INNOVATION SPRINT

Develop business solutions and win $1,000 in 4 hours!  

Next Sprint on Oct. 25

Register now!

FIRST PLACE

$1,000

SECOND PLACE

$700

THIRD PLACE

$300

About

During the Innovation Sprint, participants engage in time-sensitive bursts of intensive problem-solving and developing business solutions. In these four-hour sessions, students will receive insightful resources and mentorship to address business challenges.   

Aligned with the emphasis on experiential learning, the main goal of the Innovation Sprint is to train students to apply design thinking principles, drive innovation and creativity, as well as learning how to facilitate rapid and effective output to challenges one may face in their business, thus preparing students for their future business. 

What to expect  

  • Solve real business challenges and problems with innovative ideas. Within a time frame of 2-3 hours, you will brainstorm, analyze and present your findings to a panel of judges, thus showcasing your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
  • Gain invaluable experience of networking with local entrepreneurs, while developing your business skills.
  • Collaborate with students from across Atlantic Canada from various faculties and disciplines.
  • Compete as a team and take home first, second and third prizes ($1,000, $700 and $300 respectively).

 

Eligibility 

  • Must a Resident of Canada or be allowed to stay, study or work in Canada;  
  • Must be a current (or registered for the 2023/2024 term) student from any faculty (Science, Arts or Commerce) in Atlantic Canada;  
  • Be able to attend the competition in-person.

Upcoming Events

October 25

Business for this month: L’Arche, an international, non-profit federation with over 180 L’Arche communities and projects in 38 countries on five continents. Each L’Arche community is centred around homes, workplaces and gathering places. Each community forms a network of relationships open to all its members, both with or without an intellectual disability. Wolfville’s community is called L’Arche Homefires and its Core Members (adults with disabilities) create beautiful handmade works of art, stocking our shelves with gifts, décor, and more. The products from our Applewicks program sold both in-store and online, help fund our mission of creating a more inclusive world. We take pride in our creations, all while learning lifelong skills and making memories with friends.
 
Event Location: Wolfville, NS
 
(Participants can travel to the location on their own if they prefer. There is also transportation being arranged by the Centre.)

Register Now

 

November 23

With Think Inside The Box. Think Inside the Box provides games people can rent and play at home. Their games are inspired by the escape room genre. Their goal is to provide a more inclusive and accessible version of the immersive escape room experience for more people to enjoy!

Register Now

Past Events

  Ride Solar

First place ($1,000): Sheheryar Khan—Saint Mary’s University, Alex (Yao Zhang)—Nova Scotia Community College
Second place ($700): Vaishali Sachdeva—Saint Mary’s University, Sahil Chawla—Dalhousie University
Third place ($300): Sumit Jindal, Mandeep Singh, Shriti Moktan, Nainsi Rajput—Saint Mary’s University

Students developed new solutions for the challenges that Ride Solar was facing. Participants had an amazing time biking through downtown Halifax, stopping at Sapori for some Italian lunch, Bearly’s for refreshments, and finally ending the tour at Garrison Brewery. The tour offered a new perspective on how the bikes work, allowing them to assess different areas for improvement. This experience not only showcased their problem-solving skills but also highlighted the potential for sustainable transportation solutions in our community.

  Starberry Drink Co.

As we closed out our Winter semester with the last Innovation Sprint for the term, we had Starberry Drink Co. come in with a unique challenge of sustainable manufacturing, packaging and marketing solutions. 21 students, from Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie and NSCC showed up to brainstorm and come up with innovative solutions to preserve, package and promote the Starberry Drink Co.
We had 10 teams, each presenting three ideas as Keisha and Michael, Founders of the Starberry Drink Co. assessed the solutions and whether they were aligned with the vision and mission of the business. Solutions ranged from UV Lights, to pulsed electric fields and even reducing the fruit to concentrate to extend shelf life. These were only a handful of the many ideas that pitched to the business and three winning teams walked away with $2,000 total in prize money.

 

First place: Theron Hughes and Douglas Vincent—Saint Mary’s

Second place: Vegu Shree Rama Kamal Kumar, Pradeep Kumar Sampath, Noof Al Shehhi—Dalhousie

Third place: Karanveer Singh and Sidney Nuwahereza—Saint Mary’s

UpBeing

First place ($1,000): Lydia Lee, Jack Poirier, Sophie Malenfant, Vaishali Sachdeva—Saint Mary’s
Second place ($700): Julia Duck, Patricia Tagliapietra, Maria Tagliapietra—Dalhousie
Third place ($300): Zi Wan, Hariharasudhan Giridharan, Rowan Menezes—Dalhousie

The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre

1st place – Jennifer George Frank & Iram Shaikh
2nd place – Ashley Kenny & Nathaneil Collier

3rd place – Quynh (Alex) Nguyen, Murtaza Abbas Shakir & Tabassum Fatima

Bright Breaks  

Bright Breaks is a B2B wellness platform that boosts employee wellness, connection and productivity with seven-minute live micro-breaks.

November 18, 2023

 

Shivani’s Kitchen  

 

Founded in 2014 by Shivani Dhamija, Shivani’s Kitchen is a culinary venture offering authentic Indian cuisine with a modern twist, providing a delightful fusion of flavours and a captivating dining experience. She launched her very own Spice Blends in 2016, which can be found across grocery stores (Sobeys and Atlantic Superstore) in Atlantic Canada.

Semtember 23, 2023

 

Easy Platter  

 

Easy Platter, co-owned by Poleen Kaur and Saint Mary’s University alum Mandhir Singh MBA’14 is a one-of-a-kind, on-demand personal chef service in the greater Toronto and Halifax areas. Recently featured on CBC’s Dragon Den, Easy Platter received $150,000 for 6% of their company.

April 22, 2023