ThisIsThePlace / en Founded by sibling team, U of T startup partners with university to sell apparel /news/founded-sibling-team-u-t-startup-partners-university-sell-apparel <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Founded by sibling team, U of T startup partners with university to sell apparel</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/Motus-weblead.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=nj5Vbbxi 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/Motus-weblead.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=CeQ9Cnpe 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/Motus-weblead.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=2ZSACFKr 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/Motus-weblead.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=nj5Vbbxi" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-07T12:23:52-05:00" title="Thursday, March 7, 2024 - 12:23" class="datetime">Thu, 03/07/2024 - 12:23</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Along with younger sister and creative partner Calille, left, Malik and Sydnie Pottinger worked with U of T's Trademark Licensing Office to create a capsule collection for their clothing brand MOTUS (photo by&nbsp;Varenya Danthurthy)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/catherine-mulroney" hreflang="en">Catherine Mulroney</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-bookstore" hreflang="en">U of T Bookstore</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Clothing brand MOTUS, co-founded by two U of T students and their younger sister, is collaborating with the university on a capsule collection</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Startup co-founders and siblings <strong>Sydnie</strong> and <strong>Malik Pottinger</strong>&nbsp;are set to make history by becoming the first students to partner with the Ƶ’s <a href="https://trademarks.utoronto.ca/">Trademark Licensing Office</a> to create a capsule collection with their <a href="https://shopmotus.com/">clothing brand MOTUS</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sydnie, a third-year student at St. Michael’s College, and Malik, a fifth-year student in the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education (KPE), will see their MOTUS line of fashion wear, complete with the university’s iconic T-and-leaf logo, go on sale at the U of T Bookstore’s St. George campus location in March.</p> <p>The collection includes a varsity jacket, sweatsuits, beanies, soccer jerseys and T-shirts.</p> <p>Bringing this dream to fruition has been a family affair for the Pottingers, whose younger sister <strong>Calille</strong> is also involved in the company – and whose parents have been a constant source of encouragement.<br> &nbsp;<br> The siblings, whose university years saw them turn out for the Varsity Blues – with Malik playing basketball and Sydnie, volleyball – began to consider creating a line of comfortable but stylish fashion pieces during the pandemic. They launched MOTUS in January 2023, taking on everything from designing clothing and creating a logo to arranging manufacturing and shipping orders.</p> <p>Malik says the brand name MOTUS is derived from the Latin word for motion. “It fits us because we are always pushing ourselves and each other to have one foot forward, and it signifies always progressing and elevating,” says Malik.</p> <p>The business began booming shortly after the e-commerce brand was launched, with Malik and Sydnie soon making regular trips from their small warehouse to the post office to mail orders.&nbsp;</p> <p>It wasn’t long before they met their first benchmark of success: seeing people on the street wearing their clothes.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Success is your brand being recognized,” Sydnie says.&nbsp;</p> <p>The siblings then began to think of how to create a brick-and-mortar presence and pondered whether they could reach an arrangement to sell their items in the U of T Bookstore.<br> &nbsp;<br> “We brought up the idea to our parents. They encouraged us and said, ‘The worst that can happen is that the bookstore says no,<span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:#485667">’</span></span></span></span>” Sydnie recalls.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Soon, they were in contact with U of T’s Trademark Licensing Office, where they were introduced to manager&nbsp;<strong>Ivan Canete</strong>, who previously managed the Under Armour portfolio for the Sport &amp; Rec programs at KPE. Together, they discussed how U of T branding and logos could be integrated into a MOTUS x UofT collection.</p> <p>In addition to the bookstore stocking their items, MOTUS also received support from Spaces &amp; Experiences, which invested in initial inventory and connected the siblings with resources such as the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a>.</p> <p>“We haven’t done a lot of this before,” Canete says of the collaboration, noting that only recently have big brands begun to create collaborative clothing collections with U of T.&nbsp;</p> <p>Canete says that since U of T Bookstore royalties are poured back into student experience, partnering with students is a great path. “U of T is pioneering this kind of thinking and developing a model for other schools to follow,” he says, describing the arrangement as part of the bookstore’s evolution.</p> <p>“It's a great feeling to know that something that my sisters and I created in our parents’ living room is going to help other people,” says Malik, who is set to graduate from KPE this year. “We are the first students to collaborate with the university’s Trademark Licensing Program and it’s really nice to see MOTUS among big-name brands like OVO, Roots and Peace Collective.” &nbsp;</p> <p>Malik plans to spend at least a year following his graduation solely focused on building the business. Sydnie, who has two years of school remaining and also coaches volleyball, will also continue to make a full-time commitment.<br> <br> Among MOTUS’s next steps is to produce leather goods, says Malik, who has been looking into suppliers in Portugal.&nbsp;“We are already developing an assortment of items of this category for our brand. Our goal for MOTUS is to have an international footprint,” he says. “We are so grateful for U of T’s backing.”</p> <p>Malik says he would advise students to not let their studies box them into a corner. “Just take everything you learned from U of T and apply it in whatever direction you want to take in your life,” he says.</p> <p>“My first two years at KPE provided me with a great foundation and perspective to figure out what I like. That structure, combined with playing on the varsity basketball team in the first two years of my studies, provided me with discipline and routine that come in handy today.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:23:52 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306616 at U of T startup targets harmful side effect of cancer treatment /news/u-t-startup-targets-harmful-side-effect-cancer-treatment <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T startup targets harmful side effect of cancer treatment</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-01-crop.jpg?h=a7ee5f2a&amp;itok=yajTqJtf 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-01-crop.jpg?h=a7ee5f2a&amp;itok=GO45lqgV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-01-crop.jpg?h=a7ee5f2a&amp;itok=xDJryCG4 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-01-crop.jpg?h=a7ee5f2a&amp;itok=yajTqJtf" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-06T11:17:45-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 6, 2024 - 11:17" class="datetime">Wed, 03/06/2024 - 11:17</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Nabanita Nawar and Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul, co-founders of HDAX Therapeutics, met while they were pursuing doctoral studies at U of T Mississauga’s department of chemical and physical sciences&nbsp;(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dentistry" hreflang="en">Dentistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">HDAX Therapeutics is focused on developing treatments for peripheral nerve damage, which can result from chemotherapy or radiation</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Pain, numbness, sore muscles and even paralysis. These are some of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, an often-debilitating condition associated with chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments.