The LEAP Junction team continues to be #HereForYou for all of your entrepreneurial supports at Fanshawe College! We would love to give you a proper introduction to our current team.
ANDREA AGUIRRE | Co-op Student, Business Marketing
In this 2023 fall semester, we have Andrea Aguirre joining our team as our co-op student. Andrea will be primarily responsible for promoting our services to the current student body, through various events and outreach opportunities! Here is a little bit more about Andrea:
My name is Andrea Aguirre and I’m from Lima, Peru. I am a marketer as a profession but a cat and dog lover as a passion. Currently, I am a Business Marketing student in Fanshawe and doing my Co-op in the best team, the Leap Junction team. My experience in the marketing field started right after I finished the Communication Science degree in Peru, when I was working as a Community Manager for a small agency. After that, life took me to the data analysis world, which I started it in a well-known newspaper. Before moving to Canada, I was working for the higher education field as a growth analyst, where I had to analyze data to get some insights for a product to growth.
I have only been for 9 months in Canada, and so far, my experience has been great. I am really excited to be part of the Leap team and I look forward to learning from them as much as I can in order to grown professionally and personally.
KELSEY CURRIE | Manager, Co-operative Education and Entrepreneurial Services
Continuing to lead the LEAP team we have Kelsey Currie as our manager. She is a lover of learning and fostering community. Throughout her career, she has worked in youth programming, recreation, health care, social services, education, and research and has found aspects of them all that she loves. Kelsey acts as our Entrepreneurial Curator, bringing together entrepreneurs to help each other and ensuring there are adequate resources available to support students and staff to focus on entrepreneurship; she handles the administration of LEAP Junction, please feel free to contact her with any management issues. Her favourite thing about working with entrepreneurs is their amazing attitudes “Entrepreneurs don’t come to you with just problems or complaints, they come to you with the solutions, and that is refreshing!” Kelsey holds two bachelors degrees, one in Molecular Biology and Genetics and the second in Adult Education, a post-grad certificate in Community and Social Services Management, and a Masters of Adult Education and Community Development. Kelsey is a Board Member of the Better Business Bureau of Southwester Ontario and an active volunteer with CEWIL Canada. Outside of LEAP Junction, Kelsey loves to travel, hike, cook, and she loves to spend time with her family and dog!
DAVID OUELLETTE | Business Advisor
David Ouellette continues as our our Entrepreneurial Coach at LEAP Junction. David spends the majority of his time planning our workshops and Summer Accelerator program, LeapIN!
David grew up on the shores of Lake St. Clair in Windsor, Ontario but has lived, travelled and worked all over Canada. He has a love for the outdoors, a thirst for adventure and a passion for the water and for board sports. He got the entrepreneurial bug young, and started his first company in 2006. Now he is now co-owner of Ontario’s first Cable Wakeboarding facility, Boarder Pass, which started in 2010 an in 8 years has grown to 3 locations and established a successful events and non-profit arm. He is a graduate from both the University of Windsor and Fanshawe College, participated in our LeapIN summer incubator program, has a background in Kinesiology, coaching and athlete development, sports business management, and marketing. But where his passion truly lies is in helping others with personal development through coaching and skill building, both as athletes, fellow coaches and as entrepreneurs.
NICK HLYMBICKY | Business Advisor
The other half of our dynamic duo, we have Nick Hlymbicky as our second Entrepreneurial Coach, and is the current lead of our Entrepreneurial Co-op Program. His background comes from his time spent working in the non-profit sector assisting persons with disabilities finding employment and taking their first steps into entrepreneurship, woodworking/construction, and mental health. Nick holds two degrees from the University of Windsor, a BA[H] in Psychology and Criminology and a MA in Sociology, so you could say he’s very socially oriented! When he’s not hard at work Nick enjoys staying active by playing pickup hockey, biking, hiking and constantly listening to music. Nick’s favourite part about working with new entrepreneurs is seeing how many wants to incorporate a “social good” into their venture even if it is a for-profit business. Nick is ready and eager to assist Fanshawe College students and alumni take those first steps into the world of the entrepreneur!"
JENNY BAXTER | Events and Outreach
Last but not least, Jenny is back as our Events and Outreach Extraordinaire! Jenny is a dog-loving, TikTok creating, "Arts and Crafts Queen" who specializes in Event Planning and Communications: That means she plans all the fun, and loves to tell everyone about it. She started her career in the non-profit sector planning community events and managing a large communications portfolio. In 2019, Jenny was bit by the entrepreneurial bug and began running her own business as a Communications and Design consultant. Simultaneously, Jenny started with LEAP Junction as our Support Services Officer! In her time at Fanshawe, Jenny has not only spent the last few years connecting and building relationships with students, staff, and Alumni - but has also planned many entrepreneurial events like our MVP Pitch Competition, LeapIN to Your Dreams, and most recently our Founders' Fair: Entrepreneurial Exhibition! Jenny loves to connect with clients who share her passion for events and marketing - introduce yourself next time you see her in action!
With the support of our colleagues at Career & Co-operative Education Services, we are looking forward to working with you this year for all of your entrepreneurial needs!