Dal Launches New AI Program to Support Startups in Atlantic Canada

Vansh Sood supports AI2Market, a new program helping Atlantic Canadian students turn AI ideas into startups.

Before realizing they were making a mistake, they initially chose not to pursue the business path. That's what Vansh Sood, a Dalhousie fourth-year student studying computer science, says about his early entrepreneurial experiences. Now that he has an updated software that makes money, Sood is applying his knowledge of AI entrepreneurship to assist in facilitating sessions for AI2Market, a new initiative for students in Atlantic Canada.

A partnership with Lab2Market, Dal Innovates, and ShiftKey Labs, AI2Market is a replication of the nationally acclaimed Lab2Market entrepreneurial program that focuses on AI training for students. It is available to all postsecondary students in Atlantic Canada and is organized into three stages: Discover, Validate, and Launch.

Emily Fenton, who manages ShiftKey Labs, noted that they identified a need for students to experiment and engage directly with AI tools. With assistance from industry groups like Volta, Dal Innovates, Lab2Market, and ShiftKey, Labs have collaborated in an amazing way. They’re excited to bring the program to students and share it with them. The program gives students access to a community of inventors, entrepreneurship coaching, and AI training.

During his first year, Sood was initially linked to ShiftKey Labs. He began his career as a student ambassador, progressed to the position of student technology coordinator, and is currently the AI2Market program coordinator.

The goal of AI2Market Discover is for students to gain some knowledge about artificial intelligence, come up with or discover a concept, and then enjoy creating it. They go to the Validate program after identifying the ideal company model. AI2Market is not coding, even though it is AI-driven. He claims that to create businesses, they are learning about and utilizing AI techniques.