Chapter 1: Introduction to My Internship Journey

In my previous article, I delved into my internship experience at Propel Impact. For a more detailed account, you can check it out here:

The SIA Fellowship program was the catalyst for my four-month summer internship with Innovate Calgary, which has now rebranded as the Propel Impact program. In this post, I will share various LinkedIn highlights showcasing both the beginning and conclusion of my internship, along with their pertinent links.

My initial visit to the Social Innovation Hub occurred before the start of my internship, where I had the opportunity to meet Meredith.

First post marking the start of my internship:

Final post marking the end of my internship:

Additional insights:

During my time over the summer, I engaged in several significant projects:

1. Understanding the UCeed Fund

   "As the largest university-affiliated fund in Canada, UCeed comprises a collection of early-stage investment funds designed to accelerate startup companies, enhance problem-solving research, generate employment, and stimulate economic growth."

My contribution involved supporting the UCeed fund by developing investment memos. This process required conducting market validations, competitive analyses, and industry research.

2. In-Depth Case Studies

   I performed comprehensive case studies focusing on topics such as Overdose Detection, Domestic Violence, White Collar Crime, and Inclusion in Technology. Each report provided valuable insights into these critical issues.

3. Creating a Scaling Playbook

   I developed a scaling playbook for startup development phases, detailing the resources needed at each stage and potential avenues for support. Additionally, I created a resource guide for intermediaries and capacity builders.

4. Social Innovation Research

   I researched two social innovation programs supporting Pronotes Inc. and an immigrant support organization. My efforts included conducting market research and devising technological solutions by compiling a database of educators through web scraping for Pronotes.

Learn more about my work:

5. Due Diligence (DD) Checklist

   I created a checklist outlining the due diligence process for reviewing startup funding applications.

Access the DD Checklist:

6. Research Project with Trico Charitable Foundation

   I collaborated with Trico Charitable Foundation and Innovate Calgary to investigate the perspectives of social entrepreneurs within local capacity-building and support organizations. This included stakeholder mapping and compiling insights from interviews into a living document.

Chapter 2: Networking and Events

Throughout my internship, I attended various engaging events, including:

• Social Innovators Breakfast

• Tribe Network

• R2SA Celebration

• Anita Nowak’s discussion on purposeful empathy

• Inventures Conference

• Innovate Calgary Staff Meetings

• CNIP meetups and coworking sessions (Calgary's Newest Innovation Professionals)

• Founder Lunch Series, where I learned about dilutive and non-dilutive capital

  Watch the session:

• "Ask Me About a Social Enterprise" session

  Check out the video:

I also gained insights from various professionals, which can be found here:

That's all for now, folks!

Video Title: UCalgary Law Innovation Internship Program - YouTube

This video offers an overview of the UCalgary Law Innovation Internship Program, highlighting its significance in fostering legal innovation and providing students with hands-on experience in the field.