Fanning the flame of entrepreneurship

On April 16 and 17, 2021, The Stu Clark New Venture Championships: Undergraduate Edition brought together students from various faculties and post-secondary schools across Manitoba to compete for over $20,000 in cash prizes.

This business plan competition provided students with a real world opportunity to present a formal business plan, enhance their public speaking skills, and work through the initial framework one needs to start their own business.

Throughout the two-day competition, 16 teams pitched their business ventures to a panel of live judges and learned the real world pressure of being questioned on the spot. This year we saw innovative ideas from micro plastic analysis, organic shopping solutions, railway track assessments, to consumer products that enhance your everyday life. The Stu Clark Centre was blown away by the level of sophistication, professionalism, and creative solutions the students brought to the competition. It is safe to say the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Manitoba.

A special thank you to over 25 business leaders in Manitoba who volunteered their time and talents, offering invaluable feedback and comments to each of the participating teams. The championship round judging panel included Joelle Foster, Matt Schaubroeck [MBA/17], Christos Vasilarakis [BComm.(Hons.)/14], and Amanda Hildahl [MBA/14] who did the honour of selecting our prizewinners.

BUSINESS PLAN WINNERS

1^st place: Team Sahaya from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba

• Students: Sanjay Abraham, Sawyer Rempel

Sanjay Abraham and Sawyer Rempel

2^nd place: Team Garage Door Décor from the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba

• Student: Jenna Hnatishin

Jenna Hnatishin

3^rd place: Team Particuleye Technologies from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba 

• Students: Quinn Desrocher, Zacharie Gousseau and Ran Tran

Quinn Desrocher, Zacharie Gousseau and Ran Tran

4^th place: Team Indigenous Perspectives from the University of Winnipeg

• Student: Megan Lindell

Megan Lindell

ELEVATOR PITCH WINNERS

1^st place: Team Sahaya Inc. from the Faculty of Engineering, U of Manitoba

• Students: Sanjay Abraham, Sawyer Rempel
  

  Sanjay Abraham, Sawyer Rempel

2^nd place: Team Cykel from the Asper School of Business, U of Manitoba

• Students: Sarah Remple, Lucien Stratton
  

  Sarah Remple, Lucien Stratton

3^rd place: Team Vrak Bulk from the Université de Saint-Boniface

• Students: Alex Gagnon, Cabrel Bremault, Vicky Ngoy Tshebisu, Oussama Chahid
  

  Oussama Chahid, Alex Gagnon, Vicky Ngoy Tshebisu, Cabrel Bremault

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the Stu Clark Centre continues to evoke passion and innovation within our students, academic partners, and entrepreneurial community. These challenges have left us even more convinced that fanning the flames of entrepreneurship has become more important than ever before.

To watch the complete virtual elevator pitch competition, please click here to watch.

Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship Staff