Bernie Slogotski and Thedra Hunt establish entrepreneurship centre at USask

Slogotski, a USask graduate and longtime leader in real estate development and education, and Hunt, also a USask alum and retired social worker, are committed to ensuring future generations of students have the resources, connections, and opportunities they need to succeed in business.   

Growing up on a farm near Canora, Sask., Slogotski was one of approximately five students from his high school graduating class who went on to university.

“I was the poor kid from the farm who somehow managed to get a student loan for part of my tuition, along with a little help from my parents,” he said. “I had never been to Saskatoon before and until Grade 11, I didn’t even know that the College of Commerce existed.”

Fast forward to today and Slogotski and Hunt’s career successes have allowed them to give back to their alma mater with a generous $5-million donation. The gift will support programming and staff at the new Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship that will be based out of USask’s Edwards School of Business and serve as a central hub to unite entrepreneurial initiatives across campus. Programming at the centre will enable students, faculty and researchers to cultivate an interdisciplinary community, support innovators and changemakers, and help to accelerate ideas from concept to impact.

“Thedra and I believe every student should have the chance to gain valuable entrepreneurial skills, no matter their college or field of study,” said Slogotski. “Throughout my career, and with Thedra’s support through my own business journey, we’ve seen first-hand how taking risks and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset can enrich your life. We are thrilled to support this centre that will give USask students that same opportunity.”

As a dedicated space for the entrepreneur community, the centre will support student ventures, faculty innovation and community partnerships while strengthening Saskatchewan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating connections across Canada and beyond.

“Our government congratulates the University of Saskatchewan on the opening of the Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship,” said Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff. “This generous alumni donation will strengthen Saskatchewan’s entrepreneurial community by equipping students to become tomorrow’s business leaders.”

The centre will also provide opportunities for cross-programming with existing USask entrepreneurial initiatives like Opus and Sigma, developing confidence and expertise amongst USask graduates.

“Thanks to Bernie and Thedra’s generous and visionary gift, this new centre will play a transformational role in connecting and uniting entrepreneurial initiatives across USask and within the Saskatchewan entrepreneurial community,” said Peter Stoicheff, USask president and vice-chancellor. “The Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship will serve as a catalyst for economic growth with the potential to significantly contribute to the overall prosperity of our local economy.”

After graduating from the College of Commerce (now the Edwards School of Business) in 1967, Slogotski went on to become a Chartered Accountant. He articled with Touche Ross in Saskatoon, Sask., before shifting from public practice to a small startup management company. There, he was involved with the deal to acquire the historic Bessborough hotel from Canadian National Railway.

“That was one of my career highlights and it got me in the sphere of doing business deals. Our business grew quickly, and I opened the Calgary office of Management Associates in 1972,” he explained.

Slogotski’s work initially involved serving as a consultant on behalf of clients, but he soon had an opportunity to join an industrial development company (also in Calgary), that grew from six to 100 people in just a few years.

“I was the CFO and played a major role in that growth curve,” said Slogotski. “And I was lucky, because it was a great time in the Calgary economy.”

Slogotski was quick to acknowledge that he was able to take risks only because his wife, Thedra, was holding a steady career as a social worker.

“One of her proudest accomplishments was going back to school after the birth of our son to complete her master’s in social work. She was a supportive partner through it all and in those early days, she took care of the day-to-day while I was travelling, often every week.”

Now 80, Slogotski’s advice for those looking to thrive as an entrepreneur is much like his career, in that variation is key.

“Surround yourself with the right kind of people. Some of my first successes came from teaming up with people of complementary talents, like business and engineering,” he said. “And if this new centre can bring together those talents from across campus and expose them to entrepreneurship and provide some encouragement, you’ll see a high rate of achievement from the students who pass through.”

Celina Clarke, a fourth-year student at Edwards School of Business and aspiring entrepreneur, is hoping to be one of those high achievers.

“For me, the Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship symbolizes opportunity and reminds us that innovation thrives when people come together,” said Clarke. “Grounded in mentorship, community, and knowledge-sharing, it will inspire interdisciplinary collaboration that prepares us to meet the needs of our changing world. I am deeply grateful to Bernie Slogotski and Thedra Hunt, whose commitment makes this vision possible and empowers students like me to contribute to Saskatchewan’s future and beyond.”

“Entrepreneurship has always been a cornerstone of the Edwards School of Business, and the Slogotski Hunt Centre for Entrepreneurship elevates that commitment to a new level,” said Dr. Keith Willoughby (PhD), dean of the Edwards School of Business. “This dedicated centre will empower students and faculty to lead boldly, collaborate across disciplines, and transform ideas into impact. We’re proud to contribute our expertise to a campus-wide initiative that will shape entrepreneurial thinking for years to come.”

Though Slogotski calls himself ‘semi-retired,’ he still makes regular visits to his office as president of The Atlas Group of Companies. This latest investment may not resemble his previous ventures, but it is one that holds special meaning for both him and Hunt.

“We’re very proud to be USask graduates. And so, when Thedra and I started thinking about estate planning and giving back and were presented with this opportunity, it was pretty easy to say, ‘isn’t that wonderful?’”