Growing BarrelWise
During the MBA at UBC Sauder, most students take summer internships; but Artem and his teammate Jason opted to dedicate their summer to their entrepreneurial project. Since entrepreneurship and innovation is a career track specialization within the UBC MBA, students like Artem leveraged UBC-wide resources with the support of UBC Sauder, and had access to mentoring and support, as well as connect with a diverse network of like-minded people from other faculties.
They dedicated their time to conducting customer research, and applying to entrepreneurship programs at UBC. After completing the Lean Launch Pad program run by Entrepreneurship@UBC, they were accepted onto the HATCH Accelerator , which provides resources for the most promising projects of UBC students to get off the ground.
Through this, BarrelWise had access to a Maker Space at the school, where they could use 3D printers and other technologies to build prototypes of their product. They were also given a grant of $10,000 by UBC to start the business. In addition, they have access to UBC’s network of advisors and experts, who remain critical to the business today.
As the head of business development, Artem constantly draws on things he learned during his MBA. From marketing courses, he’s taken valuable lessons on how to conduct feedback, and how to know which features to grow. Crucially, he remembers to let the customer feedback lead the solution—”Not to be a product looking for a market.”
As BarrelWise looks in the coming months to grow its revenues and secure more funding, Artem’s MBA skills and knowledge are sure to continue to be put to the test.
Read More: Meet The UBC Sauder Entrepreneur Turning Beer Waste Into Sustainable Snacks
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