Solutions Lab is back, announces 2024 challenge topic

The Experience Ventures Solutions Lab program, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, is back for 2024.

The Lab, first held in 2021, is designed to champion social innovation. A unique future-skills building program, Solutions Lab invites UCalgary students to leverage entrepreneurial thinking as they develop innovative solutions to a local or regional challenge.

This year, Solutions Lab is focusing its lens on a large-scale issue; during the challenge, participants will work in teams to develop potential solutions to address the development and support of resiliency in communities in the face of natural disasters.

This year's program is presented by Experience Ventures. Funded by the Government of Canada, it enables college and university students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial-thinking placements.

Building resilient communities in the face of natural disasters

The choice of natural disasters as this year's theme was highly intentional, says Kurt White, MBA'23, social innovation specialist at the Hunter Hub, who has been leading the delivery of Solutions Lab since 2022.

“Obviously, wildfires and natural disasters have been a highly discussed topic in recent years,” White says. “The goal with any theme is to address a real, tangible issue, whether it’s a social or environmental issue. We want to choose a topic that resonates with students, something relevant to them and their experience.”

In the past decade, Western Canada has experienced numerous extreme wildfires, damaging human communities, wildlife habitat and natural resources, such as this past summer when Jasper experienced devastating wildfire conditions. Further, Toronto and Southern Ontario saw flash floods this past July, resulting in considerable community upset and damage.

“It's only going to get more severe,” White says. “With Solutions Lab, students get the chance to apply entrepreneurial-thinking skills to some of these very real challenges that we know are going to persist over time.”

In past years, themes were locally targeted, including sustainability on campus or social isolation within the Calgary area. This year, students have been given the chance to examine a critical, widespread concern that permeates globally.

Becoming future-ready with Solutions Lab

In line with Experience Ventures’ ethos, Solutions Lab helps students foster and employ entrepreneurial thinking as they gain the skills they need to become career-ready, outside the context of a classroom.

“Solutions Lab is a great vehicle for students to explore and address social and environmental issues with innovation at the forefront, while helping to foster entrepreneurial thinking,” says Anica Vasic, senior director of partnerships and strategic initiatives at the Hunter Hub, who spearheaded Solutions Lab in 2021. 

As an industry-agnostic program, Solutions Lab seeks to build key skills that can be leveraged in any field post-graduation, helping students develop skills like creative problem solving, innovative thinking, teamwork and leadership.

How Solutions Lab works

A total of 60 UCalgary undergraduate students (full- or part-time) will participate in the challenge. Students from any faculty are welcome to apply.

Over the course of six weeks, they will be placed in teams of five as they work with UCalgary collaborators and community members to tackle a solution to this year’s challenge. Participants will attend five weekly workshops designed to build the skills they need to tackle the challenge question effectively.

Towards the end of the program, each team will submit a five-minute video pitch for a panel of judges to assess. The challenge will conclude with an in-person finale event, where the top six teams will pitch live to a panel of judges who will select the winners.

Additionally, participating students will receive a $525 honorarium upon completion of the program, one of White’s favourite aspects to the program.

“Often, students don't have the opportunity to take advantage of programs due to financial barriers. It can be difficult to commit to something beyond their schoolwork,” he says. “Solutions Lab is an experiential program where students receive an honorarium, which makes the program accessible to a wider reach of students.”

The top three teams will also receive a Hunter Hub Catalyst Grant to support the development of their idea.

Apply for Experience Ventures Solutions Lab now

Solutions Lab is accepting applications until Sept. 25. Students interested in participating in the program can apply here.