What is EPICentre?

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Overview

The Entrepreneurship, Practice, and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) is the entrepreneurial hub on the University of Windsor Campus.

EPICentre provides practical opportunities and support to students, alumni, faculty, and the community so that they can succeed in moving their ideas forward. EPICentre members gain access to mentorship, a collaborative co-working space, connections, and funding opportunities to bring their idea to market.

EPICentre is home to two facilities, a collaborative workspace located on the 2nd floor of the Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre and a makerspace in room 1100 of the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation (next to the Tim Hortons). The EPICentre workspace offers an open-concept co-working environment for startups looking to network, collaborate, and, immerse themselves in a creative environment. Our MakerSpace allows curious minds to learn, tinker, and create with 3D Printers, Laser Cutters, and more!

Mission/Vision

EPICentre Vision

EPICentre’s vision is to support the transformation of people into entrepreneurial thinkers, and innovative ideas into successful economic and social enterprises through training, mentorship and networking

EPICentre Mission
  1. To provide experiential entrepreneurial learning opportunities that enhance University of Windsor’s mission regarding education and research.
  2. To provide skills, tools, and network to entrepreneurs and professionals to launch and grow economic and social initiatives.
EPICentre Values
  • We hold ourselves accountable by performing our duties with passion and integrity
  • We embrace a diverse and fun work environment through trust and respect
  • We achieve service excellence through teamwork, empathy and continuous improvement
  • We shape the future with constant experimentation and innovation

Who Do We Serve?

Students

Students and recent graduates from any post-secondary institution can participate in our workshops, networking events and competitions. We also offer a wide variety of startup programs to support those interested to explore their ideas and start their own businesses or social enterprises.

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs from our community can participate in some of our startup programs, where certain eligibility and conditions may apply.

Faculty

EPICentre can offer guest lectures and presentations on topics related to entrepreneurship to any class. Our makerspace can also assist faculty members and their students with projects. Monthly Faculty Lunch n’ Learn series offers a platform for faculty members to connect with their colleagues on topics related to entrepreneurship and commercialization.

Community

Community members are welcome to participate in our workshops and networking events.

Past, Present & Future

It all started with an idea, collaboration, and the desire to cultivate an innovative, entrepreneurial environment on the University of Windsor campus. Originally the Centre for Enterprise and Law (CEL), a legal and business consulting resource for students run by Dr. Francine Schlosser, Odette Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Professor Myra Tawfik, Distinguished University Professor of law. 

Collaborating with partners on and off campus, CEL became the first successful entrepreneurial partnership that offered experiential learning opportunities to business and law students the opportunity to integrate real-world corporate projects into their curriculum.  

With the success of the program, Heather Pratt, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Windsor, and Dr. Schlosser approached former University of Windsor President, Dr. Alan Wildeman with the idea of expanding CEL into a University-wide entrepreneurship and innovation centre. Heather began working with her colleague, Wen Teoh (current EPICentre Director), and Nicole Anderson, former Learning Specialist and Program Manager for CEL/Odette to create a business plan and a grant application to launch a campus-linked accelerator at the University of Windsor campus. The success of the grant from the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE – now known as the Ontario Centres of Innovation) brought their vision of a campus-wide entrepreneurship and innovation centre to life. From there, the Entrepreneurship, Practice, and Innovation Centre, or EPICentre, was born! 

Since then, EPICentre has been helping students and recent graduates on their entrepreneurial journeys through mentorship, workshops, grant funding, and more! Curious to know what programs we’re currently running? Visit the “programs” tab on our page to find out how you can get involved!

