MindFrame Connect

This project aims to support innovation and entrepreneurship for start-ups and small to medium enterprises.

The problems facing the world are complex, and Canada needs high performing innovators and entrepreneurs to solve them — not only to form start-up companies, but also to work as entrepreneurs, innovators and change makers who drive social, economic, environmental and health initiatives in companies, government, not-for-profits and elsewhere.

The Future Skills Centre is investing $2.9 million in this two-and-a-half year project, MindFrame Connect, which is developing the mindset and resilience of Canada’s high-performing entrepreneurs and elevating the craft of mentorship throughout the ecosystem.”Led by Dalhousie University, Globalive, Ryerson University, I-INC, and Davis Pier, this initiative reinforces Canada’s mission to truly become an innovation nation by creating and cultivating more high-performing entrepreneurs and mentors. The national start-up ecosystem has developed numerous programs focused on venture building skills and connecting mentors to promising innovators. However, gaps remain, including:

Early-stage support for graduate students and researchers to foster the entrepreneurial mindset and develop the skills, experiences, discipline and resilience to thrive in the innovation economy, whether they are starting new ventures or working in the broader innovation ecosystem.

The mental and behavioural aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship, including emotional strength, perseverance, resilience, antifragility, self-awareness, conscious leadership, goal-orientation, performance culture, high integrity, empathy, coach-ability, adaptivity, and stamina. The ability to perform, thrive and excel under extreme stress and pressure, and the leadership skills and talent development for building and leading high-performance teams.
Providing mentors of entrepreneurs with access to the skills and tools needed to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the relationship and improve their craft. This can include: mentorship/coaching best practices and tools; frameworks, mental models, and codes of conduct; evaluation and performance feedback; and equity, diversity and inclusion.

MindFrame Connect will create and pilot new evidence-based programming to fill these gaps and complement current offerings in the Canadian ecosystem.

The path of entrepreneurship and mentorship can be difficult and navigating all the complexities requires grit, resilience, adaptability, strength and an openness to learn. At MindFrame Connect, the goal is to take away some of these complexities by providing a central place to learn, adapt and grow both as an entrepreneur and mentor.

Learn more at mindframeconnect.com.

Evaluation Strategy

This project is evaluated using tools and approaches aligned with its goals, context, and stage of development. The evaluation focuses on generating the right evidence at the right moment to move the intervention forward. Read more about our evaluation strategy.