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A new Inspired Entrepreneurs event at Laurentian University brought together nearly 100 students from various programs as well as experienced business leaders from the community.

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Held at the Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering Building on September 25, the gathering allowed students to hear “invaluable insights about building successful businesses and navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship” , the university said in a statement.

The panel included a variety of entrepreneurs, many of whom are Laurentian alumni. Each shared their journey, highlighting both the challenges and successes encountered along the way.

Entrepreneurs in attendance included Pat Dubreuil, president of Let’s Roll Ideation Consulting; Nicole Paquin, owner of Nickel City Cheese Sudbury; Hailey Hastie, founder and CEO of The Social Soulpreneur; and Melissa Deschenes of Innovation Quarters, Regional Business Center.

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Led by Professor Patricia Orozco and supported by the Office of Francophone Affairs at Laurentian University, the event brought together a bilingual panel of past and present student entrepreneurs, keynote speakers and a networking lunch.

“The focus of the event aligned with Dr. Orozco’s research interests, which focus on entrepreneurial skills and competencies and the importance of attributes such as creativity, resilience and leadership,” the university said .

“As educators, we want students to feel empowered to achieve their goals,” Orozoco said. “With this event, we wanted to create a space where students can not only learn about business, but also understand the personal journeys that made these diverse entrepreneurs successful.” »

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A panel discussion, moderated by fourth-year business administration student Athena Florentis Grandmaison, gave attendees the opportunity to hear from current and former students who have balanced their coursework with building their businesses as entrepreneurs emerging.

Speakers included Samantha Blender, owner of Gwiddy; Emma Lapointe, founder of Solace Supply and co-founder of Go & Glow Cleaning Services; and Florish Abebayo, owner of Beiwty Rish Rish Cosmetics and fourth-year biochemistry student.

“The multi-layered approach to this event is what makes it so special. Attendees were in the presence of bright and successful local business people and had the chance to mingle with them,” said Grandmaison. “By listening to their experiences and participating in the discussion, we were able to see first-hand how Northern Ontario entrepreneurs are creating impact in the business world.

Plans are underway to make Inspired Entrepreneurs an annual event.

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