Dr. Francine Schlosser
Francine Schlosser, Ph.D.
Odette Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Dr. Schlosser’s research considers how educators, employees, migrants, and employers can stimulate entrepreneurial readiness and engagement in innovation, and manage career transitions. Dr. Schlosser held the University of Windsor’s Golden Jubilee Professorship in Business for research excellence and was the founding Executive Director of EPICentre from 2016-2019. Dr. Schlosser established 3 successive campus entrepreneurship centres that engaged students with the business community through multi-disciplinary venture teams and consulting projects.
Francine Schlosser, Ph.D.
Odette Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Dr. Schlosser’s research considers how educators, employees, migrants, and employers can stimulate entrepreneurial readiness and engagement in innovation, and manage career transitions. Dr. Schlosser held the University of Windsor’s Golden Jubilee Professorship in Business for research excellence and was the founding Executive Director of EPICentre from 2016-2019. Dr. Schlosser established 3 successive campus entrepreneurship centres that engaged students with the business community through multi-disciplinary venture teams and consulting projects.
Francine Schlosser, Ph.D.
Odette Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Dr. Schlosser’s research considers how educators, employees, migrants, and employers can stimulate entrepreneurial readiness and engagement in innovation, and manage career transitions. Dr. Schlosser held the University of Windsor’s Golden Jubilee Professorship in Business for research excellence and was the founding Executive Director of EPICentre from 2016-2019. Dr. Schlosser established 3 successive campus entrepreneurship centres that engaged students with the business community through multi-disciplinary venture teams and consulting projects.
Heather Pratt
Heather Pratt
Executive Director, Research and Innovation
With a broad range of public, private and post-secondary administration throughout her career, Heather provides leadership to support the ongoing expansion of the research and innovation enterprise at UWindsor. In her current role, she is supporting the research activities, technology transfer, research partnership development, knowledge mobilization and commercialization efforts to move the University’s research results to benefit society. Heather is also a founding Director of EPICentre, and continues to pursue research into entrepreneurship through her doctoral studies, with a focus on barriers to women and new venture creation.
Heather Pratt
Executive Director, Research and Innovation
With a broad range of public, private and post-secondary administration throughout her career, Heather provides leadership to support the ongoing expansion of the research and innovation enterprise at UWindsor. In her current role, she is supporting the research activities, technology transfer, research partnership development, knowledge mobilization and commercialization efforts to move the University’s research results to benefit society. Heather is also a founding Director of EPICentre, and continues to pursue research into entrepreneurship through her doctoral studies, with a focus on barriers to women and new venture creation.
Heather Pratt
Executive Director, Research and Innovation
With a broad range of public, private and post-secondary administration throughout her career, Heather provides leadership to support the ongoing expansion of the research and innovation enterprise at UWindsor. In her current role, she is supporting the research activities, technology transfer, research partnership development, knowledge mobilization and commercialization efforts to move the University’s research results to benefit society. Heather is also a founding Director of EPICentre, and continues to pursue research into entrepreneurship through her doctoral studies, with a focus on barriers to women and new venture creation.
Professor Myra
Professor Myra Tawfik
Distinguished University Professor of Law and EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy
Professor Tawfik is a professor at the Faculty of Law with expertise in intellectual property law including capacity building in IP literacy and IP strategy for start-ups and entrepreneurs. In 2016, she was appointed EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy to continue her research, teaching and IP outreach activities including launching the EPIC Law Legal Triage service. Professor Tawfik is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Professor Myra Tawfik
Distinguished University Professor of Law and EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy
Professor Tawfik is a professor at the Faculty of Law with expertise in intellectual property law including capacity building in IP literacy and IP strategy for start-ups and entrepreneurs. In 2016, she was appointed EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy to continue her research, teaching and IP outreach activities including launching the EPIC Law Legal Triage service. Professor Tawfik is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Professor Myra Tawfik
Distinguished University Professor of Law and EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy
Professor Tawfik is a professor at the Faculty of Law with expertise in intellectual property law including capacity building in IP literacy and IP strategy for start-ups and entrepreneurs. In 2016, she was appointed EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy to continue her research, teaching and IP outreach activities including launching the EPIC Law Legal Triage service. Professor Tawfik is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Wen Teoh
Wen Teoh
Director & Co-Founder, EPICentre
Wen joined EPICentre in 2014 as a founding member and the Venture Start Director. She has twenty years of experience in entrepreneurship, project management and information technology. She co-founded an international gas distribution company in Malaysia and a high-pressure cylinder distribution company in the US before moving to Windsor. Wen has a BBA from University of Toledo and an MBA from University of Windsor. Wen is very active in her community where she serves on the boards of the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, Art Gallery of Windsor and WEtech Alliance. Wen is a recipient of the Minister’s Award of Excellence 2021 in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship category awarded by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Wen Teoh
Director & Co-Founder, EPICentre
Wen joined EPICentre in 2014 as a founding member and the Venture Start Director. She has twenty years of experience in entrepreneurship, project management and information technology. She co-founded an international gas distribution company in Malaysia and a high-pressure cylinder distribution company in the US before moving to Windsor. Wen has a BBA from University of Toledo and an MBA from University of Windsor. Wen is very active in her community where she serves on the boards of the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, Art Gallery of Windsor and WEtech Alliance. Wen is a recipient of the Minister’s Award of Excellence 2021 in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship category awarded by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Wen Teoh
Director & Co-Founder, EPICentre
Wen joined EPICentre in 2014 as a founding member and the Venture Start Director. She has twenty years of experience in entrepreneurship, project management and information technology. She co-founded an international gas distribution company in Malaysia and a high-pressure cylinder distribution company in the US before moving to Windsor. Wen has a BBA from University of Toledo and an MBA from University of Windsor. Wen is very active in her community where she serves on the boards of the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, Art Gallery of Windsor and WEtech Alliance. Wen is a recipient of the Minister’s Award of Excellence 2021 in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship category awarded by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Team member
Nicole Sleiman, MBA
former Learning Specialist and Program Manager for CEL/Odette
Nicole Sleiman, MBA
former Learning Specialist and Program Manager for CEL/Odette
Nicole Sleiman, MBA
former Learning Specialist and Program Manager for CEL/Odette

