Groundwork: A 10-Day Startup Challenge
Conestoga's Venture Lab for Tech business incubator program invites all Conestoga College students, recent grads and alumni to join us for Groundwork: A 10-Day Startup Challenge happening June 1-10!
Program Overview
Stop guessing. Start doing. Most ideas stay ideas because they feel too big to start. Or worse, they become “zombie startups”—businesses built on assumptions that don’t actually solve real customer problems.
Groundwork is Venture Lab for Tech’s starting point for recent grads, alumni and students who want to explore an initial tech business idea. In this 10-day sprint, you will move from assumptions to a data-backed, low-fidelity Proof of Concept (POC) that solves real pain points.
No fluff. No long lectures. Just 10 days of Groundwork to stop wondering ‘what if’ and start finding out.
Schedule Overview
The program is a mix of in-person workshops and work blocks at the Waterloo Campus and virtual check-ins, designed to fit into your build schedule.
Day 1: The Foundation. Pinpoint the pain. Define the "why" before the "what."
Day 2-3: The Discovery. Dive into the data. Map the reality of the market.
Day 4: The Bridge. Move from data to solution. Find your "Blue Ocean."
Day 5: The Build. Low-fidelity, high-impact. Make your idea touchable.
Day 6-7: The Quiet. Weekend space to refine, iterate, and breathe.
Day 8-9: The Prep. Polishing the POC. Crafting the story. Getting demo-ready.
Day 10: The Pitch. A live celebration of the doing. Pitch. Demo. Done.
What You’ll Get
The brave work of beginning. Throughout the 10 days, you will have:
Workshops, coaching + mentorship with experienced coaches + founders
Groundwork roadmap tasks: hands-on work to move your idea forward
Access to co-working space at Waterloo Campus
Confidence backed by data. By the end of the 10 days, you will have:
A Validated Problem: A specific, evidence-based problem statement.
A Conceptual Build: A working proof of concept to show potential customers.
A Clear Path: The confidence and evidence required to take your next steps in the startup world.
Designed to give you the confidence and evidence you need to take your next steps in the startup world, Groundwork prepares you for the deep-dive incubation offered in our 3-phase Venture Lab for Tech early-stage business incubator program.
Questions?
We've got answers! Click "Contact the Host" under the "Hosted by:" section and we'll get back to you within 1-2 business days.
About Us
The Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective equips Conestoga College students and alumni with the programs, resources and tools to pursue their entrepreneurship potential. Our flagship programs include: