Four student entrepreneurial ventures chosen as winners of The Pitch
Students from across disciplines gathered recently to pitch their entrepreneurial ventures to a team of judges in the 7th annual The Pitch competition. The Pitch, organized by the Office of Experiential Learning, was funded by the TD Ready Commitment and a generous donation from Best Buy Medical Supplies. Cash prizes of $2,500 were awarded to four student business pitches.
The judging panel included:
• Elyse Surette-DiMuzio — Co-founder of Ampersand Social Co. and Pro’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence
• Rogan Porter (‘17) — Operations Specialist, Willful
• Brian Jeffers (‘90) — Owner, Best Buy Medical Supplies
• André Zanoti — Innovation Project Manager, Venn Innovation
“All the students who participated in The Pitch should be proud of themselves for the hard work they put into their pitches and the creative business ideas they brought to life,” says Pro’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Elyse Surette-DiMuzio. “I was very impressed with the calibre of their work, their ambition to become entrepreneurs, and the positive impact their businesses can make on the community. Four pitches stood out to the judges for their feasibility, revenue potential, and social impact and I look forward to seeing how their businesses grow as a result.”
Abigail Austin
Biology and Chemistry
Coldwater, ON
“Being awarded prize money from The Pitch helps to keep the projects going, not only with some seed funding, but also through valuable feedback provided from all four amazing judges, validating what we are doing to make an impact in the ever-changing world. As MtA Enactus President, an individual win, but also the win for the Build and Period Project allows us to further our impact, while also filling my heart knowing the people beside me will continue their work after I graduate in May.”
Pitch #1: Energize Communities
An app designed to empower a wide range of users — universities, high schools, community planners, and activists — with tools to make informed, sustainable energy decisions. Through gamified features like building your own city, users can explore the impacts of their energy choices, visualize environmental outcomes, and understand the long-term benefits of renewable practices. Integrating APIs that pull in actual weather data from the past year and calculating the sun’s position based on latitude and longitude allows users to get accurate insights specific to their location. Any revenue generated from the educational versions goes right back into expanding and improving the platform.
Pitch #2: The Period Project
The product is a ready-made period product box tailored for workplace environments to enhance accessibility for individuals who menstruate. Available on a subscription basis, this solution can be customized to align with the number of employees, providing a diverse range of high-quality essentials while eliminating the uncertainty around product selection. The all-in-one approach ensures convenience, inclusivity, and dignity for all employees. The products are intended to help reduce stigma in workplaces, by increasing accessibility to those who menstruate in the workplace. Whether someone forgets their products or cannot afford to have them. The project team also includes Hadiya Hayat, Erica Chahal, and Yvanna Tchatchoua.
Jett Smith
Commerce and Aviation
St. Stephen, NB
“For Commerce students, I believe entrepreneurship is the best way to apply course material outside of the classroom and financial support is one of the keys to getting your idea off the ground.”
Pitch: The Handy Helper
Providing outstandingly punctual and trustworthy traditional handyperson services to elderly in the St. Stephen community, such as moving, basic repairs/installations, and junk removal. As the business expands, The Handy Helper will not just be another number to call, it will be the only number people will need to call. In its final form, it will be a one stop shop handyperson service, easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, satisfying the community’s need for professional and quality service.
Zanna Hathaway
Commerce
Florenceville-Bristol, NB
“My biggest takeaway from The Pitch is that no matter your education level, you are capable of anything. It was super inspiring to see other students pitching their businesses.”
Pitch: Project BUILD
The project was enacted to reduce recyclables in landfills by transforming PET plastics (#1) into 3D-Print filament, with the ability to print new products from potential waste. Printing sustainable products with long-term use ensures we are not adding to the problem. From February 2023 to October 2023, the team was able to reduce over 75.8 metric tonnes of Co2. As the project grows, the hope is to educate more of the community, change people’s habits, and spread to more of New Brunswick.
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