&nbsp;</p> <p>Such peripheral nerve damage can be temporary, but for some, it never goes away.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There’s often really nothing for these patients except just symptom management and putting fingers and toes in a bucket of ice,” says&nbsp;<strong>Nabanita Nawar</strong>, who holds a PhD in medicinal chemistry from the Ƶ.&nbsp;</p> <p>Nawar is the CEO and a co-founder of HDAX Therapeutics, a startup that grew out of technology developed in U of T Mississauga’s department of chemical and physical sciences. The company is currently working on treatments that focus on HDAC 6, a protein that has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative disorders – including the peripheral nerve damage experienced by many cancer patients.</p> <p>“We are essentially developing new medicine for diseases that have a transport problem in the body,” Nawar says, referring to the protein’s key role in multiple cellular processes.&nbsp;</p> <p>HDAX’s patented mechanism targets HDAC 6 to return damaged neurons to health.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our target, HDAC6, plays a key role in regulating microtubule stability and thus, affects axonal transport,” explained <strong>Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul</strong>, who also earned a PhD at U of T and is now chief operations officer at HDAX. “In diseased states for indications that we are targeting, these axonal transports are impaired resulting in nerve degeneration, which results in symptoms in patients.”</p> <p>By using a “two-site binding modality,” the startup’s technology essentially holds the target with two figurative hands instead of one&nbsp;– like many of its competitors –&nbsp;providing a tighter grip on the protein and a key competitive advantage.&nbsp;</p> <p>The treatment, still in pre-clinical testing, would be delivered in the form of an oral pill.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-44-crop.jpg?itok=3ViuLxf3" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The HDAX team also plans to apply the startup’s technology to target transport mechanisms in cardio-metabolic diseases, including heart failure.</p> <p>Manaswiyoungkul met Nawar in the lab when they were pursing doctoral studies. She says Nawar, who was on the medicinal chemistry side, would give her compounds to evaluate.</p> <p>“The flow of how we worked in the&nbsp;lab helped us&nbsp;connect,” Manaswiyoungkul says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Working with fellow researchers&nbsp;<strong>Elvin de Araujo</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Olasunkanmi Olaoye</strong>, it wasn’t long before Nawar and Manaswiyoungkul shifted their focus to the challenges of translating their promising research into a viable business.&nbsp;</p> <p>The team established HDAX in&nbsp;2021 and received&nbsp;its first big funding injection – and a confidence boost – a few months later when it <a href="https://mbd.utoronto.ca/news/hdax-therapeutics/">won a&nbsp;bio-venture pitch competition</a>&nbsp;hosted by&nbsp;<a href="https://mbd.utoronto.ca/">Medicine by Design</a>, a U of T&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;focused on regenerative medicine and cell therapy.&nbsp;</p> <p>“That was the first thing that made us think, ‘OK, this may be a real company – this could really be something.’ It wasn’t just in our heads,” Nawar says.</p> <p>HDAX has since attracted a total of $1.3 million in funding, Manaswiyoungkul says, noting the company and its five full-time employees is now preparing for its first seed round funding.</p> <p>The work of Nawar, Manaswiyoungkul and their teammates hasn’t gone unnoticed. The two founders recently earned an unexpected individual accolade: inclusion in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesunder30team/2023/08/09/30-under-30-local-2023-toronto/?sh=84c7f2037d2d" target="_blank"><em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;list of&nbsp;30 under 30 Torontonians</a>. When the&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;email landed in Nawar’s inbox, she says she was so surprised she wondered if it was spam.&nbsp;</p> <p>As it turns out, the duo were nominated by one of their early U of T mentors,&nbsp;<strong>Paul Santerre</strong>, a professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering.</p> <p>“The [HDAX] technology circumvents toxicity in neuro and cardiac drugs, with amazing efficacy demonstrated in their neuro models,” Santerre says, adding that Nawar and Manaswiyoungkul “not only accomplished novel, impactful findings during their&nbsp;PhD/post doc training, but did the work to accelerate their evolution to becoming serious entrepreneurs.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Along the way, the startup received extensive support from the U of T entrepreneurship community, which ranks first in Canada for research-based startups and among the top five globally for university startup accelerators. In particular, HDAX worked with&nbsp;<a href="https://utest.to/">UTEST</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/">Health Innovation Hub (H2i)</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Santerre says one of the keys to U of T’s successful entrepreneurial support network is its “no wrong door” policy.&nbsp;</p> <p>“This means, regardless of where you come from at U of T, you will be supported by the incubators that best fit your venture,” he says.</p> <p>Manaswiyoungkul’s advice for students thinking about making the leap into entrepreneurship? Just go for it.&nbsp;</p> <p>“U of T is a very accepting community and there’s always someone who has more experience and the willingness to help take your ideas forward.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:17:45 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306535 at From nature to the lab: U of T startup brews more sustainable food ingredients /news/nature-lab-u-t-startup-brews-more-sustainable-food-ingredients <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">From nature to the lab: U of T startup brews more sustainable food&nbsp;ingredients</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-36-crop.jpg?h=cf430950&amp;itok=wLOpTP8A 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-36-crop.jpg?h=cf430950&amp;itok=TpeJW4Hg 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-36-crop.jpg?h=cf430950&amp;itok=n2rkvdlN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-36-crop.jpg?h=cf430950&amp;itok=wLOpTP8A" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-04T10:22:34-05:00" title="Monday, March 4, 2024 - 10:22" class="datetime">Mon, 03/04/2024 - 10:22</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Pratish Gawand, who graduated from the Ƶ with a PhD in chemical engineering in 2014, says many natural flavouring ingredients&nbsp;are produced in small quantities and end up being shipped long distances to the companies that use them (photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemical-engineering" hreflang="en">Chemical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Using precision fermentation, Ardra Inc. aims to replace natural flavour ingredients with more sustainable alternatives&nbsp;</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Natural ingredients may seem better for the planet, but that’s not always the case.&nbsp;</p> <p>Consider rose oil. It takes thousands of kilograms of rose petals to extract a single kilogram of the popular fragrance ingredient.&nbsp;</p> <p>“If a multinational cosmetics or consumer goods company said tomorrow, ‘We’re not going to use any artificial rose oil,’ we couldn’t grow enough roses in the world to supply such a big company,” says&nbsp;<strong>Pratish Gawand</strong>, who graduated from the Ƶ with a PhD in chemical engineering in 2014.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_250_width_/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-08-crop.jpg?itok=n-10KYJY" width="250" height="330" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-250-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Pratish Gawand (photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Gawand’s startup, Ardra Inc., aims to replace natural flavour ingredients in food with more sustainable alternatives manufactured using precision fermentation. Think of the fermenting tanks in a brewery, but instead of yeast, Ardra’s technology involves microbes that&nbsp;are&nbsp;genetically engineered to produce high-value compounds rather than ethanol.