Simair to lead Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship at USask
The centre is powered by the Edwards School of Business and will support students, faculty and researchers across campus who want to explore new ideas and develop ventures or advance innovations emerging from academic work.
The Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship was established through a generous gift from Bernie Slogotski and Thedra Hunt, whose donation is helping create new opportunities for entrepreneurship at USask.
Simair is an internationally recognized scientist, entrepreneur, and innovator whose work has shaped industrial and mining water management. She founded and successfully exited two companies — Contango Strategies and Maven Water and Environment — which became known for advancing leading environmental technologies.
She has maintained a long relationship with USask, contributing to the development committee for the Health Sciences complex, completing interdisciplinary research across multiple colleges, and teaching as an adjunct professor.
A career built on curiosity
Simair said science, mining, and entrepreneurship were not part of an early career plan, but became meaningful paths because she stayed open to possibility.
A chance summer job in a lab showed her that science could be highly collaborative. Later, work in the mining sector drew her in with the complexity and problem solving it demanded.
"I discovered these fields by trying things, failing at times, and recognizing the next opportunity," said Simair. "My career grew from staying open to possibility and building on each chance that came my way."
After selling Maven Water and Environment in January 2025, Simair said she realized she was most fulfilled by building new ideas, teams and communities. Instead of launching another company, she wanted to help others explore their own entrepreneurial spirit, whether that means starting their own businesses or developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
"Building things is where I get really excited, whether it’s a company, a new group, or in this case, a community around entrepreneurship," said Simair. "This new role at USask lets me build something new, give back, and strengthen an entrepreneurial community I care deeply about."
Entrepreneurship as a mindset
Simair said entrepreneurship has shaped her entire career and that creativity, resilience, and comfort with uncertainty are central to how she approaches her work.
"Entrepreneurship is a mindset rooted in how you think and solve problems," said Simair. "Being excited by the unknown instead of scared of it is a powerful skill for students to develop."
She hopes students see setbacks as steps forward rather than signs of failure.
"In science, a hypothesis is a success whether it is proven right or wrong. It is not failure. It is learning," said Simair. "Being wrong is not a setback. It is data. You move forward and test the next thing."
Her experience in water treatment reinforced the idea that meaningful innovation begins with understanding real needs and the people who will use the technology.
"Effective innovation starts with understanding how people will actually use a technology," said Simair. "Entrepreneurship is about being curious, listening closely, and enabling the innovation that already exists within communities. When we collaborate with the people who use the technology, everyone benefits."
Saskatchewan’s strengths and the future of the centre
Simair said Saskatchewan is already home to natural problem solvers and creative thinkers, especially in farming and resource sectors where adapting and innovating are part of daily life.
"The spirit of entrepreneurship already exists in Saskatchewan," she said. "Our job is to amplify it, not reinvent it. We are already some of the best in the country at building businesses. The next step is simply to enable more of what we do well."
She added that Prairie resilience continues to shape her outlook.
"In the Prairies, we are never more than a year or two away from a hard time and that creates strong people," she said. "There is resilience in Saskatchewan you do not find everywhere."
As director, Simair wants the centre to serve students across every college and create a space for collaboration, experimentation, and new ideas.
Simair said the centre will also serve faculty and researchers by helping them move research ideas into real‑world use through collaboration, testing, and community partnerships. She noted that research at USask already generates ideas with strong commercial and community impact, and the centre can help provide pathways to move that work forward.
"Entrepreneurship is not a silo. We want collisions across disciplines," she said. "Scientists make fantastic entrepreneurs. My own path is proof that innovation does not live in one building. It lives in the spaces between them."