From research to real-world impact: Inside the Hunter Hub Model
In this episode, we are joined by Paula Berton, Scientific Innovation Executive and Academic Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, to explore how a research-intensive university is reimagining entrepreneurship from the inside out. Paula shares how the Hunter Hub shifts the focus from startups alone to entrepreneurial thinking as a mindset—building confidence, communication, and collaboration skills across disciplines. She discusses tailoring programmes for researchers, creating one-to-one mentoring with empathy, opening multiple pathways to impact (venture, policy, partnership, community), and working with faculties to bring entrepreneurial learning into curricula and co-curricula.
From moving beyond a single “startup pipeline” to a pathways model that values personal growth as much as venture creation, to designing safe, energising spaces where people can try, fail and try again, to aligning language, partnerships, and metrics so more academics feel welcome—this conversation is packed with practical insights for institutions looking to turn research into real-world value without forcing a one-size-fits-all route.
You can read a summary below, and listen to the full interview in our podcast:
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Summary
Rethinking entrepreneurship inside a research university
At the University of Calgary, the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is reshaping what entrepreneurship means within a research-intensive institution. Rather than positioning entrepreneurship solely as a startup or commercialisation pathway, the Hub focuses on entrepreneurial thinking as a mindset and skillset—something that empowers students and researchers to recognise opportunities, navigate ambiguity and create value in many forms, whether through ventures, policy, research translation or social innovation.
Not everyone needs to be a founder, but everyone can benefit from entrepreneurial thinking; it’s a mindset, not a job title.
A hub that sits across the entire university
The Hunter Hub is intentionally placed outside a single faculty or unit, acting as a connector between disciplines. It works with engineers, medical researchers, social scientists and artists, embedding entrepreneurial thinking into research projects, graduate training and interdisciplinary initiatives. This positioning allows it to scale reach and influence culture rather than build a single pipeline for startup founders.
The Hub’s programmes are designed to be modular and mindset-led so that participants can engage at different intensities—from light-touch exposure to deep venture-building support.
Pathways instead of pipelines
Instead of a single direction leading to a venture, the Hunter Hub speaks in terms of multiple pathways. Students and researchers might leave with a startup, a sharper research proposal with industry alignment, or simply a stronger sense of creative confidence. Impact is understood in personal and professional transformation, not just economic output.
Our goal isn’t to push everyone into a company. It’s to help people see possibility and feel confident turning ideas into action.
Building confidence through community
A recurring theme in Paula’s reflections is the role of community, peer support and psychological safety. The Hunter Hub invests intentionally in building welcoming, energising environments where researchers can experiment, learn and connect without pressure. Rather than focusing solely on pitch days or investment metrics, they celebrate personal growth, reflection and collaboration as core outcomes.
Entrepreneurship as a human experience
The Hub also challenges the narrative of relentless hustle often associated with entrepreneurship. Instead, it frames entrepreneurial thinking as a human experience that requires vulnerability, experimentation and empathy—both in mentoring and peer-to-peer interaction.
The most powerful thing we do isn’t teaching tools—it’s creating a space where people feel safe to try, fail, and try again.
A model rooted in partnerships and openness
Partnerships with faculties, funders, innovation ecosystems and community organisations enable the Hunter Hub to integrate its work across programmes and ensure that entrepreneurship isn’t isolated from research impact agendas, regional development strategies or talent pipelines. The Hub acts as a translator and catalyst, not a standalone accelerator.
Ready for more?
Interested in how the Hunter Hub is shaping entrepreneurial thinking beyond individual programmes? The article Nurturing entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines: The Hunter Hub’s mission at the University of Calgary dives deeper into how the Hub is embedding mindset, creativity and opportunity-spotting into research culture across the university.
For another perspective on values-driven entrepreneurship education, the podcast Building a generation of changemakers: The UC entrepreneurship model explores how community, reflection and resilience are shaping entrepreneurial learning at the University of Canterbury.
Stay tuned for the next episode on this series and don’t forget to follow us on your preferred podcast platform!