&nbsp;</p> <p>Following fermentation, the ingredients must be purified to the high standards of “flavour houses,” where scientists known as flavourists formulate the flavours of food products.</p> <p>“Humans are much more sensitive to detecting odours than even gas chromatography instruments,” says Gawand, who is Ardra’s chief executive. “We have to meet those kinds of standards, and we have done it.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Typically produced in small quantities from plants and animals, most natural ingredients end up being shipped long distances to the companies that use them, which comes with a cost to the climate. Ardra’s process, on the other hand, would provide manufacturers with a local and more sustainable source of necessary ingredients.&nbsp;</p> <p>“This addresses major challenges in the food industry – mainly around sustainability and supply,” Gawand says.</p> <p>Ardra’s list of products includes heme, the iron-carrying molecule that turns blood red and gives meats their distinctive taste. Fermented heme can be used not only to enhance the taste of plant-based meats but also to give it other meat-like qualities. For example, Gawand says heme is thought to be among the reasons that meat chars on a grill.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ardra can also ferment leaf-aldehyde, which replicates a variety of flavours including green apple, berry and citrus. And it makes&nbsp;natural&nbsp;petroleum-free&nbsp;butylene glycol,&nbsp;a versatile moisturizing agent often used in shampoos, lotions and cosmetics that is&nbsp;otherwise&nbsp;largely petroleum-based.</p> <p>Gawand co-founded Ardra in 2016 with his U of T PhD supervisor&nbsp;<strong>Radhakrishnan Mahadevan</strong>, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Metabolic Systems Engineering. “U of T was our very first investor,” Gawand says, adding that Ardra received its first investment from the university’s&nbsp;<a href="https://utest.to/">UTEST</a> (Ƶ Early Stage Technology)&nbsp;program.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-12-crop.jpg?itok=3tp6XOn5" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“The university helped us put the company together, put the patent together and it wrote us our very first cheque.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Ardra began its journey with butylene glycol technology.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Krishna [Mahadevan] and I were inventors on that patent, along with Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Alexander Yakunin</strong>&nbsp;and PhD student&nbsp;<strong>Kayla Nemr</strong>. We assigned the patent to the university and licensed it out,” Gawand says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Mahadevan, for his part, says his prior experience working with startups, including Geno – a San Diego, Calif.-based company that currently makes a more sustainable version of nylon, among other products – made him keen to explore the commercial potential of his group’s research.&nbsp;</p> <p>He says Gawand had the passion and drive necessary to translate bench research into a viable business.&nbsp;</p> <p>“He had a tough work ethic and would go to great lengths to achieve his research goals,” Mahadevan recalls.</p> <p>He adds that Gawand’s commitment to sustainability also made a strong impression, recalling an essay that his former student wrote and shared with the lab describing the urbanization of the landscape near his hometown in India. (Gawand, an avid birdwatcher in his youth, lamented that new construction near his home drove out the egrets, cormorants and other birds that he remembered seeing on his walks to and from school.)</p> <p>Ardra has come a long way since it was founded less than decade ago. It has raised more than $4 million in funding and has strategic partnerships with a U.S.-based flavour house and a European company.&nbsp;</p> <p>Gawand says he hopes Ardra’s success will pave the way for other Canadian companies in the bio-manufacturing sector.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“I want to put the wheels in motion for Canadian bio-manufacturing and precision fermentation,” he says. “From Ardra’s success, I want to get Canada started on bio-industrial innovations.”&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:22:34 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306534 at U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2024: 10 startups to watch /news/u-t-entrepreneurship-week-2024-10-startups-watch <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2024: 10 startups to watch</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-44-crop_0.jpg?h=64eda448&amp;itok=i5rLoOnK 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-02/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-44-crop_0.jpg?h=64eda448&amp;itok=ing_ZoJR 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-02/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-44-crop_0.jpg?h=64eda448&amp;itok=S0mkizhF 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-44-crop_0.jpg?h=64eda448&amp;itok=i5rLoOnK" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-01T15:00:17-05:00" title="Friday, March 1, 2024 - 15:00" class="datetime">Fri, 03/01/2024 - 15:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><meta charset="UTF-8"><em>HDAX Therapeutics, a startup that grew out U of T Mississauga’s department of chemical and physical sciences,&nbsp;is developing a&nbsp;drug that could prevent nerve damage caused by chemotherapy&nbsp;(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">U of T Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/translational-research-program" hreflang="en">Translational Research Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Preventing nerve damage caused by chemotherapy. Using artificial intelligence to help people who are Deaf communicate with machines through sign language. Accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in urban communities.</p> <p>These are some of the innovations being advanced by members of the Ƶ’s thriving entrepreneurship community.</p> <p><a href="/news/u-t-among-top-five-university-business-incubators-world-ubi-global">Ranked among the top five university business incubators in the world</a>, U of T Entrepreneurship is preparing to celebrate these and other startups during the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/ute-week-2024/">eighth annual Entrepreneurship Week</a> from March 4 to 7. The week-long celebration includes more than 15 events, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, workshops and more.</p> <p>Here are 10 exciting U of T-affiliated startups to keep an eye on in 2024:</p> <hr> <h3>HDAX Therapeutics</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/HDAX_Jan-5%2C-2024_Volpe_Edits-37-crop.jpg?itok=6XSg6hg3" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, but it can also cause irreversible nerve damage that results in pain, loss of sensation and even paralysis. HDAX Therapeutics, co-founded by alumnae <strong>Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul</strong> and <strong>Nabanita Nawar</strong>, is looking to tackle the problem with a preventative drug that has delivered promising results in pre-clinical studies.