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McGill
Dobson
Cup
2021
Last update: 2020/11/27
Marie-Josée LamotheAcademic Director
McGill Dobson Centre For Entrepreneurship
The Dobson Centre is the hub for
entrepreneurship at McGill University, where
ideas stemming from all McGill faculties grow
into innovative companies with a purpose.
We aim to inspire, teach and develop early
entrepreneurs while also introducing them
to local, national and global entrepreneurship
ecosystems.
The Dobson Cup is an integral part of the
center’s programming. This flagship
competition is specifically designed to
support and reward the most promising
emerging startup ideas.
The Dobson Cup is also an experiential
learning opportunity that offers a once in a
lifetime networking experience with world-
class entrepreneurs and mentors. More than
just a pitch session, finalists across all tracks
are competing for over $200,000 in funding.
Teams selected for the semi-finals and the
finals will also have the opportunity to work
on further refining their business plan and
mastering their pitch through target
workshops and guidance.
The Dobson Cup program is an excellent
way of perfecting your startup idea and
gaining valuable exposure.
A flagship competition helping startups
strengthen their ideas
Program OverviewDeveloping startup ideas
The McGill Dobson Cup is a startup competition taking place online over 4
months, that also offers targeted workshops to support participating teams in
their entrepreneurship journey.
Who can apply?
Teams entering the Dobson Cup must have at least one founder with a McGill
affiliation (student, staff, faculty, alumni graduated within the last 10 years).
What are the milestones of the competition?
The competition is made of two rounds, the semi-finals (up to 30 teams per track)
and the finals (up to 8 teams per track), followed by the Awards Ceremony. The
winning teams will be rewarded with over $ 200, 000 in prize money.
Over the same period, targeted workshops and learning resources will be offered to
semi-finalists and finalists.
What are the four tracks ?
While submitting their online application and startup plan, teams must choose a
track according to their startup idea:
• Health Sciences Enterprise Track
• Innovation and Technology Driven Enterprise Track
• Social Impact Enterprise Track
• Environmental Enterprise Track
Program OverviewDeveloping startup ideas
Key dates
2020/11/30 Applications open
2021/01/18 Deadline for applications
2021/01/26 Semi-finalists announced
2021/02/08 Semi-finals pitch day
2021/02/09 Semi-finals pitch day
2021/02/10 Semi-finals pitch day
2021/02/11 Semi-finals pitch day
2021/02/12 Finalists announced
2021/03/11 Deadline for final startup plans
2021/03/29 Finals pitch day
2021/03/30 Finals pitch day
2021/03/30 Awards ceremony
Judging criteria
Judging will focus on the content of the submitted startup plans : value proposition,
market and competition knowledge, marketing strategy, business and financial
model, team composition, risk assessment, will all be analyzed. Judges will also look
at the feasibility, growth potential, and innovation, as presented by the teams.
Program OverviewDeveloping startup ideas
Prizes and awards
For the 2021 McGill Dobson Cup, over $200,000 in funding will be
allocated to the winning teams.
1. Powered by National Bank
$160,000 in prizes distributed across all four tracks :
• 1st Place - Four (4) prizes of $20,000*
• 2nd Place - Four (4) prizes of $12,000
• 3rd Place - Four (4) prizes of $8,000
2. Avmor Prize for Social Responsibility
Established by Avi Morrow, founder and Chairman of Avmor, this is an annual prize
for the best startup plan submitted in the McGill Dobson Cup by an undergraduate
student(s) on behalf of a not-for-profit organization. Amount: $1,900.
3. Food Convergence Innovation Prize
This prize recognizes the partnership between the Faculty of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences (FAES) and the McGill Centre for the Convergence of
Health and Economics (MCCHE), and presented by Enzyme. It supports a venture,
in the areas of agriculture, food and agribusiness, that clearly intertwines
technological innovation, social innovation, and institutional innovation to
simultaneously derive measurable economic and social benefit(s). Amount: $5,000.
*Including $10,000 from the Peter and Joan Monk Entrepreneurship
endowment allocated to the first place of the Social Impact Entreprise track.
Program OverviewDeveloping startup ideas
Prizes and awards (cont’d)
4. Mastercard Foundation-Dobson Startup Award
This prize supports ventures competing in the Social Impact Enterprise track of the
McGill Dobson Cup.
• 1st Place - $15,000
• 2nd Place - $7,000
5. The McGill EnginE Prize
This prize, funded by our generous donors, the late Jim Brodeur and his wife
Barbara Brodeur, is offered by the McGill Engine Centre to support a
technologically-based venture, with at least one team member being part of McGill’s
Faculty of Engineering. Amount: $2,500.
6. Murdoch Family Initiative Award
Established by Neil Murdoch (BCom‘81) and Gisele Murdoch to help support
undergraduate students in the Desautels Faculty of Management to take the
initiative to gain practical experience during their studies and to encourage students
to be creative and entrepreneurial. Amount: $6,000.
