A paid career accelerator.
Em-BA is a 16-week virtual summer program for students and new grads to gain business skills, AI fluency, and hands-on experience working on real business challenges.
Earn $3K for completing the program.
Work on real business cases + compete for a $20K prize.
For students and new grads under 29 across Canada.
Apply by
Apr 16
Start Date
Apr 16
Program
Basecamp
16 weeks
In-person
Program
Basecamp
Start Date
Apr 16
16 weeks
In-person
You did everything right...
You studied hard. You’re graduated (or you’re about to). And now, the job market feels impossible.
It shouldn’t feel this hard to start your career. But today’s workforce demands practical experience, confidence and real business skills. Em-BA was built to bridge that gap. Over 4 months, you’ll gain hands-on training in business fundamentals, sales, marketing and AI tools, then apply what you’ve learned in a paid, team-based capstone project solving a real-world problem.
You’ll finish by pitching your solution at graduation, walking away with experience, proof of impact and the confidence to step into the workforce ready to contribute.
Sometimes a degree won't cut it.
Entry-level roles are shrinking and employer expectations are rising. A diploma alone no longer guarantees you’re job-ready — employers are looking for applied experience, confidence and proof of impact.
Master modern business skills
Start the program with practical training in AI, sales, marketing and operations.
Solve a real company challenge
Work in teams to deliver measurable business impact and receive a $3K honourarium.
Pitch for $20K
Pitch your case study and compete for a shared $20K prize amongst your team of five students.
Program timeline.
Two months of training. Two months of applied experience. One outcome: job readiness.
Apply by April 16, 2026
Apply & get selected
Submit your application (short answers + background information).
Wait to hear back from our team if you were selected to participate.
Orientation & program setup
Attend a virtual orientation session (program expectations, timeline).
Meet your cohort and program leads.
Gain access to learning materials and workshop schedule.
Business & skills training (May–June)
Attend part-time virtual workshops (live, instructor-led).
Learn business fundamentals, sales, marketing, AI tools and professional communication.
Complete practical exercises to apply what you learn.
Paid capstone project (July–August)
Join a small team and receive a real business problem statement.
Spend 8 weeks to researching, building and presenting a solution.
Receive a $3,000 honourarium for completing this phase.
Get structured support from DMZ mentors and weekly check-ins.
Final Pitch & Graduation
Present your team’s solution at a live graduation event.
Compete for an additional $20,000 in funding.
Leave with a portfolio-ready case study and clear examples of measurable impact.
Winning Basecamp was career-altering. As young professionals navigating finance and entrepreneurship, the program showed us Nodalli could be scalable and sustainable—not just a side project. The EiRs and extensive training delivered unbelievable value, bridging ideas and scalable solutions.
Jason Ramsay & Joshua Daniel
Co-Founders of Nodalli
Who should apply?
Here are some factors we consider for the Em-Ba program.
Age & location • You're 18–29 at program start and based anywhere in Canada (virtual program).
Post-secondary status • You're a current student or recent grad (within 8 months) from a Canadian college or university.
Part-time availability • You're available May through August for workshops and team project work.
Driven & coachable • You show up prepared, are eager to grow and can work collaboratively in a team setting.