</p> <h3>Waabi</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/UofT92204_2023-03-09-True-Blue-Impact-Day_Polina-Teif-31-crop.jpg?itok=_BjUBRYh" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Waabi is a self-driving technology startup founded by <strong>Raquel Urtasun</strong>, a professor of computer science in U of T’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and co-founder of the Vector Institute who headlined the Desjardins Speaker Series <a href="/news/three-takeaways-waabi-ceo-raquel-urtasun-s-entrepreneurial-journey">at last year’s Entrepreneurship Week</a>. Her company operates at the intersection of autonomous driving, AI and commercial transportation. In September, it announced a <a href="https://waabi.ai/waabi-uber-freight/">10-year strategic partnership with Uber Freight</a> to accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in the trucking industry. &nbsp;</p> <h3>Kiwi Charge</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/Nobellum%40CoT-007-crop.jpg?itok=kAt35mw8" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Kiwi Charge is looking to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) via a charging-as-a-service model that caters to people living in apartments and condos. Founded by <strong>Abdel Ali</strong>, Kiwi Charge helps building owners offer EV charging amenities while avoiding hefty infrastructure costs, allowing tenants to enjoy a hassle-free charging experience. The startup&nbsp;was part of the <a href="https://www.nobellum.com/news-and-awards/introducing-our-2023-cohort-of-innovators-meet-the-25-start-ups-enrolled-in-our-innovator-program">2023 cohort of the Nobellum Innovator Program</a>, which <a href="/news/become-unicorn-room-alumna-partners-u-t-launch-100-black-owned-startups-2025">provides support and capital to Black founders</a>. Kiwi Charge will be at the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/true-blue-expo-2024/">True Blue Expo</a> on March 7.</p> <h3>BlueDot</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/BlueDot_Feb-2024_Volpe_Edits-09-crop.jpg?itok=Nd9PfW61" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>&nbsp;(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>BlueDot is using AI to detect infectious disease outbreaks, carry out risk assessment and provide actionable insights to clients in public health, the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industries and global companies more generally. The company was founded by <strong>Kamran Khan</strong>, a scientist at Unity Health Toronto and professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Khan is scheduled to speak at Entrepreneurship Week, where he will take part in a <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/stress-management-mental-wellness-for-entrepreneurs-2/">panel discussion about mental health and wellness</a> for startup founders.</p> <h3>Deaf AI</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/UofT-True-Blue-Impact-Day-Highlights-032-1536x1024-Alyssa-K-Faoro-crop.jpg?itok=KfSPudVr" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by&nbsp;Alyssa K Faoro)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Deaf AI is using AI to train machines in sign language to improve human-machine communication for people who are Deaf or have hearing impairments. The company made an impression at the Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition at Entrepreneurship Week 2023, winning first-place in the late-stage category as well as the Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize (People’s Choice Award). It was co-founded by <strong>Azadeh Bojmehrani</strong>, who earned a master of health science degree in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s <a href="https://trp.utoronto.ca">translational research program</a>&nbsp;(which is hosting a networking lunch event for health-care innovators and entrepreneurs on March 8 to cap off this year’s Entrepreneurship Week action).</p> <h3>Transcrypts</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/TransCrypts-770x513.jpg?itok=rZLxOTYR" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>TransCrypts, too, has enjoyed success at U of T Entrepreneurship pitch competitions, taking home the second-place prize in the later-stage category for the UTE Startup Prize during Entrepreneurship Week 2022. Co-founded by <strong>Ali Zaheer</strong> and <strong>Zain Zaidi</strong>, the company aims to enhance digital privacy and security by automating document verification – ultimately giving users ownership and access to their own data.&nbsp;The pair have participated in the Y-Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley and raised&nbsp;more than $3-million in&nbsp;funding from investors that&nbsp;include <strong>Mark Cuban</strong>, owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks and a “shark” on <em>Shark Tank</em>.</p> <h3>Genecis</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/UofT94074_Genecis_Volpe_Jan-2023-64-crop.jpg?itok=T3H7ia_G" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Genecis is a climate-focused biotech startup that converts organic waste into sustainable and biodegradable plastics. Founded by CEO <strong>Luna Yu</strong>, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U of T in only four years, Genecis <a href="/news/u-t-startup-genecis-scales-efforts-commercialize-holy-grail-plastic-replacement">aims to provide plastic manufacturers with competitively priced bio-plastics</a>, while helping waste management companies save on their organic material disposal costs.&nbsp;Since competing in U of T pitch competitions back&nbsp;in 2017, Genecis has raised more than $22 million.</p> <h3>Reeddi</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/Olugbenga-Olubanjo---Reedi-crop.jpg?itok=WcmHusxF" width="750" height="396" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Founded by U of T Engineering alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Olugbenga Olubanjo</strong>, Reeddi is bringing affordable and clean electricity to under-resourced communities by renting out solar-powered energy capsules that can power household devices and appliances. Currently based in Nigeria, Reeddi aims to eventually expand its presence to other countries in Africa and beyond. The company was a <a href="https://earthshotprize.org/winners-finalists/reeddi-capsules/">finalist in Prince William’s Earthshot Prize</a>, which recognizes efforts to tackle environmental problems.</p> <h3>Erthos</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/UTE_Erthos_Jan-2024_Volpe-27-crop.jpg?itok=eyAVUI3_" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Co-founded by alumnae <strong>Nuha Siddiqui</strong> and <strong>Kritika Tyagi</strong>, Erthos is helping tackle the global plastic pollution crisis with its novel plant-based resin, which serves as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. After starting with a focus on packing peanuts, Erthos has expanded its offerings to include cutlery, clothes hangers and packaging for consumer products, among others. In September, the company <a href="https://erthosinc.com/publication/biomaterials-startup-erthos-announces-6-5-million-series-a-to-challenge-the-status-quo-of-plastics/" target="_blank">announced $6.5 million in Series A funding</a>.</p> <h3>Ardra Bio</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/ARDRA_Volpe_Jan-24-2024-12-crop.jpg?itok=zgBVYR2B" width="750" height="500" alt="a man examines lab equipment at Ardra's lab" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by Matthew Volpe)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Co-founded by alumnus <strong>Pratish Gawand</strong> and&nbsp;<strong>Radhakrishnan Mahadevan</strong>, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, Ardra Bio is developing technologies to produce sustainable biochemicals and novel food products including heme, a plant-based product that matches the flavour, colour and iron nutrients of meat, and leaf-aldehyde, which is used as a flavouring ingredient for foods and beverages and as an ingredient in the fragrance industry.</p> <h3><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/ute-week-2024">Learn more about U of T Entrepreneurship Week</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Fri, 01 Mar 2024 20:00:17 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 306274 at Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2024 /news/five-things-look-forward-entrepreneurship-week-2024 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Five things to look forward to at Entrepreneurship Week 2024</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/UofT-True-Blue-Impact-Day-Alyssa-K-Faoro-0061-crop.jpg?h=c3d0198d&amp;itok=C7l5zBbV 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-02/UofT-True-Blue-Impact-Day-Alyssa-K-Faoro-0061-crop.jpg?h=c3d0198d&amp;itok=9iSUgu-y 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-02/UofT-True-Blue-Impact-Day-Alyssa-K-Faoro-0061-crop.jpg?h=c3d0198d&amp;itok=WNqffA3e 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-02/UofT-True-Blue-Impact-Day-Alyssa-K-Faoro-0061-crop.jpg?h=c3d0198d&amp;itok=C7l5zBbV" alt="audience at true blue impact day"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-02-26T12:31:12-05:00" title="Monday, February 26, 2024 - 12:31" class="datetime">Mon, 02/26/2024 - 12:31</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>U of T’s annual Entrepreneurship Week takes place March 4 to&nbsp;7 and&nbsp;features more than 15 events across U of T’s three campuses, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, keynote speeches, workshops and panel discussions&nbsp;(supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/schwartz-reisman-innovation-campus" hreflang="en">Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">U of T Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Ƶ is gearing up for its&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/ute-week-2024/">annual tri-campus Entrepreneurship Week</a>, a four-day showcase of U of T’s diverse and extensive entrepreneurship ecosystem.