Certificate Program

Entrepreneurship Essentials

Applications are currently closed.

Program Dates:

September – December 2022

Frequency:

Sessions 3 times a week (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday)

Participants:

YEDI accepts 20-25 entrepreneurs per cohort. An Expert Committee comprised of industry experts and partners will be responsible for evaluating applications based on set criteria.

Eligibility:

  • Applicant is the founder; co-founder(s) will be considered;

  • Any adult age or background;

  • A unique and innovative idea that is in raw, seed, early, or growth stage;

Tuition:

Canadian Students: Free

International Students: $10,000 USD (Scholarships available to qualifying applicants, based on need and conditional on academic performance)

Information:

Accepted students undergo an intensive 8-week program, including formal academic lectures by high level YEDI instructors, workshop-based training in entrepreneurship, and mentorship by key industry leaders. This program is more in-depth than YEDI’s Incubator program. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs will have a professionally developed business plan, an executive summary, and a proper business model that is ready to pitch and potentially bring to the market. Upon successful program completion, participants receive a formal certification from YEDI.

Industries:

YEDI is sector agnostic and will consider start-ups from any industry.

Location:

All sessions are conducted at the YEDI Business Acceleration Campus. We will continue to monitor covid-19 regulations and strictly follow the most up-to-date public health and workplace safety measures as outlined by the government.

Curriculum Components

Lectures

Selected entrepreneurs participate in sessions facilitated by YEDI professors and instructors, providing a solid foundation in business theory and economics. Theory examined includes: entrepreneurship, marketing and sales strategy, business development and growth, finance, and communication skills. Successful entrepreneurs quickly need to learn where they lack expertise and require a network of support. Entrepreneurs participate in sessions that will prepare them for real-life application of theory to achieve inspiration, ideation, and implementation. Topics include: visioning, environmental scanning, finance and fundraising.

Includes but is not limited to:

  • Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
  • Business Communication and Negotiations
  • Business Modelling
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Financial Planning
  • Legal Fundamentals of Small Business

Assignments

Entrepreneurs often benefit by sharing best practices, challenges, and accomplishments with one another. The YEDI Director coordinates regular entrepreneur cluster meetings to facilitate constructive feedback, group exercises, and peer-support. Participants are also expected to complete assignments that are assigned to guide the business development process. Each assignment and achieved goal will form a component of the final proof-of-concept, with which the entrepreneur will graduate the program.

Mentorship

Entrepreneurs will be matched with subject matter experts across diverse industries. The YEDI Program Coordinator will ensure that volunteer mentors from pertinent sectors are available for valuable insight, problem-solving, and networking opportunities.

Communications Support

A business will not survive in a competitive market if it lacks customer service, people management skills, and is unable to relate well to clients, vendors, and staff. Students will take in both a lecture and a seminar involving key components of business communication skills. Our partner National Communication Coaching Association of Canada (NCCA) helps entrepreneurs with their business branding, writing, communication tactics and pitch presentations.

Have more questions about this program?

Contact us at info@yedi.ca