For more than two decades, the northeast corner of Wyandotte Street and Sunset Avenue has been the University of Windsor’s address for business, where students taking part in the Odette Experience not only prepare for careers in business, but enjoy opportunities for personal growth and mentorship.

The iconic Edmond and Louis Odette building was constructed in 1991 to serve the needs of what was then known as the Faculty of Business Administration. In 2000, the faculty’s name was changed to the Edmond and Louis Odette School of Business. The name change honoured both the generous financial contributions of the Odette brothers as well as the entrepreneurial spirit embodied by the Odettes, founders of Eastern Construction, one of Canada’s largest and most successful general contractors.

The Odette Building originally consisted of 13 classrooms, meeting and team rooms, computer labs, student lounges and study areas. A recent renovation to the building’s south wing has added a reception lounge, two large classrooms, as well as student and client work space.

The new wing is home to the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre), which is intended to be a catalyst for spurring entrepreneurship in the Windsor-Essex region by partnering with key University, regional and cross-border groups. EPICentre will offer supporting resources for students and practitioners involved in entrepreneurial journeys and will build on the successes of the Centre for Enterprise and Law, Enactus Windsor, the Odette Project for Technology Innovation and Collaboration (OPTIC), and Odette course offerings.

— Tanya Michel