</p> <p>Taking place from March 4 to&nbsp;7, Entrepreneurship Week features more than 15 events across U of T’s three campuses, including pitch competitions, startup showcases, keynote speeches, workshops, panel discussions and more.</p> <p>All events are free and open to students, entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and anyone else interested in learning about – and being inspired by – the startups, founders and research-based entrepreneurship ecosystem that have made U of T one of the top five university startup incubators in the world.</p> <p>“There is no wrong door for the entrepreneurs in our community. Regardless of what and where you study or how far along you are on your journey, there is a place for you,” says&nbsp;<strong>Jon French</strong>, director of U of T Entrepreneurship. “This week is an opportunity to showcase the calibre of our talented founders and the breadth and depth of opportunities we can offer over 600 teams annually.”</p> <p>Here are some of the key events and themes for the upcoming edition of U of T’s annual celebration of all things entrepreneurship:</p> <hr> <h3>Watch startups compete for funding and prizes</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/Desjardins-Startup-Prize-1200x900-1.png?itok=DGWzk4b1" width="750" height="563" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> <p>U of T Entrepreneurship’s marquee business pitch competition is the&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/desjardins-startup-prize-2024-pitch-competition/">Desjardins Startup Prize</a>, which will see startups and their founders vie for more than $100,000 in cash prizes.</p> <p>This year’s shortlist includes companies that are innovating across an array of important areas including neurodegenerative disease treatments, greenhouse gas monitoring, oral hygiene and AI chatbots. The competition, which is split into early-stage and later-stage startup categories, will take place during&nbsp;<a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/true-blue-impact-day-2024/">True Blue Impact Day</a>&nbsp;on March 7.</p> <p>On March 6, U of T Mississauga’s ICUBE accelerator will host&nbsp;<a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/pitch-with-a-twist-celebrating-international-womens-day-2/">Pitch with a Twist</a>, an annual pitch competition for women entrepreneurs that is judged by an all-women panel. The event, which marks the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8, will also feature a keynote address by&nbsp;<strong>Catherine Addai</strong>, founder of the women’s clothing company&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://kaelakay.com/">Kaela Kay</a></strong>.</p> <h3>Hear from entrepreneur-investor power couple Eva and Allen Lau</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/Eva-Lau%2C-Allen-Lau-_-TSFV-Co-Founders-crop.jpg?itok=3jnw8rHv" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo supplied)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>This year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/desjardins-speaker-series-030724/">Desjardins Speaker Series</a>&nbsp;address will be delivered by&nbsp;<strong>Eva</strong> and <strong>Allen Lau</strong>, spouses who are both alumni, successful entrepreneurs and co-founders of Two Small Fish Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm.</p> <p>In a keynote titled “School of Fish: Lessons Learned from Swimming Upstream,” the Laus will discuss an array of topics including the story of digital storytelling platform Wattpad – co-founded by Allen Lau, with Eva Lau as one of its founding members – from its inception in 2006 to <a href="/news/match-made-heaven-allen-lau-naver-s-us600-million-acquisition-wattpad">its&nbsp;$600-million exit 15 years later</a>.</p> <p>The Laus will also offer their advice for early-stage founders, discuss the current investment climate and explore opportunities and challenges in the Canadian innovation ecosystem – including their thoughts on key industries and technologies such as AI, quantum computing and electric vehicles.</p> <p>The hybrid event will take place on True Blue Impact Day on March 7.</p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-02/ToMEE-Promo-Poster-with-logos-crop.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <h3>Get inspired by leaders from underrepresented groups</h3> <p>U of T Entrepreneurship continues to celebrate and advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurship world through its Entrepreneurship Week programming.</p> <p>At U of T Scarborough on March 5, attendees can take in <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/international-womens-day-with-fennella-bruce-and-melanie-ratnam/">an&nbsp;International Women’s Day panel discussion</a>&nbsp;featuring&nbsp;<strong>Fennella Bruce</strong>, media consultant and founder of FKB Media Solutions, and&nbsp;<strong>Melanie Ratnam</strong>, founder of the researcher-focused software platform Indaggo and president the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology. The event will also feature opportunities to network with women leaders and entrepreneurs.</p> <p>Meanwhile, on the St. George campus, the second day of Entrepreneurship Week will feature the return of the popular&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/fireside-at-femstem-yasaman-soudagar/">Fireside at FemSTEM</a>&nbsp;conversation series featuring special guest&nbsp;<strong>Yasaman Soudagar</strong>, co-founder and CEO of the neuroscience startup Neurescence who completed her PhD in experimental quantum optics at U of T and École Polytechnique in Montreal.</p> <p>Another moderated conversation on March 7 will examine women who are transforming Canada’s music and arts landscape. The discussion, titled&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/im-first-cause-im-a-l-a-d-i-e-leadership-entrepreneurship-and-female-empowerment-in-canadas-hip-hop-and-black-music-industries/">“I’m first cause I’m a L-A-D-I-E: Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Female Empowerment in Canada’s Hip Hop and Black Music Industries,”</a>&nbsp;will feature:&nbsp;<strong>Tinesha Richards-Morris</strong>, director of 925 Agency Inc. and former managing director the arts and culture non-profit Manifesto;&nbsp;<strong>Annalie Bonda</strong>, label manager for independent record label Golly Geng Inc. and former executive director of arts training organization The Remix Project; and&nbsp;<strong>Keysha Freshh</strong>, a solo emcee and member of all-female hip-hop crew The Sorority. Audience members will have the chance to network with key figures in Canada’s music industry, learn how to navigate its barriers and discuss the role of gender in the Canadian music landscape.</p> <h3>Learn about mental wellness, stress management and how to deal with failure</h3> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/Mental-Wellness-2024-Event-Poster-Location-Updated.png?itok=Sn_i5H5a" width="750" height="563" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <p>This year’s Entrepreneurship Week will kick off with a keynote address and panel discussion on a critical but often overlooked topic in the world of entrepreneurship:&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/stress-management-mental-wellness-for-entrepreneurs-2/">stress management and mental wellness</a>. The session will begin with a keynote from&nbsp;<strong>Lauren Brown</strong>, lead facilitator and program co-ordinator of mindfulness, meditation and yoga for U of T’s Division of Student Life, that will explore how entrepreneurs can harness their intuition and tackle stress. The keynote will be followed by a moderated discussion with a panel of founders.