In just one month after launching a new, intensified version of the QYourVenture program, DDQIC on-boarded 9 new ventures to the program, with 2 more in the application phase. DDQIC is supporting a total of 27 ventures in the QYourVenture program which provides year-round training, mentorship, co-working space, and small grants to ventures at Queen’s and in the Kingston community. From a marketplace connecting seniors to in-home caregivers and an accessibility consultancy, to exotic wood handicrafts and algae-infused food products, the ventures are diverse. DDQIC revised the curriculum for the QYourVenture program and includes a Disciplined Entrepreneurship program from MIT with workshops developed by DDQIC in Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, and the Circular Economy. The new structure will have the founders complete the DE Toolbox online, attend in-person workshops and coaching sessions, and deliver bi-weekly update pitches to their peers, increasing accountability and fostering interdependence between founders in the program. Founders will be able to unlock more resources as they progress on milestones with their ventures.
