The interdisciplinary nature of entrepreneurship
The Library’s access to information crosses all disciplines
Rachel Figueiredo Entrepreneurship librarian
Qasim Parekh is a Masters Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology student from the Faculty of Engineering. With a focus on experiential learning, part of the program is the commercialization of an idea to build a venture.
In spring 2024, Parekh was working closely with his professor to develop his idea into a commercial pathway. It became clear through this work that more research would be needed to understand the commercial landscape.
Entrepreneurship support
Parekh’s professor suggested he seek out help from Rachel Figueiredo, the entrepreneurship librarian. The two met for an initial consultation where Figueiredo was able to show Parekh the database Pitchbook, which the Library provides access to for research purposes.
Through the conversation they were able to develop a strategy that Parekh could use to systematically search Pitchbook to discover if any other businesses or start-ups are working in the same area he’s hoping to.
“Rachel took time to connect with my subject and asked vital questions for clarity. She followed-up via email with everything we had talked about so I had something to reference as I continued my research. I have never experienced this type of dedication from a librarian."
-- Qasim Parekh, Masters Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology student, Faculty of Engineering
Cross-discipline resources
Entrepreneurship is interdisciplinary by its very nature. While researching the business landscape is vital when considering commercialization, Parekh knew he would also have to investigate the subject area related to his business idea.
Through this initial conversation with Figueiredo, Parekh learned the Library provides access to a variety of subject-specific databases to all students, staff and faculty, regardless of faculty association. In fact, he could use the same search strategy they had developed for Pitchbook to search health sciences and pharmacy databases to find subject-specific information to further validate his idea.
Since their initial conversation, Parekh and Figueirdo have met again to continue to discuss the various resources available from the Library and the most effective strategies for finding the information he needs. Figueirdo has also been able to act as a connector, providing Parekh with the names of other experts on campus that have information and resources that will help him with his entrepreneurial endeavor.