</p> <p>Themes of wellness and resilience will also be explored during&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/redefining-the-f-word-failure-not-the-other-one-with-elina-chow-matthew-fuller/">“Redefining the 'F-word’ (Failure, not the other one),”</a>&nbsp;a fireside chat with U of T Scarborough's entrepreneur-in-residence&nbsp;<strong>Elina Chow</strong>&nbsp;and executive coach&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Fuller</strong>. The chat will include a candid exploration of failure in entrepreneurship.</p> <h3>Experience the new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus</h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-02/2J6A5393-crop.jpg?itok=SHRGSn9c" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(photo by David Lee)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>For the first time, this year’s Entrepreneurship Week will see several events hosted at U of T’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://realestate.utoronto.ca/project/schwartz-reisman-innovation-centre/">Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>The result of a historic&nbsp;<a href="/news/landmark-100-million-gift-university-toronto-gerald-schwartz-and-heather-reisman-will-power">$100-million donation&nbsp;by&nbsp;<strong>Gerald Schwartz</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Heather Reisman</strong></a>, the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus serves as a hub for entrepreneurship, innovation and advancement in AI and related fields.</p> <p>The building’s west tower will serve as the anchor location of Entrepreneurship Week 2024, hosting events including the curtain-raiser on mental wellness on March 4 and the entire slate of events on True Blue Impact Day on March 7, including the Desjardins Startup Prize and Speaker Series as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/event/true-blue-expo-2024/">True Blue Expo</a>&nbsp;featuring more than 40 startups, 12 campus-linked accelerators and numerous community partners.</p> <h3><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca">Learn more about U of T Entrepreneurship</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:31:12 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 306265 at Seven takeaways from U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2022 /news/seven-takeaways-u-t-entrepreneurship-week-2022 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Seven takeaways from U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2022</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gjXCOECU 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fkBpbWgi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2LY-L74p 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT84815_true-blue-expo-2019_46741843824_o-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gjXCOECU" alt="Sign reads U of T Entrepreneurship Community "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-14T11:46:24-04:00" title="Monday, March 14, 2022 - 11:46" class="datetime">Mon, 03/14/2022 - 11:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Jeff Beardall)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alyson-bruce" hreflang="en">Alyson Bruce</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-dentistry" hreflang="en">Faculty of Dentistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mental-health" hreflang="en">Mental Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The Ƶ recently hosted its sixth annual <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/events/entrepreneurship-week/">Entrepreneurship Week</a>, a four-day showcase of the university’s vast and vibrant entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Featuring over 15 sessions – startup showcases, pitch competitions, keynote speakers, workshops, panel discussions and more – the event shone a bright light on the breadth and depth of the university’s entrepreneurship community.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Here are some of the top insights for current and prospective entrepreneurs from this year’s U of T Entrepreneurship Week:</p> <hr> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Get rich quick? Not likely</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In one of the standout moments of the week, <a href="/news/focus-what-you-ve-got-do-donovan-bailey-shares-his-tips-success-ahead-entrepreneurship-week">sprinting legend and business leader Donovan Bailey</a> shared his insights on the parallels between sport and business.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“I think the greatest misnomer is that you can get rich overnight. You can’t. You also can’t become an Olympic sprinter overnight. The first thing I tell entrepreneurs is the same thing I tell CEOs and young athletes: if you don’t put the work in, you’re not going to get the results.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Hard work, passion, discipline&nbsp;and focus were among the characteristics that Bailey credits for his success as both an athlete and a businessperson.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In a candid fireside chat with Rita Trichur, a senior business writer for the <i>Globe and Mail</i>, Bailey shared his lessons in overcoming adversity&nbsp;– “win or learn” – and said that failing isn’t a word he likes to use.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Reinforcing the principle of community, Bailey encouraged young entrepreneurs not to be shy&nbsp;and to seek out successful people in their industry to provide mentorship.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“There are such incredible successful people out there who are willing to share the knowledge.”<br> &nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Toronto is a hotbed for startups</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">U of T was named the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/from-driveways-to-mrna-startup-founders-bolster-u-of-ts-rapid-rise-in-entrepreneurship-space%ef%bf%bc%ef%bf%bc/">fastest-rising global institution for startup founders</a> in the 2021 PitchBook rankings – jumping six places. And the university remains the number one university in Canada for research-based startups and is among the top 10 university-managed incubators globally.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“I like to think that the U of T and the City of Toronto embody some of Donovan Bailey’s commitment to excellence and, to use a technical term, swagger,” said U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler </strong>during&nbsp;his introduction of Bailey at the UTE Speaker Series.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In total, entrepreneurs associated with U of T have launched more than 600 venture-backed companies, raised funding in surplus of $2 billion and created more than 9,000 jobs in the last decade.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“The U of T is an anchor of the city’s achievement in creating an innovation ecosystem with 10-plus&nbsp;accelerators and entrepreneurial hubs across the U of T’s three campuses,” said <strong>John Tory</strong>, Toronto’s mayor, in his opening remarks at the speaker series.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“These talented entrepreneurs are fostering meaningful economic and social impact, and this is one of the reasons why global investors are flocking to Toronto and international conferences like Collision want to be hosted by our inclusive and innovative ecosystem.”&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In fact, Toronto-based and U of T-affiliated startups Waabi, Ada, Deep Genomics, Xanadu and Cohere each raised over $100 million in funding from investors last year.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>&nbsp;</b></p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Lifting communities through entrepreneurship</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Entrepreneurship is often thought of as a solo journey. But several of last week’s sessions made it clear that community, support systems and networks are the differentiating factor in the success story for many entrepreneurs. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">For Jonathon Redbird, entrepreneurship is all about providing solutions that benefit your entire community&nbsp;– not just the bottom line.