Presented by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in partnership with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research (NRC-IRAP) Assistance Program. The Big Idea Labs is based on The Innographer’s DIY Innovation ToolkitTM developed by Dr. Alex Bruton, an entrepreneur and award-winning educator who has worked with and spoken at organizations all over the world. Behind the engaging interactions is a simple yet rigorous framework that provides the backbone of the workshops and a pioneering approach to innovation, known as deliberate opportunity design and idea modeling.
Don’t become an idea statistic. Deliberately design your big idea. Some 3,000 raw ideas are needed to yield just one commercial success and of that only a small proportion of successes turn out to have really big impact – meaning there’s something like a 99.998% chance the idea that just popped into your head won’t go on to create big value. And yet, so many individuals put everything they have behind their rawest of hunches only to realize later they’ve spent huge amounts of time and money on a pretty average concept. That can change. Be part of the workshop experience that will transform the next step you take. Have you been a part of a lay-off or restructuring in the last two years? Do you have a post-secondary degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math? Have you been nurturing an idea that could be the beginning of a new entrepreneurial phase of your life? If you are 18-39 and live in Southern Ontario and answered yes to any of the above questions above then this is the right place for you. Haven’t been laid off? Not a STEM grad? There is space for other young entrepreneurs too – sign up today to put your big idea under the microscope.
Workshop #1
THE BIG IDEA PRESSURE TEST
The experience starts with THE BIG IDEA PRESSURE TEST, an eye opening and inspiring four-hour workshop that provides leading edge practical tools and a powerful lens through which you’ll begin to look differently at everything you do. In a safe yet challenging environment, the goal is for you to evolve a concept into one of the audacious few that will ever evolve into a truly highly impactful new venture. You’ll see insightful and sometimes surprising examples of how a deliberate and back-to-basics approach to opportunity design and idea modeling can help you get out of the idea rut and beat the overwhelming odds. You’ll build and put to use a toolkit of idea modeling canvases and deliberate design techniques to help you design and assess for really big value. Join in the experience and take away the DIY tools for doing it now and in the future – either on the back of the next napkin you run into or as the backbone of your own new high impact venture. Sample topic keywords: opportunity design; idea modeling; business concept prototyping; big idea seeding; value proposition and value innovation; critique for big value; feasibility; impact; canvases and tools.
Workshop #2
THE BIG IDEA TRACTION STUDIO
In the first workshop you will have improved the odds your concept faces. But it’s not that easy. THE BIG IDEA TRACTION STUDIO takes you on an even deeper dive into the iterative idea and opportunity design process. Through this session you’ll experience the full design thinking approach to the conception, design, prototyping, testing, pitching and innovation of new venture concepts. And you’ll leave having analyzed your concept and knowing what it takes to design the next game changer. Sample topic keywords: advanced deliberate opportunity design; process and application scenarios; empathetic design; industry and network context; assessing for breakthroughs; high feasibility; big impact; advanced canvases and tools.
Windsor workshop schedule:  January 28 and February 25 from 9-2pm at The University of Windsor, Vanier Hall 2732 Wyandotte Street West.
The cost to attend both workshops in your community is $110 + HST. Know someone else who may be interested? Provide their e-mail address on the registration form and the cost to attend both workshops is reduced to $90+HST. All workshops are from 9:00am-2:00pm. A one-hour light lunch is included in the price.
For more information, please visit http://www.cybf.ca/events/thebigidealabsworkshops/.