YSpace Lassonde
YSpace Lassonde empowers engineering students, alumni, and researchers at York's Lassonde School of Engineering to explore ideas, build innovative solutions, and launch impactful ventures. Whether you're just getting started or already working on a project or business, our programs, community, and hands-on support help you gain the skills, confidence, and ecosystem access to grow as an entrepreneur.
What to Expect
Strengthening engineering talent
Our mission is to help engineering students and alumni apply their technical skills to real-world problems through entrepreneurship. We believe every engineer should have access to the community, guidance, and resources needed to turn ideas into impactful solutions
Building tech that drives change
Innovation in engineering fuels progress. When technical minds create solutions that address societal needs and strong business models, they build products that transform industries. Supporting engineers at the earliest stages leads to stronger startups and a more competitive Canadian tech ecosystem.
Committed to inclusive engineering
We are dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices in engineering, welcoming innovators from all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. We’re proud to build programs that create equitable access to mentorship, resources, and opportunities. Our goal is to ensure engineering entrepreneurship reflects the full diversity of our community.
Become a YSpace Lassonde Member
As a YSpace Lassonde member, you get hands-on support and access to a strong founder community to either launch or help your venture grow. Enjoy exclusive Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EiR) support, office space with hot desks, plus curated programming and access to the broader YSpace ecosystem of resources and support.
*Membership open to all current students and recent alumni within 3 years (only current students have access to space)
*Alumni beyond 3 years can apply to YSpace Markham
|
BENEFITS |
MEMBERS |
NON-MEMBERS |
|---|---|---|
|
Dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence & Mentorship Support |
✔️ | |
|
Curated Workshops, Networking Events, and Entrepreneurship Programming |
✔️ | |
|
Access to Founder Network with Monthly Founder Meetups |
✔️ | |
|
Access to Full 20+ YSpace Programs |
✔️ | |
|
YSpace Lassonde Hub with Hot Desks |
✔️ | |
|
✔️ |
✔️ | |
|
Founder Fundamentals, a 12-Week Entrepreneurial Workshop Series with a Certificate |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
General Events, Hackathons, and Lunch and Learn sessions |
✔️ |
✔️ |
Timeline
Applications open:
All year round
Application process
Step: One
Book an idea consultations with a YSpace advisor to get started.
Step: Two
Submit a membership application for YSpace Lassonde after you've completed a consult.
If you have any questions about the application, email us at yspace@yorku.ca
Step: Three
The YSpace team will contact you with the next steps for interviews and onboarding.
Key Programs
Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Support
Members can receive one-on-one mentorship from YSpace Lassonde’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR), offering strategic guidance, personalized feedback, and hands-on support to help advance their ventures.
EiR: Helen Kontozopoulos
Helen is a seasoned founder, currently building a startup focused on multimodal and memory-layer applications. She is the founder of Resiin and a ex- co-founder of ODAIA, a pharmaceutical sales prediction platform that scaled to Series B and over 100 employees.
VIP Speaker Series
The VIP Speaker Series connects members with industry leaders, founders, and innovators, offering insights, career guidance, and inspiration. Each session provides a high-impact opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and expand your network within the startup ecosystem.
Venture Launchpad
The Venture Launchpad is a structured two-month sprint that helps students turn their ideas into a minimum viable product (MVP). Participants receive workshops, mentorship, milestone tracking, and a pitch showcase to accelerate venture development and gain real-world startup experience.
Founder Fundamentals
Founder Fundamentals is a 12-week entrepreneurial educational workshop series designed to help you gain the basic skills and understanding necessary for starting a business, while also connecting you with local resources for potential next steps as you progress in your entrepreneurial ventures. You will earn the YSpace, York University Certificate of Completion once you attend 9+ workshops.
Program eligibility
- Current students, faculty members, and recent alumni (within three years) of the Lassonde School of Engineering or York University.
- Founders with innovative tech concepts.
- Founders who are driven, coachable and collaborative with a growth mindset.
Frequently asked
Our team
The YSpace Lassonde team is committed to this mission by providing engineering students, researchers and alumni with the tailored support they need to turn ideas into real-world solutions. Our team brings together experienced professionals with backgrounds in engineering, entrepreneurship, product development and community building, all working together to empower the next generation of technical founders.
It’s our mission to help engineering innovators rise in entrepreneurship and create meaningful impact.
Alina Ali
Entrepreneurship Manager
David Kwok
Director, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Helen Kontozopoulos
YSpace Lassonde Advisor
Nafis Ahmed
Associate Director of Entrepreneurship
Noor Al-Azzawi
Special Project Assistant
Paulina Karwowska-Desaulniers
SmartTO Executive Director
PARTNER RECOGNITION
Newsletter signup
YSpace is committed to working with emerging technology, agrifood, products and services. Get in touch today to find out how you can become a part of our community.
Contact us
For more information, please contact us at
yspace@yorku.ca
416-736-2100 ext. 44940
