More than one third of alumni from Carleton’s Technology Innovation Management (TIM) program graduate with a degree in one hand and a new technology business in the other.
Current TIM student Ronald Eduardo Amelunge Antelo says: “There is no program out there like the TIM program. It is always teaching based on the latest research and the program pushes you, promotes you and guides you towards being successful at launching your business, or managing technology firms.”
Amelunge says that one of the avenues that was presented to him, as part of the TIM program, was to join the Carleton Entrepreneurs (CE) program. This is a unique program that provides mentorship and feedback to help student entrepreneurs who are working on innovative projects across all faculties. Experienced mentors and reviewers help students transform their ideas into compelling business opportunities and successful ventures.
Amelunge is pleased that the CE program has provided him with office space, connection with the Invest Ottawa team, and other networking opportunities, as well as helping him create his newest business Nearest.com.
Amelunge explains that Nearest.com connects students, business and consumers in a way that helps students fund their education. “Local consumers will come to our site to find great deals offered by socially conscious local businesses that have sponsored a student. The students then promote these businesses and their deals using our site and their social networks to fund their education. Students earn money for every business that sponsors them and every deal voucher that they sell; consumers save money supporting socially conscious local businesses; and businesses promote themselves in a cost effective way to reach neighborhood consumers. Everybody wins.”
Amelunge says, after he graduates, he will continue working on his projects, while focusing on changing the business model to support a sustainable and socially conscious model. Longer term, he plans on returning to Bolivia to bring new technologies and create new technology businesses to his home country.
Grad students, from all disciplines, interested in finding out more about Carleton Entrepreneurs can apply by going to this website: http://ventures.carleton.ca/. You will need to register by clicking on “Register” at the right side at the top of the page.
With more than $5 million from various funding and university-driven activities invested in entrepreneurship activities, Carleton has helped spin off more than 150 different businesses since 2009.
