Morrissette Entrepreneurship

What Morrissette Entrepreneurship does

Morrissette Entrepreneurship, formally the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey, is the entrepreneurship institute of Western University and the Ivey Business School, headquartered at the Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, Canada. It employs approximately 45 staff and traces its flagship programming back to 1999 with the inaugural Ivey Business Plan Competition. The institute is not an independent commercial company; it operates as a state-affiliated academic department funded by Western University and Ivey, and is governed by the university's academic structure.

The institute delivers a comprehensive, stage-based suite of programs and services covering ideation, venture creation, growth, and mastery. The portfolio includes the Western Accelerator; Western Angels' Demo Day (a recurring investor-pitching event); the BerQ RNG Business Plan Competition (CAD $30,000 prize pool, open to North American universities); the Spin Master–sponsored Ivey HBA Business Plan Competition; the Certificate in Entrepreneurship at Ivey; the Founders Program; Summer Incubator; Entrepreneurial Summer Internship; Graduate Student Innovation Scholars; the RBC Design Thinking Program; the Western Propel Fund; the Ivey Entrepreneur Podcast; an extensive library of archived webinars; business advisory/coaching; Promotion & Press services for founders; and physical infrastructure including the Sabourin Family Foundation Maker Space, Digital Maker Space, Kevin Sullivan Family Foundation Collaborators Space, Whitmore Breakout Room, and bookable classrooms. Outreach extends to Western's 37,000+ students, 330,000+ alumni, faculty, and scholars, with on-demand digital content (podcast, The Founder's Journey online course, webinars) extending reach globally.

The business model is university-funded rather than market-priced. Morrissette does not develop proprietary technology products, charge tuition or fees for its core programs, or generate commercial revenue. Funding flows from Western University and Ivey Business School operating budgets, donor gifts (notably the Morrissette family naming gift), and competition sponsorship from partners such as BerQ RNG, Spin Master, IBK Capital, RBC, and BDC. All programs, advisory services, and spaces are delivered at no direct cost to Western-affiliated participants, and customer segments — students, alumni, faculty/staff, and scholars — are entirely internal to the Western University ecosystem. Geographic focus is Southwestern Ontario for in-person delivery, with North American reach via the Business Plan Competition and global reach via on-demand digital content.

Name

Morrissette Entrepreneurship

Legal name

Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey

Website

https://entrepreneurship.uwo.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Morrissette Entrepreneurship is the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey at Western University. It delivers education, accelerator programs, funding access, maker spaces, and mentorship to Western students, alumni, faculty, and scholars at no charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Entrepreneurship Education and Startup Support

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAHAC

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMAHAA

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAAAOAM

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYEDAHAEAH

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Technical & Polytechnic Universities

SECONDARYEDAMAHAI

Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMAHAG

Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAAAFAK

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education
• Startup accelerator programs
• Business plan competition
• University entrepreneurship center
• Maker space facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University-funded operations: Morrissette Entrepreneurship is funded by Western University and the Ivey Business School as a department within the university structure. It provides services at no direct cost to students, alumni, and affiliated entrepreneurs. Revenue is not generated through commercial product or service sales.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Morrissette Entrepreneurship operates the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey at Western University, delivering entrepreneurship education, startup acceleration programs, business plan competitions, mentorship, venture funding, maker space facilities, and promotional support to Western University students, alumni, faculty, and scholars. All programs and resources are provided at no cost to participants, supported by Western University and the Ivey Business School.

