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship

I am consistently impressed and amazed by the capacity of our entrepreneurial students, alumni and supporters to create value not only for the advancement of their own new venture interests, but also in support of the broader community of entrepreneurs across Canada and throughout the world.

In this edition of Ivey Entrepreneur, you’ll read about one group of enterprising students who are raising funds in support of person-to-person micro-lending, and another who are contributing their time and expertise to educate and enable the next generation of entrepreneurs in developing economies. PhD candidate Marlene Le Ber discusses her research on hybrid organizations and how social entrepreneurs are blurring the lines between business and philanthropy. And with sadness and appreciation, our ‘Alumni Spotlight’ illuminates the life and contributions of Teddy Rosenberg, HBA ’73 whose twin passions for entrepreneurship and education contributed immensely to the development of the Institute’s programs and initiatives.

The third week of November 2009 was designated Global Entrepreneurship Week. Hosted in Canada by the Canada Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), the initiative has been adopted in more than 100 countries around the world. Prominent among the activities in Canada were Venture Forums organized by Ivey Alumni Association Chapters in Vancouver and Toronto. I had the privilege of attending both events and I can’t help but be delighted and inspired by what I experienced in BC as well as Ontario.

Despite the geographic distance, the two events had a great deal in common; both featured presentations by entrepreneurs seeking investment capital with which to build their businesses; both were standing room only, indicating the high level of interest and enthusiasm for this type of forum; and both were characterized by high quality pitches and seasoned panellists, backed by the power and energy of the Ivey Alumni Network.

Congratulations and thanks to the organizers in Vancouver and Toronto! I hope we’ll continue to see many more events in the years to come.