Discover if entrepreneurship and innovation are for you
The Collide Discover program is designed to give students a taste of the skills needed to be an entrepreneur or innovator.
About this program
Collide Discover is a program designed to empower students at the beginning of their entrepreneurial and innovation journey, providing them with the confidence and knowledge necessary to propel their big ideas forward.
Throughout this extracurricular program, participants delve into an introduction to entrepreneurship covering:
- Design Thinking – Solve problems creatively with user needs in mind.
- Reframing Design Thinking – Shift perspectives on problems and uncover fresh solutions.
- Business Model Canvas – Map out your project for success.
- Understanding Your Customer – Dive into the problem your target audience needs to solve and learn how customer discovery helps refine your product or service.
- Crafting Your Pitch – Present ideas through storytelling that captivate and convince.
Collide Discover is offered free of cost during the fall and winter semesters. The fall program serves as an introduction, while the winter sessions delve deeper into innovation and entrepreneurship topics such as learning to identify and match problems with solutions, articulate a business’s value proposition, grasp the fundamentals of human-centered design, and much more.
Attendance in the fall cohort is not mandatory for participation in the winter cohort. Please note participants may be assigned up to three hours of take-home content.Â
Eligibility
- You must be a student, faculty member, or a recent graduate (within 2 years) at a university or college within Atlantic Canada. Applications from Arts and Social Science students are encouraged.
- You must be available for all the sessions listed below
- You want to learn more about entrepreneurship and innovation
- You have a potential business idea (no matter how rough)
Benefits to Students
- De-risk your idea and/or learn about what it takes to start a business/undertake an innovation
- Prepare for further Dal Innovates programming
- Network with other current and future entrepreneurs/social innovators
- Eligible for your CCR (Co-Curricular Record – for Dal, Kings & SMU)
- Refreshments will be provided for in-person sessions.
Apply Now to Collide Discover
Collide Discover 7-week sessions run from October 9 – November 20, 2025 at Dalhousie University. This program is open to post-secondary students and faculty based in Halifax, NS.Â
Session Dates/Times Winter Semester: Thursdays from 5:30 pm-7:00 pmÂ
Location: Room 2600 (also known as the Collider Room) of the Killam Memorial Library, Dalhousie Campus, 6225 University Avenue, Halifax NS B3H 4R2.
Apply by:Â September 28th.
Notes:
1. Applicants eligible for early acceptance – by April 7 – will receive a reserved ticket to Demo Day on Sept. 24th from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. at the Strug Concert Hall. This event features the top student entrepreneurs from Atlantic Canada who are pitching their startup ideas to win top prizes.Â
2. Due to the popularity of this program, we may close applications earlier than the deadline if we reach capacity.
For any technical problems or queries regarding your Collide Discover application or eligibility, please reach out to Megan LeBlanc – Project Manager at megan.leblanc@dal.ca.
If you’re interested in participating in additional Collide programs and would like to receive notifications when applications open, please join the waiting list.
Collide is made possible by the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
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