How Hunter Hub’s Launchpad program has become the ultimate entrepreneurial pursuit

When innovative University of Calgary students enter the Launchpad program, they are starting with a simple entrepreneurial idea. 

Whether it’s a finding a better way to manage pulmonary disease, inventing a pocket-sized electric skate, creating a tool to monitor seed quality, or countless other innovations, one thing they have in common is they’re all looking to drive change in the world.

Hundreds of students have made their way through the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking’s flagship program since its inception in 2019. Through workshops, mentoring, coaching, prototype funding and more, they all work towards the end goal of participating in the Launchpad Liftoff Pitch Competition. 

This has given students tools that they will use for the rest of their professional lives, including the innovative thinking, teamwork and resiliency needed to become impactful leaders in the future.

Humble beginnings

Initially developed in 2021 as a partnership with the Schulich School of Engineering, the eight-week program was designed to help engineering students develop their business acumen. It quickly grew into a six-month co-curricular experience that’s now open to everyone at UCalgary.

“Launchpad is our flagship program for a reason,” says Hunter Hub Executive Director Guy Levesque. “Entrepreneurial thinking is about solving problems. Here at the Hub, we have a growing community of people who want to make the world a better place, whether they start a business or not. Launchpad is a vehicle for changemakers looking to make a difference.”

In the program’s first year, the Liftoff pitch competition also launched, with eight teams vying for a $5,000 in prizes, showcasing their ideas in front of a live audience and panel of judges.

A tool called yOil, for farmers monitoring seed quality before harvest, captured first place in the inaugural event.

A life-changing experience

Each year, the level of creativity and technical knowledge on display at Liftoff continue to amaze.

“It’s been really good to actually see what we’re capable of designing, and also learn more about how my creativity works,” says Kyle Wu, BSc (Eng)’23, one of the members of 2023's first-place winners, Autosoles. The team of four Schulich students developed a foldable, pocket-sized electric skate for shoes.

“What engineering has taught us is how to have a goal, really pursue that goal, and not stop until you achieve that goal,” adds teammate Hady Ahmed, BSc (Eng)’23. “That’s what entrepreneurship is all about.”

The number of teams participating in Launchpad has grown to 62, with many taking a multidisciplinary approach to entrepreneurial thinking. 

“It’s been fun to merge industries and thinking styles,” says Caitlin Calder-Bellamy, BHSc’22, MMgmt’24, of the RespiraLink team in 2024, which developed a device to help patients manage a form of pulmonary disease. 

“Coming from a science background, you’re taught a specific scientific method to go into your thought process. To come here and have an opportunity to add business to that flexes a new muscle that is beneficial for all of us.”

Impact in the community

Launchpad serves as a strong example of UCalgary’s Start something theme.

Fay Qian, MBA’19, first joined the Hunter Hub as a venture programs specialist and has since served in a variety of roles since Launchpad’s inception including judge and mentor.

She says the program and the Liftoff competition allows students to take lessons they learn in the classroom and apply them beyond campus.

“It’s not about taking shortcuts and making fast money,” Qian says. “It’s about breaking down roadblocks for students and building up a mindset and the critical thinking needed to be an entrepreneur.”

She now serves on the UCalgary Alumni Board of Directors and says the community understands the benefits of the program, especially in a city that has a “culture of doing.”

Looking ahead to the next 60 years, Qian hopes to see the program sewn even deeper into UCalgary’s fabric.

“It should just be part of the normal, day-to-day life and a part of the journey for every student in the university,” she says. “Imagine if it was something you don’t sign up for but it’s just part of the curriculum for every student.”

Applications for the program open in September, with the next cohort of students looking to turn their big ideas into dream ventures set to start their Launchpad journeys in October.