MRU opens studio for ‘change makers’

Initiative links startups to wider community

Mount Royal University has opened a space in its Bissett School of Business aimed at connecting startups with non-profits and public sector leaders.

Called the Trico Changemakers Studio, the space will serve as an incubator where business students and startup entrepreneurs can work with the public and not-forprofit sector on social or environmental challenges.

For example, studio member Universal Access is working to increase the number and quality of spaces in the city that are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Alberta Health Services’ Design Lab — which works to solve complex health challenges — also has a presence at the studio, as does the United Way, Calgary Arts Development Authority, Generation Indigenous and a number of artists, activists and small private startups.

“It highlights the fact that change makers come from all different backgrounds, sectors and disciplines,” studio director Jill Andres said in a news release. “We have social entrepreneurs, artists, activists and students — and every single one of them is essential if we want to make progress toward addressing complex issues.”

The Trico Changemakers Studio is a joint initiative between Mount Royal’s Institute for Community Prosperity, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Bissett School of Business.