Business competition showcases students’ innovative spirit

Vancouver-based University Canada West (UCW) recently hosted its first-ever UCW Pitch Night event, showcasing its students’ entrepreneurial talent and giving them a platform to present their business ideas to investors and industry experts.

The competition began in September with 36 business ideas submitted by students within the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communications, and Associate of Arts programs. A selection committee comprised of UCW faculty narrowed the submissions down to the top 10, and of those, seven groups were invited to present their pitches to a panel of judges at the UCW Pitch Night event on November 1.

The teams of students presented their groundbreaking ideas for solving real-world challenges, ranging from sustainable food practices and supply chain sustainability to mental health support, health and fitness, and healthcare.

The students presented their business ideas to a panel of industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs who served as judges for the evening — including Praveen Varshney, director and founder of Varshney Capital; Vahid Shababi, chief growth officer of Victory Square Technologies; Steve Lowry, founding member of Frontier Collective and executive director of the AI Network of British Columbia; Neil Haran, entrepreneur and CEO of Rawbots; Mathew August, a long-term venture capitalist and growth investor; and Steven Whiteside, PhD, president of Zappa Media Consultants and a seasoned business consultant with a background in leadership development.

Each team had five minutes to present their business ideas, followed by questions from the judges. At the end of the evening, the judges announced the top three pitches, which received cash prizes.

The winning pitches were:

• First Prize ($1,000): TimelyU — an efficient university scheduling web app revolutionizing university course scheduling with innovative data analytics solutions.

• Second Prize ($750): Fresca Nova — a farm-to-table marketplace focused on sustainable food practices.

• Third Prize ($500): Fruitasty — a gourmet food truck offering a customizable organic fruit salad experience.

“We are incredibly proud to showcase the innovative spirit of our students through our first ever UCW Pitch Night,” said George Drazenovic, department chair of undergraduate programs. “It’s a testament to their hard work and creativity, and it provides a vital platform to help them on their journey to transforming their ideas into reality. These aspiring entrepreneurs will be the business leaders of tomorrow, driving change and making a positive impact on our community.”

University Canada West is an innovative business and technology-oriented institution in Vancouver, Canada, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees for domestic and international students.

UCW offers a range of career-focused programs including Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication, Associate of Arts, and Master of Business Administration. Courses are offered at two downtown Vancouver campuses.

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