7. Steven Pal Family Award
Established in 2020 by Steven Pal (BSc 1979, MBA 1981), this award will be for a
student who has demonstrated entrepreneurial talent and initiative. Amount: $5,000.
Program OverviewDeveloping startup ideas
Available learning resources
KEY LEARNING THEMES
The Dobson Cup dedicated learning resources will guide the startups through all
key aspects of entrepreneurship : market research, finance and accounting, legal
aspects, marketing, pitch practice.
FORMAT
• Action learning: Throughout the program, participants work with their teams on
achieving milestones related to their startup idea. This process is a crucial
component of the program and will ultimately lead to the strengthening of viable
startup ideas.
• Weekly workshops: The central platform for introducing strategic frameworks
and business concepts that guide the process of shaping and developing your
startup ideas. Workshops also provide the opportunity to bridge theory with real-
world application through stories, examples and insights from guest speakers.
Workshops are mandatory for at least one member of each team.
• Clinics: Available on appointment, the clinics are hands-on, one-on-one meetings
with students, alumni and seasoned experts on health sciences strategy, legal
issues, and financial issues. They will help you to work on a specific question you
may have on any of those topics.
• Banking information session: Offered by the National Bank, this session
provides an opportunity to dig into the specificities of banking for startups.
Dobson Cup Course Plan
# and date Title and contents Available to Action-learning project
1 (TBC)Wednesday
Jan. 20
5-6.30 pm
Introduction
• Welcome to the MDC2021
• Keynote speaker
• Inspirational Entrepreneurs –
the Lightspeed example
All teams Team and idea building:
• Discuss the keynote
address and the video
within your team and
write down key
takeaways
• If not selected for
semi-finals, discuss
your next steps
2Wednesday
Jan. 27
6-8 pm
Marketing 101 Semi-finalists Marketing strategy
• Refine your marketing
strategy
3Wednesday
Feb. 3
6-8 pm
Finance for startups
• Building bullet-proof
assumptions
• Model structuring
• Scenario planning
• Tracking and communicating
effectively
Semi-finalists Financial model
• Build your first
financial model
IS1 (TBC)
Thursday
Feb.4
5-6.30 pm
National Bank information
session
• Banking for startups
All teams -
Semi-finals pitch days will take place Feb. 8 to Feb. 11 (one day for each track).
Dobson Cup Course Plan
Final startup plans must be submitted by Thursday March 11th.
Finals pitch days will take place on March 29th and 30th
(depending on the tracks) and will be followed by the Awards
Ceremony.
# and date Title and contents Available
to
Action-learning project
4Wednesday
Feb. 17
6-8 pm
Financial KPIs and
modeling
• Understanding the best
practices around financial
modeling
• Choosing relevant KPIs
• Using the suggested
dashboard
Finalists Financial KPIs
• Create and use your financial
KPIs dashboard
5Wednesday
Feb. 24
6-8 pm
Storytelling and audience
engagement
• Improving your pitch using
storytelling
• Capturing the audience’s
attention with an engaging
narrative
Finalists Pitch
• Improve your pitch using
takeaways from the
workshop
6Wednesday
March 3
6-8 pm
Creating a good pitch Finalists Research and pitch
• Analyse your market and
your data
• Designate one pitcher
among your team
• Practice your pitch in front of
various audiences
7In your own
time, before
March 11th
- Finalists Startup plan
• Based on your learnings,
improve and submit your final
startup plan
7By appointment
Feb-March
Pitch practice Finalists
C1By appointment
Legal clinic All teams
C2By appointment
Feb-Mar.
Financial clinic Finalists
In Order of Appearance
Marie-Josée LamotheMs. Lamothe has over 25 years of experience in the competitive digital and consumer
products world (Google, L’Oréal, Procter&Gamble, Clairol). She is best noted for her
expertise in Global Product Management and Omni-Channel Branding. Ms. Lamothe is a
Professor of Practice at McGill University (Desautels Business Faculty) and is the
President of Tandem International, an advisory firm specialized in omnichannel retailing
and branding. She is also the executive director of the McGill Dobson Centre for
Entrepreneurship.
Speakers & Contributors
Bob CornwallBob has held a number of roles at Google including; Head of YouTube & Brand Strategy
for Canada, Global Head of Cross-Video Solutions, Global Head of YouTube Education &
Curriculum, and Global Brand Building Specialist. Bob and his teams at Google have
been responsible for enabling Google’s largest partners to build their brand and their
business by harnessing the power of the YouTube platform. In addition, Bob also
continues to mentor and consult numerous start-ups and scale-ups based out of Canada.
Prior to joining Google Bob grew up as a Brand Marketer on the client side working at
Nike, Unilever, Cadbury, Kraft, and Mondelez working on local, regional, and global
teams. Bob graduated with a B.Comm from Queen’s University and his Masters in
Creativity from Cannes. Bob has lived abroad but today resides in Toronto.
Eric BoykoAn entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience with start-ups, Mr. Boyko has
extensive expertise in early stage business innovations.
