Is “solopreneurship” the future of skilled tech talent in Canada?
Venture for Canada is launching Solopreneurship, a six-week hybrid program designed to help Canadians build an independent income stream around a single skill, service, or offer—no team or external investment required.
Many Canadian professionals are dismayed by a tepid yet turbulent job market. And most favour flexible working conditions. Gen Z has started the trend of “portfolio careers.”
It appears that somewhere in there is the opportunity for “a different model of entrepreneurship,” one in which “the individual is both the owner and operator of the business.”
The program is designed for Canadians who have valuable skills and the motivation to work independently, but need a practical path to turn what they know into something people will pay for, according to Venture for Canada.
“The notion of building a business on your own isn’t new, but the scale of what one person can build is changing dramatically,” explains chief executive officer Steven Wang.
Over six weeks, participants develop and validate an offer, speak directly with potential customers, gather market feedback, build a revenue strategy, strengthen their brand, and leave with a 90-day action plan.
They will also learn how to integrate AI into areas such as research, marketing, customer management, and day-to-day workflows to expand what they can accomplish independently.
“AI is giving entrepreneurs access to capabilities that once required a larger team, making it possible for one person to operate and grow a much more sophisticated business,” says Wang. “Solopreneurship is designed for that new reality.”
“We’re not just teaching participants how to use AI tools,” Wong continues. “We’re helping them build an AI-powered operating system around their business so they can spend more time creating value, serving customers, and growing, while remaining firmly in control of how the technology is used.”
Wong says that, unlike traditional entrepreneurship programs which centre on building a company to raise capital and grow a workforce, Solopreneurship is designed around building a business that one person can operate and grow independently.
To achieve this outcome, the program combines a mixture of live learning, mentorship, peer collaboration, and practical application.
Canada “needs more people who can build something of their own,” posits Ren Kamal, Program Manager at Venture for Canada, and “AI is changing what one person is capable of building.”
“We designed this program to meet that moment, teaching fellows to use AI ethically and confidently, because the future of solopreneurship in this country depends on people who can move fast without cutting corners on how they build,” Kamal said.
