2026 Project SOY Plus Creative & Project Stream Winners

We’re pleased to announce the 2026 Project SOY Plus Creative & Project Stream winners.

This year’s selections reflect the strength, creativity and innovative thinking across an exceptionally competitive field! Below, you’ll find brief descriptions of each winning project, followed by a complete list of all the teams and students who competed in 2026.

Project Stream

Diploma

First Place: I've Got Me A Shovel

Isabel Schyrer, Equine Care and Management

The Miniature Tower Grower is a compact, electricity‑free vertical hydroponic system designed for users with limited space. Built to fit within a one‑foot‑cubed footprint, the project offers an affordable and space‑efficient alternative to traditional tower growers, making vertical growing accessible for dorm rooms, small apartments, and office environments.

Second Place: The TryCrop Box

Kirsty Yates, Agriculture Co-Op

TryCrop is a biodiversity‑focused agricultural initiative that supports smallholder farmers in transitioning away from climate‑vulnerable maize monocropping. Through its pilot program in Guatemala, the project introduces the TryCrop Box, a regionally co‑developed toolkit featuring locally sourced seeds, transition guides, soil health resources and access to agricultural extension support. By promoting drought‑tolerant, nutrient‑dense crops, TryCrop looks to advance climate resilience, improved soil health and better nutritional outcomes.

Undegraduate

First Place: Brewed Beauty

Daniel Grygorachyk (Management and Economics Finance) and Luca Ghizzardi (Marketing Management)

Brewed Beauty is a circular‑economy skincare brand that transforms spent coffee grounds into premium, sustainable personal care products. By collecting used grounds from local cafés, including those contributing to the more than 25,000 cups brewed daily on campus, the brand repurposes organic waste into small‑batch exfoliating scrubs, lip balms, soaps and complementary skincare items. Rooted in principles of circularity and resource efficiency, Brewed Beauty diverts waste from landfill while reducing reliance on conventional exfoliating inputs. Environmental impact is further minimized through thoughtful packaging design and the BrewBack Rewards jar‑return program, which encourages responsible reuse. Through markets, retail partnerships and digital outreach, the brand also promotes education around organic waste, environmental stewardship and biodiversity, demonstrating how sustainability and profitability can work together within the beauty industry.

Second Place: PhytoFlex

Grace Ghotra (Biomedical Engineering), Keana Yazdanni (Biological Science), Naaz Chawla (Mathematical Science) and Tykara Blair (Chemistry)

PhytoFlex is an edible, marine‑compatible bioplastic film made from Ulva sp., a fast‑growing green macroalgae abundant in coastal environments. Designed to address plastic pollution in marine ecosystems, the material is biodegradable and non‑toxic if ingested by aquatic organisms, offering a safer alternative to conventional plastics. Unlike crop‑based bioplastics, Ulva grows in seawater without the need for freshwater, fertilizers or arable land, reducing environmental trade‑offs associated with traditional bioplastic production. By converting underutilized algal biomass into flexible, biodegradable films using ulvan, a natural polysaccharide found in Ulva, PhytoFlex supports circular bioeconomy principles while delivering strong potential for use in aquaculture and sustainable food systems.

Third Place: Bird-Safe Cat Starter Kit (Bio Diversiteam)

Aaron Gallichan (Biological Science), Annalene Bird (Biological Science) and Lilly Szlachetka (Biological Science)

The Bird‑Safe Cat Starter Kit is a community‑distributed resource designed to reduce urban bird mortality caused by free‑roaming domestic cats. Addressing a major but often unseen driver of avian biodiversity loss, the project supports responsible pet ownership while balancing animal welfare and conservation needs. The kit includes practical, non‑punitive tools such as a high‑visibility bird‑safe collar, indoor enrichment items, a step‑by‑step transition guide for supervised or indoor living and a window sticker that promotes visible social norms. Distributed through trusted community partners including veterinary clinics, shelters and pet stores, the initiative leverages ecological evidence showing that increased cat visibility reduces successful predation. Over time, the project aims to normalize bird‑safe practices, strengthen community collaboration, and benefit both wildlife and pet owners across Guelph.

Recognized Undergraduate Submissions

Graduate

First Place: ReedSycle

Emily Whitehead (MA - Environmental Science)

ReedSycle is a Canadian circular‑economy venture that transforms the invasive reed Phragmites australis into a sustainable source of commercial silica. By harvesting this biodiversity‑degrading species from wetlands and isolating its naturally high silica content through controlled combustion and purification, the project offers a biogenic alternative to environmentally destructive sand‑mining practices. Beyond material production, ReedSycle functions as a systems‑level solution by creating economic incentives for invasive species removal while addressing growing global demand for silica through regenerative resource recovery.

