A Time of Learning and Growth
Thoughts from John MacRitchie, Assistant Vice-President, Zone Learning and Strategic Initiatives at Ryerson University.
For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it. Even as vaccinations begin to reduce its effects, the toll it has taken on communities worldwide will likely be everlasting. However, though we are eager to leave this moment in time behind, many important initiatives were inspired by our collective circumstances and will continue to serve us well in the future. At Ryerson University (external link) , we have been busy accelerating several projects that we look forward to building upon in the months ahead.
Ryerson is home to 10 campus-based incubators that offer co-curricular programming to students, faculty, staff and external community members, and that support many local and international initiatives. Known as our Zone Learning (external link) network, they bring together groups of people who are deeply invested in tackling real-world problems with innovative solutions, ultimately connecting students and entrepreneurs to the resources they need to create sustainable and scalable startups.
Now that we are exploring our eventual return to campus, we are also considering how to best adapt our programming. Top of mind are our efforts to improve diversity and inclusion, to expand our reach and accessibility, and to foster entrepreneurs’ resilience and mental performance.
Improving Diversity and Inclusion
The pandemic did much to highlight the deep-rooted inequities of our society, and the tragic events of the past year have underscored our need to address systemic racism globally. Investing our time, energy and resources into targeted programs is one way we can do this.
Increased corporate, government and individual support for the Black Innovation Programs (external link) at Ryerson’s DMZ, a leading incubator for technology startups around the world, has expanded our community reach greatly and ensured that operations can continue for the next several years. Further, Ryerson’s Fashion Zone launched a successful Indigenous Fashion Support Program (external link) that is now in its second cohort and includes participants from across Canada. Finally, programs for female entrepreneurs have received generous support, and continue to expand here and at other institutions.
Beyond targeted programming, we also need to examine our operations – and ourselves – to ensure that we are, in fact, as open and inclusive as we aspire to be. With this in mind, we’re working through a diversity assessment tool to give us a clearer picture of our strengths and weaknesses so that we can realize the full potential of our work.
Expanding Program Reach and Accessibility
When we first began working remotely, there was much concern that some programs could not be delivered effectively online. Now that we have adapted, many people have cited that this shift has improved access to entrepreneurship and incubator programming, has lowered the cost to meet program objectives, and has made it easier for remote (or simply time-pressed) experts to deliver their support through presentations, workshops or one-on-one interactions.
Though we were already taking a hybrid approach with some of our work, this push helped to accelerate the process by demonstrating that virtual delivery is not a second-rate choice.
Fostering Resilience and Mental Performance
The rapid changes brought on by the pandemic drove home the value of adaptability and responsiveness that are at the heart of entrepreneurship. They also shed light on the toll that prolonged isolation, personal and professional pressure, and widespread uncertainty can have on our mental health.
Though we are generally comfortable delivering the technical aspects of entrepreneurship, personal performance skills such as mental strength, resilience, conscious leadership, high integrity, empathy and coachability can be overlooked.
During the pandemic’s early stages, Bill Aulet, managing director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship (external link) , and his team launched the Antifragile Speaker Series (external link) to arm students with the skills needed to thrive in times of great change and uncertainty. Working with Dalhousie University (external link) , Ryerson has begun to build on that premise, and aims to pilot evidence-based programming and training for high-performance entrepreneurship.
Anticipating a New Normal
Despite its many challenges, the pandemic has boosted valuable activities significantly – an outcome that we will continue to improve upon to better serve our community. As we begin to return to our physical spaces, we will undoubtedly face new questions around how to build effective hybrid in-person and online interactions that will call upon our own innovation skills.
Upon reflection, how do you expect to adapt your own initiatives? How can you best support the entrepreneurs of the future? The 10th Annual Deshpande Symposium (external link) on June 10 and 11 is a great opportunity to meet with your peers, to have these vital conversations, and to learn from one another. I hope to see you there.
About the Deshpande Symposium
Join colleagues from 100’s of colleges and universities across the U.S. and around the world as they share best practices on impactful innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives on their campuses, recognize the achievements of their peers and engage with our keynote speakers, NSF Director Dr. Sethuranam “Panch” Panchanathan and Olin College President Dr. Gilda Barabino. We’ve pulled together a variety of engaging panel sessions organized around entrepreneurial universities, entrepreneurship in the curriculum, university research commercialization and diversity, equity and inclusion in higher ed. There’s plenty for everyone!
Registration is open now at www.deshpandesymposium.org (external link) .