Grünovate (University of British Columbia, Canada)

	Lucas Lemanowicz	Ekaterina Dovjenko
	Cathy Han	Jason Ng

A week ago, I was in the undergraduate office consulting with a counsellor about course credits for going on exchange. Familiar with my background of entrepreneurship competitions, my counsellor recommended a prestigious international competition – Rubicon. I saw a competition that offered an amazing opportunity for its participants to showcase their abilities as well as gain a rich and unique cultural experience.

Immediately, I called up the three most passionate friends I knew. Our team formed nearly instantly, as the competition aligned with our interests and passions perfectly. We are a team of business students who are passionate about making a difference. Through our two years in post-secondary studies we have each pursued our respective ambitions, and have made a significant impact in our community each in our own way. Let us tell you a story, or four…

I have always valued the triple bottom line, emphasizing the need to consider not only being economically sustainable, but also environmentally and socially sustainable in business management. I served on the Commerce Undergraduate society’s student council with the main goal of ensuring the long run success of the organization. I also participated in UBC’s Doctors Without Borders organization, stressing the importance of businesses in international development. Oh, and the KPMG case competition, that was a lot of fun! – Ekaterina Technology

I love technology! I got some pretty cool presents as a kid, but I suppose playing the video games was only half the fun. I wanted to know how these games worked, so I joined an online community to learn more. I started programming at the age of 11, and have continued with the trial-and-error since then. Now, I’ve moved into the field of internet marketing and entrepreneurship with AER Marketing, a company started with some of my peers at Sauder. There’s just not enough time in a day to do everything, we should really try inventing a time machine. What do you think, team? – Lucas

There are so many internationally minded students on campus, why isn’t there a club? Back in my first year of university, after discussing this with a couple of friends, I thought it’d be great to start an International Business Club. IBClub is now one of the most prominent clubs on campus, and I’m very proud of the progress that we have made and all that we’ve done to involve over 500 members on topics of an international nature. This year, I started the Student Olympic Conference for Vancouver 2010, as well as an academic publication focusing on global issues with contributors from multiple international universities. As far as career aspirations go, I just received an offer from the Portfolio Management Foundation, so I’m definitely looking forward to taking care of the $3,000,000 investment portfolio. – Jason

Why us? With our combined ability to speak 7 different languages, we are able to communicate with over half the world! If we could duplicate ourselves, we’d be 2 instruments shy of being able to form an entire jazz band. When not busy pursing extracurricular involvements Cathy, Lucas, Ekat, and Jason are found on the court, the field, and the ballroom, or even out on the ocean fishing. As a team, our skills complement each other, bringing together entrepreneurial innovation, information technology, sustainability, teamwork and leadership. From IT Director of Canada’s largest student society, to KPMG case competition first place winner, our involvements have allowed us to explore all that being young entrepreneurs have to offer. If there’s one word that describes our team, it would have to be the word passion, rooted at the heart and the foundation of everything we do. There is little doubt that we are constantly seeking new opportunities for new cultural experiences. In a world connected by a few clicks of a button, business professionals today need an aptitude for change and an unwavering desire to learn. It would be a privilege to participate in Rubicon, and would love to show you what our team is all about. Thanks so much for taking the time to review our application, and we hope to see you in Germany!