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Speaking at the session <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/two-eyed-seeing-entrepreneurship"><i>Two-Eyed Seeing in Entrepreneurship</i></a>, Redbird and Christina Tachtampa of Redbird Circle Inc. focused on how Indigenous Knowledge applies to the fields of entrepreneurship and business education given the Indigenous Peoples’ long history as innovators and entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Slowing down, adding value to your community&nbsp;and thinking about entrepreneurship in a way that considers the self, community and our connection to the spirit of the land, were some of the key takeaways from this session which provided a refreshing perspective on startup culture.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Support&nbsp;for Black entrepreneurs grows</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Community was a topic raised throughout the week – most notably in relation to the two new programs launched to support Black entrepreneurs, the <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/nobellum-innovator-program">Nobellum Innovator Program</a> and the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/bfn-accelerate/">Black Founders Network (BFN) Accelerate</a> program.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Built by and for the Black community, BFN was launched in the fall of 2021 to support Black founders, create more Black-led business and celebrate Black Excellence.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">At the UTE Speaker Series, <strong>Efosa Obano</strong>, program manager of the Black Founders Network, announced that <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/bfn-accelerate/">applications are now open</a> for the first BFN Accelerate cohort, which will accept eight to 10 Black-led startups to participate in its three-month program this summer.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Following a classic cohort-based model, BFN Accelerate will help Black-led startups from the U of T community develop solutions to meet customers’ needs, launch a minimum-viable product, generate revenue, secure funding&nbsp;and explore value chain and distribution partnerships.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Moving the needle on gender diversity</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">More than half the winners of the <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/resource/ute-startup-prize/">Ƶ Entrepreneurship (UTE) Startup Prize</a> pitch competition that took place at Entrepreneurship Week were startups led and co-founded by women entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In recent years, there’s been a perceivable shift in the startup playing field, which has historically&nbsp;been dominated by men. In part, this can be attributed to the greater emphasis placed on creating new opportunities for women-identifying entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://icubeutm.ca/">ICUBE at U of T Mississauga</a> and the <a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/">Health Innovation Hub</a> (H2i) are two <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/u-of-t-accelerators/">U of T’s accelerators</a> dedicating space to women-identifying entrepreneurs with inspiring speaker series such as Fireside at FemSTEM and a stage to showcase ventures at the <a href="https://icubeutm.ca/pitch22/">Pitch with a Twist</a> business competition and <a href="https://h2i.utoronto.ca/event/femstem-2022-pitch-competition/">FemSTEM Pitch Competition</a>, which is taking place on March 24.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:28px"><span style="background:white">In celebration of International Women’s Day, Pitch with a Twist (part of Entrepreneurship Week), provides a community of strong female founders with a platform to showcase their ventures, network with top companies&nbsp;and win cash prizes.<br> <br> For, <strong>Justine Abigail Yu</strong>, the founder of Living Hyphen – taking up space meant creating one.<br> <br> During the panel discussion at Pitch with a Twist, Yu shared her motivation behind launching her startup. “In 2015, there wasn’t a lot of representation across media including the arts and literature space in Canada,” she said.<br> <br> Recognizing this, she set out to create a space by and for bi-racialized writers and artists to share their stories and work by launching a magazine and podcast with a mission to “reshape the mainstream.”<br> <br> In a fireside conversation hosted by H2i, <strong>Sandy Skotnicki,</strong> a U of T alumna and the founding director of Bay Dermatology Centre, spoke about opportunities to innovate in the field of dermatology and reflected on her successful 20-plus&nbsp;year career advocating for changes to patient care and diagnosis.<br> <br> Skotnicki’s advice to women entrepreneurs? “If you have something you’re strongly passionate about, think big, start bigger, don’t be afraid to do that.”</span></p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Innovation in the arts</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">What does entrepreneurship look like in the arts?</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Similar to the approach taken by the creators of RedBird Circle, entrepreneurship in the arts is about more than generating revenue and raising venture capital.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">U of T artist and researcher&nbsp;<strong>Adrian Berry </strong>explained the approach as follows:&nbsp;“Recognizing a challenge and figuring out how to respond in an innovative way – but also in a thoughtful way. We try to innovate in a way in which we can improve our lives and thrive and keep making art.”&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Berry and <strong>Hayley Janes</strong> took the stage at Entrepreneurship Week in a new session hosted by the Toronto Music Entrepreneurship Exchange. The research duo spoke to their individual research projects&nbsp;– both of which address the same challenge: precariousness in the arts sector.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“Toronto art workers and art organizations were vulnerable prior to the pandemic, during the pandemic, and after – in this post-pandemic world – due to limited resources, years of sector-wide financial precarity, societal inequalities, the list goes on and on,” Berry said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The panel discussion was moderated by Ely Lyonblum, strategic research development officer in the Faculty of Music at U of T. In addition to Berry and Janes, the session featured Faculty of Music alumni&nbsp;<strong>Adam Fainman</strong> and <strong>Renee Fajardo</strong>, who shared their unique perspectives on entrepreneurship and innovation in art and its role in cultural design.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Fainman, whose innovation in beatboxing technology led to new collaborative opportunities across music genres, and Fajardo, whose project aims to cater opera to a 21<sup>st</sup>-century audience, exemplify how innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset can make an impact in the arts.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">Making time for mental wellness</h3> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Mental health is health. And entrepreneurs, like everyone, can benefit from prioritizing self-care and mindfulness to cope with the stress of work and life.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Beginning with a guided meditation led by registered psychotherapist <strong>Soroosh Vafapoor</strong>, H2i hosted a stress management and mental health session to close of Entrepreneurship Week on a more relaxed note.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The session provided advice for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, featuring a panel of U of T alumni that included:&nbsp;<strong>Harold Wodlinger</strong>, chief technology officer at ViTAA Medical;&nbsp;<strong>Michael Floros</strong>, founder and CEO at Cohesys;&nbsp;and <strong>Wendy Naimark</strong>, chief technology officer at Ripple Therapeutics.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Moderated by Professor&nbsp;<strong>Paul Santerre</strong>, director of H2i, the intimate session also provided professional insights on mental health best practices from Vafapoor. Entrepreneur or not, the tips offered by the panelists provided actionable tactics to mitigate stress and make time for mental health.