“I’ve already had two companies and failed,” are not the words that you’d expect to come out of the mouth of an undergraduate student. With the constant pressure to hand in essays, finish assignments, and get as close to that 4.0 GPA as you possibly can, starting businesses is not the first thing on a lot of U of T students’ minds. Yet what a lot of Arts & Science undergraduates have not realized is that in the eyes of investors, we are an abundant source of untapped potential.
The Hatchery is hoping to help students not just see but also realize their potential. Founded two and a half years ago, the Hatchery is an initiative that provides resources for undergraduates who possess the spirit of entrepreneurship, aiming to build a strong community for business-minded students from all disciplines.
The Hatchery offers a weekly event, the Idea Market, where prospective student-entrepreneurs can meet to discuss ideas and share skills and experiences with their peers in a creative environment. The first Idea Market was held on September 17 at the Bahen Centre.
Affaf Zahid, a Hatchery Connector, admitted at the event that a large portion of the undergraduate student body remains unaware of the Hatchery’s existence.
“We are trying to make a point that this is accessible, because I am personally an English major and I didn’t know about the Hatchery until I started working here. Most people don’t,” Zahid explained. According to Zahid, a disconnect exists between the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Arts & Science. She believes Arts & Science students are hesitant to get involved due to the Hatchery’s involvement with the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
U of T has many students, especially in programs such as the humanities, who would never consider building or contributing to a successful start-up, due to the mistaken belief that compared to engineering and computer science, their programs of study don’t prepare them for taking on startups. Yet Zahid explained how it is precisely the need for multidisciplinary teams that leads the Hatchery to not just welcome, but actively seek out Arts & Science students.
“We have had a lot of teams with people who were just engineers who had amazing ideas but just did not know how to articulate [them] properly,” said Zahid. Teams with students from a variety of disciplines set the students up for success with well rounded ideas, and better thought-out propositions.
Idea Markets are held every Wednesday at the Bahen Centre all year long, so as to help any and all students who have a bright idea mingle, connect, and form teams to kick start a business plan as soon as possible.
