Meet Professor Tasha Richard
Our Meet Your Professor series invites you to meet some of the people behind the Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. We're pleased to introduce Professor Tasha Richard of the Faculty of Agriculture.
What courses do you teach?
I teach MGTA 2013 Introduction to Business Planning and MGTA 4001 Advanced Entrepreneurship as well as elective courses such as Issues in Sustainable Agribusiness at our Agricultural campus in Truro.
What is your favourite thing about teaching innovation and entrepreneurship courses?
I particularly love teaching innovation and entrepreneurship at our Agriculture campus because of the motivation I see in my students to create a more sustainable future on our planet. Tackling some of the wicked problems in sustainable agribusiness means learning a skill set that includes empathy, grit and resiliency along the entrepreneurial process. The ideas and business models our students come up with are truly inspiring and I am grateful to be part of a student’s entrepreneurial journey. I particularly love the multidisciplinary approach we have the opportunity to take. Wicked problems don’t happen in a vacuum and neither should the solutions! I also think learning and practising entrepreneurship should be fun and engaging. I strive to ensure my classroom extends beyond the four walls (physical or virtual!) by engaging our agricultural community whenever possible.
Why are innovation and entrepreneurship skills and mindsets important for students in your Faculty?
Innovation and entrepreneurship skills are beneficial to our students regardless of whether they decide to pursue an entrepreneurial path in the future because it provides learned experiences and a “tool kit” that can be leveraged in a multitude of situations. Skills like creativity, critical thinking, grit, resiliency, empathy and customer enquiry (just to name a few) can enable students to successfully navigate their careers with confidence, while positively contributing their unique perspectives on problems we face as a global community.
When you’re not teaching, you’re…
When I am not teaching, I can be found doing a number of different things…and sometimes all at once! Reading a great non-fiction book (likely an autobiography), conducting research in inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems, daydreaming about the next great business model, hiking, paddle boarding, listening to business podcasts, chauffeuring my three active teenagers around the city, walking my very cute puppies and planning post-Covid adventures.
Any extra-curricular innovation and entrepreneurship activity or offering that you would recommend?
There are so many great things to do. Get involved with campus activities such as Cultiv8, listen to a podcast (my personal faves are How I Built This and The Good Life Project), create a mastermind group of inspiring people to tackle a problem you see in your own backyard…the list is endless!