Building a generation of changemakers: The UC Entrepreneurship Model
In this episode, we are joined by Lisa Martin, Innovation Lead at the University of Canterbury Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE), to explore how one of New Zealand’s leading universities is building a generation of innovators and change makers. Lisa shares how UCE is reshaping entrepreneurship education, placing values, community and experiential learning at the heart of its model.
From creating safe and inclusive spaces that build student confidence, to designing the 10-week Summer Startup Programme that mirrors the intensity of a real venture journey, to embedding Māori values that emphasise collaboration and guardianship, this conversation is packed with lessons for institutions seeking to empower students, nurture resilience and connect universities more deeply with industry and society.
You can read a summary below, and listen to the full interview in our podcast:
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Summary
A mission beyond business
At the University of Canterbury in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand, the Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) is shaping the next generation of innovators and change makers. With more than 1,500 students having passed through its flagship Summer Startup Programme, UCE empowers students from all disciplines to explore ideas, solve real-world problems, and gain confidence in their ability to act.
Success isn’t a one-size-fits-all outcome — sometimes the real win is students gaining confidence and learning to see themselves as change makers.
Foundations of the UCE approach
Lisa explains that their model builds on three pillars: mindset, confidence and skills. Students are encouraged to believe in their potential, take action in safe environments, and develop practical capabilities. A strong community, diverse, inclusive, and values-driven, sits at the heart of this approach. Many students say their biggest takeaway is that they’ve found a place where they belong.
The Summer Startup Programme
The 10-week Summer Startup Programme is UCE’s flagship initiative, bringing together around 20 founders or teams each year. Students from any discipline can apply, as long as they bring an idea. The programme offers scholarships so participants can commit full-time, mimicking the intensity of a real entrepreneurial journey.
Field trips, workshops, and daily sessions with industry experts are combined with dedicated coaching and mentoring. This culminates in the Summer Startup Showcase, where participants pitch to an audience of more than 400 people from the local innovation and business community. This structure helps students experience the realities of entrepreneurship—the excitement of breakthroughs, but also the emotional highs and lows.
Embracing failure and change
Students are supported not just in building ventures, but also in facing failure, pivoting, and learning resilience. Lisa highlights the example of a student who entered the programme with the idea of building an app for financial literacy but pivoted to a board game that went on to achieve success.
It’s about falling in love with the problem, not the first solution — and being willing to pivot when reality demands it.
Values and culture matter
UCE integrates Māori values into its programmes, embedding concepts such as taonga (relationships), manaaki (care and respect), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). These values foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where students are encouraged to share personal stories, build trust, and reflect on their journeys.
We are all in the same canoe together — collaboration is essential, because entrepreneurship is never a solo journey.
Lessons for universities worldwide
For Lisa, the language used around entrepreneurship is crucial. Many students, even business students, don’t identify as entrepreneurs. UCE deliberately adapts its language to be more inclusive, using terms like innovation, problem solving, or change making to bring more people into the fold.
The key lesson is that entrepreneurship education isn’t only about startups or investment raised — it’s about building confidence, skills, and communities that prepare students for the complexity of real-world challenges.
Ready for more?
Interested in how universities are weaving entrepreneurship into their faculties? The article Nurturing entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines: The Hunter Hub’s mission at the University of Calgary highlights how cross-campus initiatives are preparing students to think and act like innovators, no matter their background.
Looking through a different lens, Reimagining education to spark social and ecological change at Erasmus University Rotterdam shows how bold educational models can equip students to address global challenges with creativity, responsibility, and impact.
Stay tuned for the next episode on this series and don’t forget to follow us on your preferred podcast platform!
