Building the ASE Global Academy & Study of Entrepreneurship (part of 4C) in Montreal.

As part of the broader 4C (Creative, Cultural, Commercial Campus) concept that we’re developing alongside the potential return of MLB and the Montreal Expos, I’ve also been working on something closer to my personal roots: ASE — the Academy & Study of Entrepreneurship.

ASE isn’t meant to be another traditional business school program. It’s meant to be a practical academy for builders — founders, creators, athletes, and operators — who want to create real things responsibly and sustainably.

At this stage, I’m not launching a formal RFP or “competition” among universities. Instead, I’m sharing the idea publicly because I’m interested in ideas, partnerships, and institutions that might want to collaborate.

What ASE Is

ASE is built around three core ideas:

Entrepreneurship as disciplined creation
 Not just starting companies, but building products, institutions, and communities that endure.

Culture as competitive advantage
 Culture is not HR decoration — it is strategy.

Ethics as infrastructure
 Long-term value creation requires ethical leadership and stakeholder thinking, not just shareholder maximization.

Most entrepreneurship education focuses on pitch decks, fundraising, and case studies.

ASE would instead focus on things many founders only learn the hard way:

• product–market fit before pitch decks
• character before capitalization
• stakeholder mindset before scale
• servant leadership before authority

Why It Fits Inside 4C

ASE would live inside 4C, the broader Creative, Cultural, Commercial Campus concept.

That means students wouldn’t just study entrepreneurship in classrooms. They would be surrounded by:

• sports franchises
• creators and media platforms
• capital markets activity
• cultural institutions
• entertainment and technology ventures

In other words, a live laboratory where theory meets real-world operators.

This is especially relevant as the worlds of Tech, Entertainment, Experiences, Media & Sports (TEEMS) increasingly converge.

Possible Program Areas

Some of the initial courses:

Concept to Reality

Based on a course I taught previously at McGill, this focuses on identifying problems worth solving, validating product-market fit, and learning disciplined iteration.

Principles in Practice

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about growth. This program would focus on ethics, governance, stakeholder capitalism, and leadership under pressure.

Course to Success

Many founders struggle with resilience, mental performance, and long-term balance. This program would focus on building persistence and discipline.

The Deal Architect

Capital, like water, is a form of energy which must flow somewhere. Financial engineering, corporate development, capital in motion and engineering outcomes.

The Storyteller Entrepreneur

Marketing, storytelling, and authentic brand building — learning how to break through the noise without relying purely on paid marketing.

Specialized Tracks

Entrepreneurship today is no longer limited to tech startups.

ASE could include several dedicated tracks:

Creator Track
 Digital entrepreneurs, media builders, personal brands, IP ownership, and platform economics.

Athlete Track
 Today many athletes transition into investors and entrepreneurs. ASE could provide offseason programs helping athletes move into ownership, investment, and brand building.

Founder Track
 Technology, infrastructure, consumer, and industrial ventures.

Each would integrate mentorship from active operators, investors, and cultural leaders.

What Partnerships Might Look Like

Rather than a traditional program owned by one institution, ASE could work in partnership with universities or other organizations that want to host or collaborate on parts of the programming.

Possible partnership models could include:

• hosting ASE courses or workshops
• providing academic credit recognition
• faculty collaboration
• international cohort recruitment
• hosting demo days or summits
• integrating entrepreneurship with arts, sports, media, and technology programs

Universities that are especially interdisciplinary — blending business, arts, sports, and technology — might find interesting ways to collaborate.

Why I’m Sharing This Now

After building WatchMojo and spending years around founders and startups, one thing became clear to me:

Entrepreneurship education often teaches theory, but many of the most important lessons only come from experience and failure.

ASE is an attempt to bridge that gap.

And because it sits inside the broader 4C ecosystem, it has the potential to become something unique — a place where founders, creators, and athletes learn in the middle of real activity, not just case studies.

If This Resonates

If you’re part of a university, foundation, investor group, or organization that might want to explore ideas around entrepreneurship education, creator economies, athlete transitions, or cultural entrepreneurship, feel free to reach out.

At this stage, I’m simply interested in ideas, conversations, and potential partnerships. You can contact me at ash at watchmojo dot com.

Background (for context)

For those unfamiliar with my background:

• Finance graduate (1999)
• Teaching assistant and lecturer at McGill and Concordia (1998–2001), teaching bachelor’s, Masters and PhD students
• Teacher of the Concept to Reality class at McGill (2022)
• Founder and CEO of WatchMojo
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Media & Entertainment
• Author of three books on entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategy
• Writer of hundreds of articles on business, media, and valuation

I’ve spent most of my career building companies, investing in startups, and working with founders — which is ultimately what inspired the ASE concept.

If this ends up becoming nothing more than an interesting case study, that’s fine.
 But if it becomes something useful for the next generation of builders, even better.