Looking to develop the skills you need to become an innovator and leader?
Curiosity to Creation is a workshop series that centres on cultivating the key soft skills essential for entrepreneurs, whether you're just starting out or already building a venture.
The series is designed to strengthen your personal and interpersonal capacities, from communication to collaboration and innovation, giving you the tools to succeed regardless of your path. Rather than immediate startup action, we'll delve into the concrete skills you need to innovate, lead, and grow. Join us to get inspired and explore entrepreneurship.
The Romance vs Reality of Entrepreneurship
A Workshop with Jean Chow
DATE: Thursday, February 5, 2026
TIME: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, 108 College St., 7th Floor, W762
REGISTER FOR THE ROMANCE VS REALITY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thinking about launching your own business, or just curious about how entrepreneurs think and thrive? Join us and step into the Entrepreneur’s Journey with Jean Chow in this workshop that reveals both the romance and the reality of entrepreneurship.
During the workshop, Jean will take you behind the scenes of her 14-year journey as a food entrepreneur, from bold ideas to an unexpected final chapter. Through candid stories of wins, setbacks, and lessons learned, you’ll gain an authentic look at what it truly means to build something from the ground up. Plus, we will dive into a debate on a timeless question: Is entrepreneurship born or built?
By participating in this interactive workshop facilitated by Jean Chow, one of the Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) mentors, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the common misconceptions about entrepreneurship compared to the actual day-to-day realities.
- Explore and discuss the balance between innate qualities and learned competencies.
- Reflect and assess whether entrepreneurship aligns with goals, interests, and risk tolerance.
This workshop is one of the sessions of a six-part series, designed to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.
Jean Chow
As a Super Connector, Jean Chow is a part-time Sessional Lecturer and Contract Instructor and teaches professional networking at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and School of Continuing Studies. She has also taught intercultural communications, leadership, and advanced career management. Jean is a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence (2013) at the Toronto Public Library, consulting with 40+ emerging and established entrepreneurs during her 10-week residency.
Jean started her entrepreneurial journey when she returned to Canada after working on multi-year contracts for international aid projects in Zambia and Indonesia with Global Affairs Canada. With no experience or contacts in the food business, Jean designed Asian DIY meal kits (20 years before Hello Fresh!) and launched and led a wholesale food manufacturing business for 14 years. Jean also works closely with entrepreneurs, industry business leaders, and clients in transition in her coaching practice, MsBizWiz, for over 15 years.
As a tireless advocate of volunteerism and mentorship, Jean is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for her significant contribution in mentoring young entrepreneurs with Futurepreneur, a national not-for-profit which supports aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. She is a strong community builder and continues to give back through the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s Venture Mentoring Service, and beVisioneers, a Mercedes-Benz Fellowship Program based in Berlin. Jean also founded the Dream Network in 2018, bringing a highly diverse group of professionals to meet new people and put into practice their networking skills both in-person in Toronto and online globally.
More sessions coming in Winter/Spring 2026!
Founders Come in All Forms
Fireside Chat with Dr. Morgan Barense & Wayne Pommen
DATE: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
TIME: 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, 108 College St., 7th Floor, Winter Garden
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSEDSESSION AGENDA:
- 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM: Registration and Light Refreshments
- 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM: Introduction to CfE
- 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Fireside Chat with Dr. Morgan Barense and Wayne Pommen
- 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Networking and Light Refreshments; Optional: CfE Tour Group #1
- 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Networking and Light Refreshments; Optional: CfE Tour Group #2
The first of our six-part series, this inspiring session is all about showing that there’s no one “right” path to becoming a founder.
Co-hosted with Innovation on Board at U of T, join us for an insightful session that challenges the conventional wisdom of what it takes to be a successful founder. This event, a discussion with two remarkable founders, Dr. Morgan Barense and Wayne Pommen, will dismantle the myth of the "perfect" entrepreneurial path.
The session will feature a Q&A with our speakers. Following the discussion, there will be time for networking, and optional tours of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (located on the 6th floor) will be offered.
Light refreshments will be served.
Dr. Morgan Barense
Dr. Morgan Barense is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto and holds a Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her research focuses on how memory functions across the lifespan, particularly in the context of aging and neurological disease. In addition to her academic work, Morgan is the co-founder and CEO of HippoCamera, an app grounded in decades of research on memory consolidation that helps users record and revisit meaningful daily experiences. Designed to support brain health and memory retention in aging populations, HippoCamera exemplifies how fundamental science can be translated into tools with real-world impact — a perspective that speaks directly to the role of research-driven innovation.
