The GATE center is helping students bridge the gap between academics and entrepreneurship
The Graduate Advanced Training and Entrepreneurship (GATE) Centre has existed at the University of Regina (UofR) since 2022 under the umbrella of Graduate Studies and Research. The official UofR website states that “The Graduate Advanced Training and Entrepreneurship (GATE) Centre aims to build and support an engaging student culture of professional development, entrepreneurship, and innovation at the University of Regina.”
The centre aims to achieve this by facilitating career readiness, professional development, and networking opportunities for U of R students through various workshops, webinars, and events. GATE is part of the Entrepreneurship Launch and is catered to support students in their career journey and build on their social capital. It primarily empowers students with professional acumen and expertise to bridge the gap between the university and Saskatchewan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Reverse Career Fair and Startup 101 bootcamp are some of the external partners of GATE, and they also provide mentorship to participants.
On September 8, 2025, GATE hosted the “Real Talk with GATE” session in The Hill and Leven Business Collision Space located in ED 609. Attendees had the opportunity to ask one-on-one questions regarding entrepreneurship and innovation. The slogan on the UofR website for the session said “Real talk. Real ideas. Real impact.”
GATE’s project coordinator, Hannah Tait gave the Carillon insights about the “Real Talk with GATE” session, as well as tips for UofR students who are interested in getting engaged with the program.
Since when has GATE been in existence, and how has its role evolved over the years at the University of Regina?
The Graduate Advanced Training and Entrepreneurship (GATE) Centre has had a variety of initiatives over the past few years, such as the Startup 101 Bootcamp, but the first full-time staff were hired just over a year ago.
We have been delivering consistent programming and initiatives year-round since then to promote entrepreneurial thinking and career readiness. Simply put, GATE helps graduate students prepare for their careers and for anyone on campus to engage in entrepreneurship. The common theme between the portfolios is developing practical and future ready skills and connecting GATE stakeholders with the broader community to prepare for their future.
“The Grad Career Launch portfolio” works with master’s and PhD students from all faculties to develop career ready skills and connect with employers in a variety of industries. “The Entrepreneurship Launch portfolio” program provides introductory and exploratory support for anyone on campus to develop businesses including non-profits, startups, side hustles, traditional businesses, social enterprises, and deep tech startups.
Our approach at GATE are programs and initiatives that are agile and iterative to ensure our offerings align with our stakeholders’ interests. We are still young as a centre and constantly evolving as we build the GATE Centre. We strive to provide practical skills and experiences and have a lot of fun along the way. GATE Centre is unique as we are an institution wide centre. We get to work with all the faculties which is important for building a campus wide entrepreneurial culture.
What are your expectations for Real Talk with GATE—both in terms of student engagement and the outcomes you hope to see?
“Real Talk with GATE” is an initiative we are trying out this fall semester inspired by feedback about the need for a space for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect.
There are very intelligent, motivated, and entrepreneurial people on campus. The goal is to get them all in one place to build each other up. We are aiming to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, a community of supportive innovators, and a culture of entrepreneurial thinking on campus.
I also want the different types of innovators to connect. Folks interested in social enterprise, deep tech, startups, and side hustles all can learn from and support each other. “Real Talk” is a place for faculty, students, and staff to all connect in a neutral way to support each other.
In our first “Real Talk with GATE”, we had people from MAP, science, business, and engineering that were undergraduates or masters [students] or visiting researchers. I hope to see an even wider variety of faculties join us in the future. We were also so happy to give entrepreneurs a chance to receive peer feedback, share resources, and network. I was impressed with the conversation about organic marketing, business registration barriers, idea validation, go to market strategies, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and much more. It looks like we are on the right path for our first time!
Real Talk with GATE is an initiative inspired by feedback about the need for a space for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect. – Hannah Tait, Project Coordinator, GATE
What can students expect when they drop by Real Talk with GATE—is it more of a networking session, a mentorship opportunity, or both?
It is networking and mentoring, but we also hope it can just be a space for innovators and entrepreneurs to be part of the community. Attendees can share an idea or problem they are facing to get peer feedback or just soak up the discussion and eat their lunch with some amazing people.
Students, faculty and researchers can also expect to meet people from a variety of faculties and backgrounds. We do not have registration, firm agendas, or many “rules” because we want attendees to shape the discussions and initiative themselves. People can come and go over the course of the two hours.
When you first arrive, it may be a bit intimidating if there are people you have never met before, and no set agenda. There may be a bit of uncertainty for people to join for the first time, but GATE’s job is to introduce you to others and provide some support to make you feel comfortable.
Can you share some examples of successful events or initiatives GATE has organized in the past?
Our Grad Career Launch portfolio has seen a lot of success since it was started. It is also already running again this fall! We had hundreds of graduate students engage with the Reverse Career Fair, Dr. Keshen X Chamber of Commerce Executive event, and preparatory courses delivered in partnership with the Centre for Experiential and Service Learning. We have seen students build foundational blocks for their career, and quite a few are now in jobs! At these events we see graduate students develop a network, employable skills, and a sense of confidence.
Another success is at the Startup 101 Bootcamp in the winter 2025 semester that will be returning in 2026. We had projected we would be supporting eight new projects and companies. By the end of the program, we had 15! Our participants have gone on to participate in other local incubators, learn about developing their IP, pivot their company, and pursue a variety of entrepreneurial paths.
How can students continue engaging with GATE after this event if they are interested in entrepreneurship or innovation?
The entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities with GATE include “Real Talk with GATE” where we have a drop in meet up for innovators and entrepreneurs biweekly on every second Monday in the Collision Space on the 6th floor of the Education Building. “GATE Goes too” is another initiative where we have experiential learning field trips to connect innovators to real world problems. And for the Startup 101 Bootcamp, there is introductory and exploratory programming for early-stage tech startups, ending in a pitch competition happening this winter semester. Participants will hear from established founders, leaders in the Saskatchewan ecosystem, incubators, and even a few investors!
We encourage all UofR students to get involved with GATE as it offers an excellent opportunity to learn from experts, form important connections, and develop transferable skills.
