Entrepreneurship Opportunities
The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary's offers a number of hands-on opportunities for students across all faculties. From workshops to competitions, networking to funding for your start-up, there are supports to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.
Opportunities for students
Enactus
Enactus Saint Mary’s is a community of students, academic and business leaders, enabling progress through entrepreneurial action. Enactus allows students to take the skills they have developed in the classroom and apply them to challenges in the real world.
We currently operate a series of projects ranging from reducing food waste and supporting Nova Scotians facing food insecurity, to creating plastic-free packaging alternatives, to eliminating barriers to the workforce for people with disabilities, and more. In 2025, Enactus Saint Mary's won the World Cup, facing schools from across the globe at a competition in Thailand!
Innovation Sprint
An innovation sprint is a short, focused event that brings a business and keen, creative students together to generate ideas and solutions to business problems. Build a network with businesses and contribute to local business success with a chance to win prizes, products and potential paid opportunities.
Experience Ventures
The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is pleased to be a partner in Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. Experience Ventures enables students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements. Students receive an honorarium payment to work with real-world innovators across Canada.
The Arena Pitch Competition
This annual bracket-style competition takes place each March, when 64 of Canada’s most promising student entrepreneurs compete live, under pressure, for the title of the nation’s top innovator and a $10,000 first prize.