He is President, Co-founder, and CEO of Stingray Group Inc., a leading business-to-
business multi-platform music and in-store media solutions provider operating on a global
scale reaching an estimated 400 million Pay-TV subscribers (or households) in 152
countries. The company completed a successful IPO in June 2015 and is listed on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (RAY.A; RAY.B).
Previously, Mr. Boyko founded and was President of eFundraising.com Corporation,
which became a leading player in the North American fundraising industry. In 2006, he
was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Mr. Boyko is a board member of the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation and also
sits on the board of Montreal-based Alimentation Couche-Tard.
A graduate with great distinction of McGill University, he holds a Bachelor of Commerce
with a concentration in accounting and entrepreneurship. Mr. Boyko became a Certified
General Accountant (CPA) in 1997.
Speakers and contributorsIn Order of Appearance
Nathaniel HaeemsNathaniel is a seasoned coach, trained facilitator and consultant with international
experience in both Europe and North America, who has spearheaded a number of
leadership development initiatives for various multinational organizations.
His subject matter expertise is focused on effective business communications ̶analyzing,
organizing and presenting ideas clearly and with impact as well as conflict resolution. He
is currently a faculty lecturer for the McGill Executive Institute ‘Building and Selling a
Winning Business Case’ seminar as well as an important contributor to various custom
programs. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University and an
MBA from McGill University.
Stéphanie LeblancStéphanie is partner with the PwC Consulting and deals Group. She has a broad
expertise in assisting organizations in special situations requiring immediate intervention
in terms of cash management, financial analysis, financial modeling, restructuring and
litigation. Stéphanie manages PwC Montreal's ProfessionnELLES group, an initiative to
promote the talent of the feminine personnel. She is also cofounder of Premières en
Affaires, a francophone and independent business publication with the mission of
valorizing successful business women.
Christophe Guimond DrapeauChristophe is a Senior Associate, Value Creation at PwC Canada. He specializes in
strategy and financial modeling for various industries such as construction, energy and
utilities, logistics, technology, real estate, healthcare and retail.
Shelly RaoCapital raiser, operator and finance leader. Shelly is currently the head of Finance at
Kepler, where she helped the company lead two debt raises & Series B financing, as well
as managing the scale and growth from pre-revenue to a run-rate of $1.3M in less than
two years. Prior to joining Kepler, Shelly worked in investment banking with CIBC in the
M&A group, and National Bank of Canada across various industry groups.
Shelly holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University (Class of 2014).
Specialties: Financing, investment banking, M&A,
startups, business development, management, strategy,
entrepreneurship, operations.
Speakers and contributorsIn Order of Appearance
Michael Amar – Financial clinicMichael is a McGill alumnus from the Desautels Faculty of Management with experience
in Audit (KPMG), Private Equity (Novacap) and Strategy Consulting (Roland Berger). He
will be operating the Financial Clinic to help teams deal with specific financial issues, by
appointment.
Compass Startup Legal ClinicA team of law students will support the MDC teams with their legal issues, by
appointment..
Amplitude Ventures – Health Sciences Strategic clinicThe Health Sciences Strategic clinic is run by Amplitude Ventures experts and is open to
all Health Sciences Enterprise track semi-finalists and finalists, by appointment.
Amplitude Venture specializes in creating, building, and growing break-out healthcare
companies developing regulated products. These clinics will focus on helping teams
work on strategic issues such as indication prioritization, alignment on key value
inflection data points, KOL / client engagement and regulatory challenges.
Bonnie ChauBonnie is a Portfolio Manager at BCF Ventures with diversified expertise in the areas of
entrepreneurship, finance, accounting and investment. She currently leads the due
diligence for B2B startups and provides support in the portfolio companies. Prior to
becoming a VC at BCF Ventures, she has worked at one of the fastest growing fintech
companies in Canada by providing her expertise in Finance/Accounting and she was later
promoted to execute on internal projects and interim management working directly with
the CEO/CFO. She always looks for opportunities to give back to the startup community
through her work with Startup Weekend, UpstartED, and many more. Bonnie holds a
B.Comm in Accountancy from Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University and
she also obtained her accounting designation CPA.
Program Application
Ideal Participant Profile
This program is for McGill-affiliated entrepreneurs and startups that have been
working on an idea or prototype and on a business plan. Your startup should be
launched or ready to be launched within the year.
• Your team has at least one founder that is a McGill University student, faculty
member, staff member or alumni.
• Your idea needs to be innovative, with a purpose.
A commitment towards attending the workshops is required.
How to apply ?
1. Read the online guidelines to confirm eligibility and understand the major steps.
2. Choose which of the four tracks of the competition you want to enter. Track
definitions are available in the guidelines.
3. Write your five-page startup plan using the fillable Microsoft Word template, and
convert it into a pdf document. Plans that do not use the template will not be
accepted.
4. Make a short video of your team presenting the project (1’30” maximum) –
unlisted on YouTube or Vimeo.
5. Fill-in the online application form, attach your pdf startup plan and add the link to
your video.
Do not miss the deadline! No applications will be accepted after Jan.18, 11.59 pm.
For any questions regarding this
program, please contact