Wayne Pommen
Wayne Pommen is a leader in the fintech sector and currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer at Affirm, where he oversees global commercial operations, including sales, marketing, partnerships, and communications. Prior to this, he was the CEO of PayBright, one of Canada’s first and most successful buy-now-pay-later platforms. Under his leadership, PayBright grew from a five-person startup to a 200-person company, partnering with major retailers such as Apple, Samsung, and Hudson’s Bay. The company was named Canada’s Fintech Company of the Year in 2019 and was acquired by Affirm in 2021. Wayne brings deep experience in building and scaling ventures, offering insights into the challenges of early-stage growth, strategic leadership, and navigating acquisition — all critical aspects of innovation in practice.
Cultivating Risk-Taking Resilience
A Workshop with Amir Alam
DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
TIME: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, 108 College St., 2nd Floor, W240
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
This workshop is the second session of the six-part series, designed to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Join us and discover the power of risk-taking and resilience—two key qualities that drive success in entrepreneurship and career development.
Whether you're looking to kick off your entrepreneurship journey or want to navigate challenges with confidence, the lessons you’ll learn here are highly transferable in different contexts. This workshop will empower you to confidently navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and thrive in both your personal and professional life.
Through this interactive workshop facilitated by Amir Alam, one of the Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) mentors and an entrepreneur, you will have the opportunity to:
- Reflect on your own risk tolerance and resilience levels through experience sharing;
- Develop decision-making strategies to take risks; and
- Develop resilience strategies to deal with setbacks and uncertainty.
Amir Alam
Amir Alam is a multidisciplinary U of T alum with work spanning brain-tumour research, startups, film/real-time tech, and the music industry. At SickKids and UHN, he co-authored studies in Nature Communications and Nature Genetics. He founded Shoe Laundry, an eco-minded shoe-care brand, and later worked in virtual production and AI. He has toured and worked in the studio as a producer/dj. A mentor with U of T’s Venture Mentoring Service, he teaches students to convert uncertainty into small, reversible experiments—the practice that anchors his perspective on resilience and adaptability.
Identifying Problems Worth Solving:
A Workshop with Victor Brunka
DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
TIME: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, 108 College St., 7th Floor, W762
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Join us and discover how ordinary challenges can spark extraordinary business ideas! Whether you are exploring entrepreneurship as a possible pathway or refining your next venture idea, this workshop will empower you to see the world through an entrepreneurial lens. Through real-world examples and discussions, you will get to sharpen your ability to spot real-world problems or unmet needs, and transform them into a meaningful entrepreneurial opportunity. By participating in this interactive workshop facilitated by Victor Brunka, one of the Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) mentors, you will have the opportunity to:
- Observe and uncover real-world problems or unmet needs through an entrepreneurial lens;
- Define problem statements by applying user-centred thinking and journey mapping; and
- Assess the relevance and potential impact of identified problems by considering various factors.
This workshop is the third session of the six-part series, designed to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.
The Art of Storytelling
A Workshop with Lidia Akar
DATE: Thursday, January 22, 2026
TIME: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Student Commons, 230 College St., Room SU B102
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Storytelling is not just about sharing your idea; it’s about inspiring belief, winning trust, and creating momentum around your vision.
Whether you are a founder pitching your company, preparing for job interviews, or making connections, your ability to tell a compelling story can make the difference between being remembered and forgotten. Investors, customers, partners, employers, and team members make decisions based on emotions and logic. A clear, authentic story transforms your experiences and visions into opportunities and a mission that people want to be a part of. It shows not only what you’re building, but why it matters.
By participating in this interactive workshop facilitated by Lidia Akar, you will have the opportunity to:
- Understand the elements of effective storytelling.
- Build confidence in sharing your stories and communicating your vision to others.
- Apply and strengthen storytelling techniques to present your experiences, ideas, and achievements with authenticity and impact.
This workshop is one of the sessions of a six-part series, designed to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.
Lidia Akar
Lidia Akar is an international communication strategist with 17 years of experience in digital transformation, marketing, and executive leadership. She has held senior roles in tech, telecom, and finance, leading global teams and delivering business growth across markets.
Through Lighthauz as the Founder & Principal Consultant, she now works with executives and organizations to strengthen communication where it matters most, such as in boardrooms, pitches, and global stages. She has emceed international conferences with more than 1,000 leaders, shared platforms with global executives, and partnered with leaders across five continents. Her mission is to empower leaders to speak with clarity, confidence, and intention, enabling them to build trust, inspire teams, and drive growth.
PLEASE NOTE:
Photography, audio and video recording may occur throughout this event. Therefore, by attending Curiosity to Creation, you hereby authorize the University of Toronto to take your photograph, video and/or record your voice and grant the university all rights to these sounds, still or moving images in any medium for educational, promotional, marketing, advertising or other such purposes that support the mission of the university. If you do not consent to this, please speak with a university representative upon your arrival.