Second Place: BerryBug Bites' Crack-it (INSECTA)

Krupa Thakkar (MA - Food Science) and Wimwipa Prasitnaraphan (MA - Animal Biosciences)

BerryBug Bites’ Crack‑it crackers are a high‑protein, shelf‑stable snack that leverages underutilized ingredients, including insect protein and Prairie berries, to create a nutritionally dense and sustainable alternative to conventional crackers. Formulated with cricket protein as the primary protein source and complemented by seeds, nuts and dried Saskatoon berries, the product delivers a balanced sensory experience while providing meaningful protein, healthy fats and dietary fiber. By combining innovative protein sourcing with regionally relevant ingredients, Crack‑it crackers demonstrate strong potential to diversify sustainable food systems and expand consumer acceptance of alternative proteins.

Third Place: BeeVision (Un-bee-table)

Jared Shaftoe (PhD Integrative Biology), Lokesh Kumar Karuppaiya Muthiah (MA Computer Science) and Spandanna Chereddy (PhD Computer Science)

BeeVision is an AI‑powered pollinator monitoring platform that enables real‑time, non‑invasive detection of key pollinator groups using everyday smartphones. Built on a deep‑learning object‑detection model trained to recognize visual features such as body structure and wing patterns, the system replaces traditional monitoring methods that are slow, costly and disruptive to ecosystems. By making pollinator data collection accessible to farmers, researchers, students and citizen scientists, BeeVision democratizes ecological monitoring and supports scalable biodiversity conservation aligned with the “Biodiversity by Design” theme.

Recognized Graduate Submissions

Creative

First Place: Beauty and Abundance

Kirsty Yates (Agriculture Co-Op)

Beauty and Abundance is a seed‑based artwork that contrasts modern monoculture agriculture with Indigenous polycultural food systems within a divided shadow‑box frame. One half uses a single seed arranged in uniform rows to represent biodiversity loss, while the other forms a flowing landscape of diverse seeds, such as millet, amaranth, beans, squash, and wild rice, reflecting regenerative intercropping practices across Africa and the Americas. Together, the piece invites viewers to reconsider dominant ideas of modern agriculture by visualizing abundance through biodiversity, cultural knowledge and ecological resilience.

Second Place: Those Who Call This Land Home

Isabel Schyrer (Equine Care and Management)

Those Who Call This Land Home is a poem that celebrates the native biodiversity of the Guelph region, with each couplet highlighting a local plant or animal and its role within a shared ecosystem. By weaving together species such as trout lilies, red‑tailed hawks, foxes and chickadees, the work emphasizes interconnectedness, respect for native flora and fauna, and the importance of listening to Indigenous knowledge. Shaped visually like the Guelph area itself, the poem reinforces a sense of place and invites reflection on coexistence within the landscapes we call home.

Third Place: The Glorious Goldenrod's Journey

Allison Tait (Studio Art)

The Glorious Goldenrod’s Journey is a creative educational project that highlights the ecological importance of Solidago canadensis, a native plant often misunderstood and removed as a weed. By showcasing goldenrod’s role in supporting pollinators, insects, and birds, and correcting misconceptions about its pollen, the project reframes the plant as a foundational species. Through a hands‑on children’s toolkit, including illustrated materials, seeds, biodegradable seed‑bomb molds, and an original song, the work fosters early appreciation for native plants and encourages families to support local biodiversity through play and learning.

Recognized Creative Submissions

People’s Choice Award

In addition to the juried awards, we are excited to recognize the People’s Choice Award, selected through community voting during the 2026 Project SOY Plus showcase.

BerryBug Bites' Crack-it (INSECTA)

Krupa Thakkar (MA - Food Science) and Wimwipa Prasitnaraphan (MA - Animal Biosciences)

Thank You

We extend our sincere thanks to the 2026 Project SOY Plus judges for their time, expertise and thoughtful evaluation of an outstanding and diverse set of submissions. Their insights and commitment were essential in recognizing projects that exemplify innovation, creativity and meaningful impact.

We also gratefully acknowledge Food from Thought for their generous funding and continued support of Project SOY Plus. Their investment makes it possible to empower students to explore bold ideas, advance sustainability and biodiversity initiatives, and bring impactful projects to life across disciplines.

Finally, thank you to all students and teams who participated in Project SOY Plus 2026. Your creativity, dedication and willingness to imagine more regenerative futures continue to shape a vibrant and inspiring community.