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A whirlwind travel schedule and two intense weeks at Queen’s demanded a lot from Shakira Ndagire and Jonathan Mukiibi. But, despite being physically drained by the end of the Queen’s Innovation Connector Summer Initiative (QICSI) boot camp, the two international students from Uganda returned home invigorated by the experience.

“The students participating came from different backgrounds, and I really liked that about Queen’s,” says Mr. Mukiibi, a recent graduate from Makerere University in Kampala, along with Ms. Ndagire. “I talked to a number of students here at QICSI about our venture, and everyone had different views on it. Everyone gave us different feedback, which is great because I truly believe there are no limits to what you can achieve when you associate with people from different backgrounds.”

Since 2012, QICSI has served as the launching pad for several successful student-led companies in Canada. The Ugandan students hope their experience has a similar impact on their software company in Kampala.

“The program taught me about team dynamics, something I didn’t consider before. It told me how to manage people on a team, which will help me personally,” Ms. Ndagire says.

They learned about the program from Hugh Cameron (Sci’73) who teaches at the College of Computing and Information Sciences at Makerere University. Ms. Ndagire and Mr. Mukiibi saw QICSI as an exciting opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

“We had the idea, the team and the mentorship to start up the company. We needed some more training,” Mr. Mukiibi says. “I wasn’t a business student, so I really liked that through this program I added a lot more knowledge about entrepreneurship.”

During the boot camp, the Makerere students and other QICSI participants completed a variety of seminars and activities led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business experts. They also participated in a pitch competition during an entrepreneurship weekend.

Queen’s Innovation Connector offset the travel costs for the Makerere students while Queen’s student Klaudia Litwiniuk (Artsci’15) hosted them at her apartment.

“Shakira and Jonathan offered a global perspective on entrepreneurship that benefitted their fellow QICSI participants,” says Greg Bavington, Executive Director, Queen’s Innovation Connector. “The Makerere students both have experience working on different ventures, and they shared their insights throughout the QICSI boot camp. Their presentations during the pitch competition were also impressive.”

While the Makerere students have returned home to Kampala, the other QICSI students will remain on Queen’s campus over the next 16 weeks and work on developing their own ventures. The internship program concludes in late August when the teams will pitch their businesses to entrepreneurs, business leaders and alumni.