Melanie Lang talks about the importance of daily practice, and using business as a force for good. Melanie Lang is the Executive Director of The Centre for Business and Student Enterprise (CBaSE), the University of Guelph’s innovation and entrepreneurship centre. Ms. Lang works with other academic units and industry partners to amplify the experiential learning opportunities for students. Entrepreneurial initiatives include an undergraduate business consulting training program, an incubator program for youth-led startups (The Hub), workshops and speaker series. Through her role as ED, she takes students out of the classroom and in to the community to investigate and propose innovative and sustainable solutions to economic, social and environmental problems across all sectors of society. This in turn, empowers a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and a sustainable future. The students are then instilled with a sense of social responsibility and leadership; two character- building values that CBaSE believes develop communities. Melanie has always been very involved in local community; in fact she received the Deputy Prime Minister’s Award at age 15 for her efforts in developing a youth-engagement program in her small community. Within the Guelph area, she has served on many boards and committees, including: Guelph Chamber of Commerce Executive Board; Center Wellington Community Foundation; Guelph Wellington Business Enterprise Centre; IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership; 4H Ontario Board; and Centre Wellington Co-operative Preschool. Melanie was named one of the City’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’ in 2012 for her role as an educator and community developer and was recognized as a 2015 and 2016 YMCA-YWCAWoman of Distinction nominee for Education and Training and Business and Entrepreneurship. This innovative and entrepreneurial approach to curriculum development along with the ability to seek outside the box for solutions has paved the road for creating a strong and active presence in the local community. The success of CBaSE, in large part, is attributed to the progressive culture of Guelph and the receptiveness of the community. Melanie’s vision, passion and initiative have helped enhance innovation and entrepreneurial learning opportunities for students, while contributing to the healthy growth and development of businesses and organizations in the surrounding community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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