Entrepreneurship Co-op empowers FHS student to expand non-profit program beyond Lower Mainland

By Sharon Mah

When most people think of entrepreneurship, images of profitable physical or virtual storefronts, product launches, or patenting inventions come to mind. However, when Faculty of Health sciences Chloe Goodison saw the ad for SFU’s Entrepreneurship Co-op (eCo-op) program on Facebook, she saw a way to build capacity and sustainability for her fledgling non-profit, NaloxHome Society.

“I was drawn in by the ability to be paid, mentored, and supported as I navigated life as a student entrepreneur at SFU,” she explains.

NaloxHome received official BC Society status in 2022 and formalized a structure for the destigmatizing overdose education and naloxone training program Goodison had been developing since 2020. “As I started NaloxHome Society… I immediately knew that eCo-op would be something that I would want to pursue at some point. It is rare that undergraduate students are able to start and sustain a business, let alone get such valuable and ongoing support from their university. This opportunity was too good to not dive into.”

SFU is known for providing multiple entrepreneurship opportunities for its students. The Entrepreneurship Co-op program, which started in 2009, is one of best offerings on hand for SFU students from any program to chase their dreams.

“eCo-op is a unique and valuable opportunity for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and take part in paid work integrated learning through exploration, launch and/or growth of an idea, startup or venture,” says Thomas Partridge, Associate Director, Incubator Programs at SFU’s Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship. “The program is comprehensive, providing successful candidates with a paid salary and mentoring as well as access to a workspace, skills development workshops, service providers and other business development opportunities.”

Goodison applied for the eCo-op competition in 2023 and secured a coveted spot in the program, only to discover that she needed to join the SFU Co-op program before she could start her work term. She reached out to Co-op Coordinator Isabella Silvestre who helped her navigate this small hiccup and officially enroll in the program.

When asked how Goodison’s experience was different from that of other Health Sciences Co-op students, Silvestre observed that “it’s the employer piece that’s different with eCo-op versus a regular position. [Goodison is] required to set learning objectives and then review them with her supervisor, which is her main mentor.”

“The opportunity within Co-op is to allow student to get exposure to not only what they are studying but in areas and organizations outside of that,” says Silvestre. “We’ve had students who have a hobby or a side hustle that they are really keen on. With that interest and the skills they bring, in addition to what they learn here at the university, they’re able to apply into lots of different areas [in the Co-op program],” she added, noting that SFU’s Co-op model and centralized platform allows students to apply for any posted opportunity, even if it lies within a different area of practice, such as business, applied sciences, or psychology.

Goodison says that her main goal was to use her time during eCo-op to develop NaloxHome so that it could be self-sufficient and scalable. “Before eCo-op, I worked two part time jobs, took four to five courses at school each semester, and would work on NaloxHome in the middle of the night, unpaid,” she recalls, admitting that this workload was unsustainable. However, investing her time and energy in the eCo-op program has paid off as NaloxHome has been able to expand its offerings into communities outside of the Lower Mainland. “We have a large and diverse volunteer pool, and they join us from many regions. We look forward to the future, where NaloxHome branches will develop right across the province to scale in-person operations into every classroom in BC. This process has already started moving – so exciting!”

When asked which parts of the eCo-op program she most enjoyed, Goodison highlighted both the mentorship supports and the complete autonomy and agency she had in her day-to-day business decisions. “Working with my mentor, Doug Fast, allowed me to take a step back and look at NaloxHome Society from a high level and steer operations in the direction I want to be going in. It was also great to connect with other mentors, such as Tim Ames, who shared so many helpful insights into non-profit governance, structure, and compliance. Overall, I could not have received better interdisciplinary support. I feel confident that I could start other ventures – for-profit included – using the skills and advice I derived.”

“I'm still in disbelief of my luck,” she concludes. “I wish all students knew of eCo-Op, as there is no better way to gain hands-on entrepreneurial experience than this.”

Entrepreneurship Co-op conducts one intake each semester for all undergraduate students at SFU – the next deadline is July 3, 2024. Chang Institute provides programs and services that can help students develop their ideas and eCo-op application and/or pitch.

Chang Institute has just launched eGrad, a similar program to eCo-op that supports one graduate student at SFU.