U of G student entrepreneurs focused on reducing food waste in Guelph win top prize at Hub Incubator pitch competition | Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics

U of G student entrepreneurs focused on reducing food waste in Guelph win top prize at Hub Incubator pitch competition

Posted on Friday, December 7th, 2018

Cohort 11 from CBaSE Hub Incubator Program
CBaSE Hub Incubator Program, Cohort 11

The Centre for Business and Student Enterprise (CBaSE) hosted their Hub Startup Showcase on Wednesday night, featuring a high-pressure pitch competition for student entrepreneurs in their Hub Incubator Program to win cash for their business.

Three prizes were up for grabs, including the: Warren & Deborah Jestin Impact Award, Executive’s Choice Award, and People’s Choice Award.

Congratulations to Laura Frielingsdorf and Kiran Bains, consultants with the Seed Guelph on the Upcycle Kitchen project, on winning the Warren and Deborah Jestin Award, valued at $500.

Laura Frielingsdorf and Kiran Bains

Upcycle Kitchen | Laura Frielingsdorf and Kiran Bains

The Upcycle Kitchen is part of the Hub Sandbox. Students in the Upcycle Kitchen project are focused on intrapreneurship, working with the SEED Community Food Project to tackle food waste and improve food security in our region. Working with the Upcycle Kitchen, Laura and Kiran are using discarded food, destined for landfills, to create tomato sauce.

Congratulations to Austin Bruch and Luke Climenhage, co-founders of A9 Lighting, on taking home the Executive’s Choice Award, valued at $500.

Austin Bruch

A9 Lighting | Austin Bruch and Luke Climenhage

A9 Lighting is creating an intra-canopy lighting solution that will help increase the production of vegetables by providing supplemental lighting in winter, on overcast days, and even at night. (Not pictured: Luke Climenhage)

 

Each team also had the chance to win the People’s Choice Award, chosen by attendees as they watched the pitch competition. This award came with a prize valued at $585, coming from the event’s ticket sales. Congratulations to Laura Frielingsdorf and Kiran Bains on also receiving this award.


The competition included four other businesses from the Hub’s Cohort 11. Congratulations to all of the CBaSE Hub Incubator entrepreneurs for their incredible work this semester!

Blake Smith

Bcuddly | Blake Smith

A handmade, Canada-based dog brand that is an alternative in retail stores and online. All products are made in Guelph, Ontario including: customizable dog beds with interchangeable covers, bandanas, bowties, and placemats. They also make up-cycled dog beds made out of dog owners old jeans, which can help dogs cope with separation anxiety!

Kash Kuruppu and Phil Brunet

Capitol Diagnostic Informatics | Kash Kuruppu and Phil Brunet

As a leader in veterinary analytics, CDI believes that veterinarians should spend more time taking care of animals and less time crunching data. There is a lot of information to be considered before veterinarians can make a decision regarding animal health and we make it easy for them to understand and see their data.

Cas Knihnisky

Merit Badge | Cas Knihnisky

Merit Badge is a small, adventurous doughnut company that seeks to reward the citizens of Guelph for their hard work. The doughnuts are small-batch, plant-based, and are comprised of 90% organic ingredients. Merit Badge provides wholesale or catering to local business and consumers.

Chloe Quilliam

Soydoms | Chloe Quilliam and Ashley-Ann Rutherford

Soydoms is working to create a liquid solution that can be used for condom manufacturing to create a fully functional soy-based condom that can be brought to market. Soydoms will replace the latex solution currently used for manufacturing most condoms. (Not pictured: Ashley-Ann Rutherford)

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