Ingenuity Incubator-YWCA Hamilton

This project develops a ‘virtual ingenuity incubator’ responding to the COVID-19 crisis and contributing to enhancing socio-economic conditions. In Phase 1, we will uncover business practices that women and minority-led small businesses to employ to meet emergent customer needs and evolve, collaborating with the YWCA, Hamilton Fempreneurs, and the City of Hamilton Business Centre. We will create an evidence-based virtual ingenuity incubator facilitating small women and minority-owned businesses to adapt to this crisis, creating materials such as business cases, videos and instructional aides to enhance undergraduate and graduate student knowledge of rapid small-business adaptation and innovation during turbulent periods now and in the future. We will integrate with their activities providing new programming in ingenuity and design thinking, simulations that support expanding business capabilities, and regular weekly consulting services. The YWCA has a program of the Women’s Enterprise Centre, providing a 16-week start-up program for entrepreneurs and existing businesses. We will integrate with the Manager, Shannon Cummings, by delivering professional services that supplement their offerings. In Phase 2, we deploy knowledge developing a “pilot” of a complete, replicable, support and consultative program employing multiple online meetings and distributing resources including insights from Phase 1.

Faculty Supervisor:

Benson Honig

Student:

Partner:

YWCA Hamilton

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

McMaster University

Program: