The University of New Brunswick’s Summer Institute will hold its graduation Friday night, with presentations by seven companies spanning the entrepreneurial spectrum.

Organized by the J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology, Management and Entrepreneurship, the Summer Institute is a three-month program that teaches a range of businesses the human element of entrepreneurship. While other mentoring programs emphasize technology or lean methodology, the Summer Institute encourages participants to consider design and the wishes of the people who constitute their market.

“This has been one of the most diverse groups of entrepreneurs we have had to date,” said coordinator Melissa Erin O’Rourke. “Our ventures range from the highly technical to the highly creative. It’s made for an incredibly unique experience.”

The celebration of this cohort will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton. You can find tickets here.

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The seven presenting entrepreneurs and their companies are:

- Sylvette Fortin | Petite Forêt: Toy and puppet maker.
- Alex Jamael | Fox and Foal: Horse jump builder and equestrian designer.
- Scott Allen, Joshua White, and Thomas Bird | CanCross:This group has designed a rapid-response bridge that solves multiple transportation issues across industries.
- Laura Cushnie | La Dulse Vie: A chef who has created a dulse chip/dulse snack food.
- Courtney Johnson | Ashes to Ashes: A potter who makes funerary urns that incorporate the ashes of loved ones in the design.
- Jordan Kennie, Daniel Larsen, Erik Hatfield | Stash Energy Storage: This group has built an energy storage system to help homeowners save money during peak energy periods.
- And, Amirmahdi Taheri, Sadigh Tabei, Pooya Naderi | BreezeBird: This group uses drone technology to aid in lifesaving efforts.

Started three years ago by TME head Dhirendra Shukla, the Summer Institute has gained popularity and recruited participants from across Canada and other countries.

“The program has grown a lot this year,” said O’Rourke. “In our recruiting processes, we had over 300-plus applicants from around the world. I really feel this highlights the quality of we’re offering entrepreneurs on a global scale. I expect next year to be even bigger.”