Create Centre for Entrepreneurship Provides Space for Students to Turn Ideas into Action
New centre set to redefine entrepreneurship by providing access to collaborative, cross-disciplinary programming and resources that support leadership, creativity and problem solving
Trent University has officially opened the doors to the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship, a student-centred entrepreneurship and innovation space designed to equip students from all disciplines with the skills, connections and confidence to lead change in their communities and careers.
“The Create Centre for Entrepreneurship reflects the spirit of Trent – collaborative, student-centred and deeply engaged with the world around us,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “Our goal is to challenge the conventional ideas around what entrepreneurship means, allowing every student to think differently and take risks, and make a meaningful impact.”
Create offers a fresh take on entrepreneurship, breaking down traditional barriers that often limit access to students with pre-existing business ideas. Instead, the Centre provides an inclusive entry point for any student to explore problem-solving, leadership and collaboration.
The new Centre shares space with the Leadership and Democracy Lab, led by Dr. Cristine de Clercy, Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership. This strategic decision brings together leadership development and entrepreneurial training for convenient access.
The Create Centre for Entrepreneurship will serve as a connector between students and faculty, existing programming and services at Trent, as well as the business sectors in both Peterborough and Durham. In addition to skill-building and mentorship, students will gain access to networking opportunities, hands-on experiences and curated programming.
“Create embodies the powerful engine of human progress at this seminal moment in the human journey,” said Gavin Marshall ’76, Trent alumnus and leader of Trent’s Momentous Campaign, whose generosity helped fund the launch of the Centre. “In a time when digital interaction often replaces human connection, this model emphasizes collaboration, shared problem-solving and real human leadership. Whether our students go on to launch a company, work in the non-profit sector or lead public policy reform, or however they do the essential work of tomorrow building, Create will help them understand that big change never happens in isolation.”
The Centre’s physical space is now open in Bata Library on the fourth floor, which is known as the Moore Innovation Hub made possible through the generosity of Dr. David Moore '93 (hon) and Joan Moore. The University also plans to expand the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship programming to Trent Durham GTA.
About the Momentous Campaign
The $100-million Momentous Campaign is the boldest fundraising initiative in Trent University’s history—an ambitious call to turn possibility into something momentous. Launched in March 2023, the Campaign supports Trent’s vision for the future: where students are empowered to lead with purpose, research drives real-world change, and physical spaces inspire connection, learning, and innovation. Through the Campaign, the University is fundraising for areas such as the Trent Fund to support student wellness, the Trent Lands and Nature Areas, the School of Education, School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, the Colleges of Trent, and the School of Business. A key goal is to recruit 500 new monthly donors, thereby building sustainable and reliable support for students, research, and learning environments.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.