The Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards
So I’ve got good news — I get to work once per week at a really cool place. Have you ever heard of an innovation centre? In short, an innovation centre is a place through which entrepreneurs, startups, grant programs, etc. can work collaboratively in one work space that facilitates the sharing of ideas. They have a lot of shared workspaces that include well-lit board rooms filled with ergonomic chairs and flat-screen televisions. The centre even has a seating area that features a very inviting, casual workplace hammock. You may be wondering: “hey Alex, what does this have to do with your job? Aren’t you an English student? Don’t you work for the federal government?”
As you may remember from my last post, I work for a commercializations program that buys state-of-the-art technology from innovators and tests it in a government facility. This place is actually really useful for our program to make connections within Ottawa’s innovation ecosystem.
Now — let’s talk about working off site. At first, I was a little weary about working at the innovation centre myself since, as a student, I wasn’t sure if I was the best person to represent the program I work for when speaking with entrepreneurs who may be future applicants. However, I decided to go with the flow and look at it as an opportunity to further improve my people skills and spice up my week. I have to say that in my experience, taking opportunities like this is a very important part of the co-op experience. I find that pushing myself really boosts my confidence and reminds me that I’m really a valuable member of my team. I genuinely look forward to working in a new environment once per week — and not just because of the delicious food and kombucha from the in-house LUNCH café.