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

As a signatory of the Dimensions Charter, the University of Windsor is undergoing transformative action to reflect the diversity of our community and catalyze an innovation sector where everyone belongs. EPICentre acknowledges that achieving greater Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is crucial for unlocking innovation by harnessing new ideas and perspectives to meet emerging challenges and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing world. EPICentre is taking part in this process by reimagining the incubator model to be more inclusive, eliminating barriers, and supporting all equity-deserving entrepreneurs in achieving business success. By taking strategic action to nurture diverse talent and innovative ideas, EPICentre strives to create the next generation of entrepreneurs equipped to excel in the market.

 

EPICentre understands that members of many equity-deserving groups have historically and continue to experience barriers in academia. For instance, compared to their male counterparts, women are underrepresented in self-employment (WEKH 2020) and small and medium business ownership (Cukier 2020). Despite progressively increasing their contribution to the labour force of Canada, women are still lagging in entrepreneurship (WESK 2018). Relative to men, women are half as likely to run their own businesses (Statistics Canada 2021). Since fewer women have become entrepreneurs (WESK 2018), women entrepreneurship and innovation seems to be an untapped resource pool for economic growth and prosperity in Canada. Women entrepreneurship promotes economic development since their newly established businesses provide employment opportunities and account for almost all net job creation in Canada (WESK 2018). Closing the gender disparity has been projected to increase the GDP by $81 billion (Desanti 2020). Recognizing this opportunity, EPICentre has launched programs to support women entrepreneurs (our VentureWomen program) and to encourage post-secondary women students to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice (Entrepreneurship SpeakHER series). Over the next four years, EPICentre will continue to develop programs to support women and all underrepresented entrepreneurs.

meet our

EPIC Team

Wen Teoh

Wen joined EPICentre in 2014 as a founding member and the Venture Start Director. She has twenty years of experience in IT, project management and entrepreneurship. She co-founded an international gas distribution company in Malaysia and a high-pressure cylinder distribution company in the US before moving to Windsor. Wen has a B.B.A. from University of Toledo and an MBA from University of Windsor. Wen teaches Entrepreneurial Resource Management sessionally at Odette School of Business. Wen is also a board member at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, Art Gallery of Windsor, and WEtech Alliance.

Meet Our Full Team
Wen Teoh Bio

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