This workshop will provide an overview of what technological innovation is and what entrepreneurship is, as well an overview of the Entrepreneurial Mindset, the Lean Launchpad methodology, the Business Model Canvas and the Lean Canvas.
Thursday, September 3, 2026 16:00to17:30
Thursday, September 24, 2026 16:00to17:30
Led by a team of caseworkers from Compass Startup Legal Clinic, this workshop provides startup founders with a clear path through the legal landscape, offering insight on issues such as incorporation, governance, fundraising, and selecting the ideal legal structure.
Thursday, October 1, 2026 16:00to17:30
This workshop will provide an overview of the different types of market research, how to analyze the competition, and the resources available at McGill to perform market research. Our market research librarian will walk us through some of those resources using a market research canvas tool.
Thursday, October 8, 2026 16:00to17:30
This workshop will introduce the fundamental tool of Industry Analysis which companies use for strategy development. For startups, understanding the industry is a critical step in determining market entry and market positioning. The Five Forces Framework will be presented and applied during an exercise.
Learning outcomes:
- Explain the impact of an industry from a startup’s perspective.
- Apply the Five Forces Model.
- Develop strategies to perform your industry analysis.
Thursday, November 19, 2026 16:00to17:30
In this workshop, you'll learn how venture capitalists (VCs) typically value an early-stage innovation-driven venture. To do that we'll go through and give examples on how to forecast sales and how to set pricing, how to forecast expenses and how to figure out the amount of capital needed to finance your business. We'll also explore some of the more common sources of cash from both public institutions and private organisations.
Thursday, December 3, 2026 16:00to17:30
Now that you have a grasp on how much money you need, this workshop will focus on the "deal". You'll learn what a venture capital fund is, its structure and how they operate, and what venture capitalists (VCs) look for in an early-stage innovation-driven venture. You'll also learn about the typical elements of a term sheet in connection with equity investments and simple agreements for future equity (SAFEs), and caveats when raising money. Finally, we'll explain how a capitalization table works and finish off with a brief overview of minority shareholder rights.