Product overview

Morrissette Entrepreneurship is the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey Business School at Western University. It offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. The portfolio includes the Western Accelerator for startup growth, Western Angels' Demo Day for investor connections, the BerQ RNG Business Plan Competition for student entrepreneurs, maker spaces (Sabourin Family Foundation Maker Space and Digital Maker Space), educational programs (Certificate in Entrepreneurship at Ivey, The Entrepreneur Podcast, Archived Webinars), funding programs (Western Propel Fund), coaching and advisory services, space booking at the Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and promotion/press services for founders. The organization serves students, alumni, and scholars through various programs including the Founders Program, Summer Incubator, and Entrepreneurial Summer Internship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Western Accelerator A structured startup acceleration program operated by the Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship that supports founders in developing and scaling their ventures, available to Western University students, alumni, faculty, and scholars.
• Founders Program A dedicated entrepreneurship program designed for founders in the Western University community, providing structured support for venture creation and growth.
• Summer Incubator A summer-focused incubation program that supports Western University-affiliated founders in developing their ventures during the summer term.
• Entrepreneurial Summer Internship A summer internship program placing Western University students with entrepreneurial ventures to gain practical startup experience.
• BerQ RNG Business Plan Competition An annual business plan competition originally established in 1999 as the founding initiative of the institute, open to Western University students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to compete with new venture ideas.
• Western Angels' Demo Day A pitch showcase event that connects Western University-affiliated ventures with angel investors for funding and networking opportunities.
• Certificate in Entrepreneurship at Ivey An academic certificate program delivered through the Ivey Business School that provides formal entrepreneurship credentials to Western University students.
• Western Propel Fund A venture funding program that provides capital to qualifying ventures led by Western University students, alumni, faculty, and scholars.
• Business Advisory Services One-on-one business coaching and advisory services offered to founders in the Western University entrepreneurship community to support venture development and decision-making.
• Promotion & Press Services Promotional and press support services that help ventures within the Western University ecosystem gain visibility and media coverage.
• Space Booking (Maker and Collaborative Spaces) Bookable workspace and maker facilities including the Sabourin Family Foundation Maker Space, Digital Maker Space, Kevin Sullivan Family Foundation Collaborators Space, and Whitmore Breakout Room, available to Western University students, alumni, faculty, and scholars for collaboration, fabrication, and meetings.
• Western Alumni Marketplace An online directory marketplace listing ventures and businesses led by Western University alumni, providing visibility and customer connection opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Newsletter subscriber base of over 10,000
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Western University and Ivey Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorrissette Entrepreneurship is the joint entrepreneurship institute of Western University and the Ivey Business School, operating as the 'Western Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey.' The partnership leverages Western's research university infrastructure and Ivey's business education expertise to deliver a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem spanning education, acceleration, funding, and community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University): Canadian university-based startup incubator and accelerator that supports student and external founders through programming, mentorship, and funding — a directly comparable model to Morrissette's accelerator and incubator offerings.
• Velocity (University of Waterloo): University of Waterloo's flagship entrepreneurship program and startup incubator, supporting student founders with workspace, mentorship, and programming — comparable to Morrissette's Western Accelerator, Founders Program, and Summer Incubator.
• MIT Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship: MIT's central entrepreneurship center providing accelerators, mentorship, maker spaces, and competitions for student founders — directly comparable in scope and institutional structure to Morrissette.
• The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship (Babson College): Babson College's entrepreneurship center offering accelerators, incubators, and curriculum for student founders — a direct US peer, especially given Babson's participation in the BerQ RNG competition.
• Creative Destruction Lab (Rotman School of Management): University-affiliated (Rotman/U of T) accelerator program that supports science- and technology-based startups, comparable to Morrissette's Western Accelerator and graduate-level venture programming.

Emerging players

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator that runs cohort-based startup programs for early-stage founders, comparable to Morrissette's accelerator and incubator offerings from a program-design perspective.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: World's largest startup accelerator offering a 3-month program plus Demo Day for founders — broader incumbent that overlaps with Morrissette's accelerator and Western Angels' Demo Day model.
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub offering broader entrepreneurship support, programming, and venture services at scale — a larger incumbent operating in the same Ontario innovation ecosystem as Morrissette.
• Stanford Startup Programs (StartX, STVP): Stanford-affiliated entrepreneurship programs including accelerator, founder education, and on-campus maker/collaboration spaces — a broader US incumbent peer to Morrissette's institute model.

Regional players

• UofT Entrepreneurship Programs (ICUBE, UTEST, RBC Innovation Hub): University of Toronto's network of entrepreneurship hubs, accelerators, and incubators serving student and external founders — a regional peer within the same Canadian university ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MorrissetteEntr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WesternUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/Morrissette.Entrepreneurship
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morrissette-entrepreneurship
• Instagraminstagram.com/morrissette.entrepreneurship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morrissette Entrepreneurship