Overview

Gender

female

Shelley Hessian is manager of incubation and entrepreneur programs at Innovacorp. She has more than 15 years experience working with small and medium business enterprises, specifically in project management, business development and planning, and strategy implementation.

Joining Innovacorp in 2007 as project manager of the organization's I-3 Technology Start-Up Competition, Shelley has been instrumental in the growth and success of the competition, which now happens every two years. She also runs the Early Stage Commercialization Fund, manages Innovacorp's other university and college outreach activities, and works one-on-one with Innovacorp's early stage technology client companies.

Prior to joining the Innovacorp team, Shelley was manager of consulting and skills development at Saint Mary’s University Business Development Centre, which offers professional business consulting services, skills development and customized training programs to entrepreneurs. In this role, Shelley led the development and implementation of new projects, created annual strategic business plans, and mentored clients in several key areas, including business plans, market/feasibility studies and project management.

Shelley was also project coordinator at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED). In this role, Shelley was administrator of a loan program targeted at youth and counseled clients on business start-up and expansion in a range of industry sectors. Shelley worked hands-on with CEED clients, conducting site visits and analyzing financial, marketing and operational efforts.

Shelley is co-author of “Entrepreneurship in Atlantic Canadian University Environments – The Variables that Promote and Hinder Entrepreneurship Development” and “Entrepreneurship in Atlantic Canadian University Environments – A Model and Strategy for Entrepreneurship Development among Students.” These two publications offer insights into creating a culture of entrepreneurship at universities.