This past weekend, I organized the first Innovation Camp for Vancouver’s most passionate student leaders & entrepreneurs from UBC, SFU, & Langara. The party included presidents, execs, & champion members of the following organizations: Enterprize Canada, SIFE SFU, VSEA, SIFE UBC, UBC’s VCPE, Langara Business Association, & SFU’s Venture Networks.
The Background:
Though this is a generalization, too many students are conditioned into a tunnel-visioned focus of sitting behind a desk & getting good grades in university, just so they can land a great job sitting behind a bigger desk & getting paid for it.
Though I’m not against working for other companies (I’ve done so many times), I’d agree with what Michael Cheng said at Innovation Camp this weekend:
“Too many people are working just to sustain their lifestyle, instead of their work driving their lifestyle”
Especially in this down economy, students need to know they can be the ones creating jobs rather than just finding jobs. Brian Wong & his partner-in-crime (co-founder) Lucas Lemanowicz are a great example as they built Aer Marketing during their first few years of university. Brian told me this in a recent chat yesterday:
“Too many people I know are so skilled & talented and have so much potential… but they just go into accounting…”
Not to put down accounting at all! Replace it for engineering, medicine, law, etc… The point, and what Brian and I are seeing, is that too many students are going through the motion of university only to try and find a job rather than finding what they’re truly passionate about
Enter Innovation Camp
This innovation & creativity was what we were trying to foster by partnering with Innovation Camp and hosting an innovation camp for passionate student leaders of entrepreneurial clubs & organizations in Vancouver. We also wanted to create organic synergy, cross-collaboration and brainstorm creative & innovative ways to engage an otherwise entrepreneurship-apathetic student population into creating real spin-off companies.
That happened this last Sunday.
And many clubs were excited to get on board: SFU’s SIFE, UBC’s VESA, UBC’s SIFE, UBC Sauder’s Entrepreneurial Club, UBC’s VCPC, BCIT’s SIFE, Lanagara’s LBA & the Enterprize Organization.
Other clubs were excited but just couldn’t make it out. We’re doing much more & if you’re a passionate student entrepreneur who wants to get involved put your comments here and contact me!
A big thanks to Minna Van @ The Network Hub, Nicole & Mack from Innovation Camp, Wicks Cafe for catering, & finally Panago for delivering amazing pizza.
Jon Chui 
can’t wait for next one !!!