Call for Applications: NEW - Idea to Impact Training Program Fall 2026

McGill graduate students, do you have promising research or idea to solve real-world problems? Consider applying as a team or individual to our Idea to Impact training program (I-to-I) to advance yo

Application Deadline: Idea to Impact Training Program Fall 2026

You do not need to have a project idea or research results to apply. You may either join a project, or you develop a project early on in the program.

Pre-Startup Skills: Workshop #2 - Startup Law 101

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 important considerations such as incorporation, governance, fundraising, and selecting the ideal legal structure.         

Pre-Startup Skills: Workshop #3 - Introduction to Industry Analysis

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 to during an exercise.

Pre-Startup Skills: Workshop #4 - Foundations of IP and Patent Searching

This workshop will demystify and explain the various form of intellectual property (IP), namely, patents, industrial designs, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets. We will then do some actual patent searching using the DERWENT worldwide patent database. 

Pre-Startup Skills: Workshop #5 - Market Research and Analysis of Competition

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 new market research canvas tool.

Pre-Startup Skills: Workshop #6 - Customer Discovery

This workshop will provide an overview on the customer discovery process and then delve deeper into how to conduct customer interviews and how to iterate on your business model canvas.

Date: Oct. 21st, 2026 Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm Location: in-person @ Engine Seminar Room - FDA 3 (Accessibility Map)