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Wodlinger touted mastering the art of delegation to “spread the stress,” rather than carrying it all on our own.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Creating balance between work and home is also key.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“Make rules for yourself, define barriers&nbsp;and stick to them,” said Wodlinger.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One way to do this: add appointments to your calendar. Whether it’s penciling in time to focus on a project distraction-free or reserving a block of time for daily meditation, scheduling appointments with yourself can help you take back control of your day.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Vafapoor, meanwhile, recommends leaning toward self-compassion and kindness to cope with stress. “Be aware of what narratives arrive at your mental doorstep and challenge their authenticity and reality,” he said.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He also suggested that movement could help to decompress the mind – not necessarily “working out” but moving the body in the ways that feel good, whether that’s dancing, yoga or another form of mindful movement.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:46:24 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173509 at Startups focused on health, sustainability among winners at Entrepreneurship Week pitch competition /news/startups-focused-health-sustainability-among-winners-entrepreneurship-week-pitch-competition <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Startups focused on health, sustainability among winners at Entrepreneurship Week pitch competition</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/winners.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TP5L3c7a 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/winners.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=N3QQUmMC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/winners.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=a8qTNMRM 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/winners.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TP5L3c7a" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-11T12:24:18-05:00" title="Friday, March 11, 2022 - 12:24" class="datetime">Fri, 03/11/2022 - 12:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">From left to right: Nabanita Nawar and Tobi Olaoye of HDAX Therapeutics, Stephanie Buryk-Iggers of SPARKED and Sofia Bonilla of HOPE Pet Food.</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A drug discovery startup focused on brain diseases and a health-tech firm that makes a handheld device to screen for cardiovascular disease took home top prizes at the Ƶ’s largest pitch competition of the year.</p> <p>With treatments targeting brain cancers and neurodegenerative disorders at their roots, <a href="https://www.hdaxtx.com/">HDAX Therapeutics</a> took home the top prize of $25,000 in the later-stage category of the UTE Startup Prize pitch competition, part of U of T’s annual <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/events/entrepreneurship-week/">Entrepreneurship Week</a> event.</p> <p>The first-place prize in the early-stage category, meanwhile, went to SPARKED, <a href="/news/having-lost-her-dad-stroke-phd-student-launches-cardiovascular-screening-startup">whose founder was inspired to pursue solutions to prevent cardiovascular disease after she lost her father to a stroke</a>.</p> <p>The results of the competition, held virtually earlier in the week, were announced Wednesday prior to the UTE Speaker Series <a href="/news/focus-what-you-ve-got-do-donovan-bailey-shares-his-tips-success-ahead-entrepreneurship-week">featuring Canadian sprinting legend, Olympic gold medallist and businessman Donovan Bailey</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;“The greatest misnomer is [people] think they can get rich overnight – you cannot do that. You also can’t be the Olympic champion or the greatest sprinter on Earth overnight,” Bailey said, noting the fundamental secrets to success are the same in elite sport and in the business world.</p> <p>&nbsp;“The first thing that I always tell entrepreneurs and CEOs is also the same thing I tell young athletes, which is that if you don’t put in the work, if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, if you’re not disciplined, if you’re not focused – you’re not going to get the results that you want.”</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/bailey.JPG" style="width: 750px; height: 212px;"></p> <p><em>Sprinting legend and businessman Donovan Bailey, right, speaks with the Globe and Mail’s Rita Trichur during the UTE Speaker Series.</em></p> <p>The pitch competition and fireside chat with Bailey were among the more than 15 virtual events – which also included startup showcases, workshops, panel discussions and more – comprising Entrepreneurship Week. Organized by U of T Entrepreneurship, the four-day celebration aims to mobilize and celebrate U of T’s vibrant startup ecosystem, which includes more than 10 campus-linked accelerators.</p> <p>Over the past decade, U of T has produced more than 600 venture-backed startups that have created over 9,000 jobs. In 2021 alone, U of T Entrepreneurship supported more than 400 teams.</p> <p>The pitch competition used rapid-fire format to guard against screen fatigue, with each entrepreneur given three minutes to deliver their pitch before taking part in a four-minute Q&amp;A with the panel of judges that included: Janet Bannister, managing partner at Real Ventures; Lise Birikundavyi, managing partner at BKR Capital; and Mark Steedman, president and CEO at Fibrocor Therapeutics.</p> <p><b>Nabanita Nawar</b>, co-founder of HDAX Therapeutics and a PhD student and course instructor in the department of chemical and physical sciences at U of T Mississauga, impressed the judges in the late-stage category competition with her pitch outlining the startup’s novel approach to treating brain diseases.</p> <p>By using a patented mechanism to target the protein HDAC6 – implicated in brain cancers and neurodegenerative disorders – HDAX Therapeutics is looking to bring a high degree of precision and efficiency to deliver a strong anti-tumor effect, which has already been observed in animal studies.</p> <p>The company is led by trainees out of the lab of Professor <b>Patrick Gunning</b>, who has spun out several successful biotech companies.</p> <p><span id="cke_bm_1811S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/FNRgsm2XoAgA4MO.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Nabanita Nawar,&nbsp;bottom right, participates in the pitch competition on behalf of U of T startup HDAX Therapeutics while Jon French, director of U of T Entrepreneurship, top left, serves&nbsp;as the event’s moderator.</em></p> <p>Second prize in the later-stage category went to <a href="https://www.transcrypts.com/">blockchain startup TransCrypts</a>, which boasts a platform that automates the process of issuing and verifying documentation for organizations.</p> <p>As part of the presentation that wowed judges in the early-stage category, SPARKED founder <b>Stephanie Buryk-Iggers, </b>a PhD student in the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education,<b> </b>described how the death of her father following a stroke inspired her to seek out an accessible solution to screen for cardiovascular disease risk. SPARKED’s solution is an inexpensive handheld device that uses a saliva sample to screen for cardiovascular disease risk without the need for laboratory facilities or technical training.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/FNRYJdeXIAsjITl.png" alt></p> <p><em>Stephanie Buryk-Iggers, bottom right, makes her pitch to the judges on behalf of SPARKED, which makes an inexpensive handheld device&nbsp;to screen for cardiovascular disease risk.</em></p> <p>The second-place prize in the early-stage category <a href="https://snapwrite.ca/">went to SnapWriteAI</a>, which has developed a web platform that helps eCommerce businesses quickly generate product descriptions and features from images.</p> <p>The virtual audience also had their say via the Dongjun Wang Family True Blue Prize People’s Choice award. The $3,000 prize went to HOPE Pet Food, <a href="/news/focused-sustainability-u-t-startup-puts-insects-menu-your-pet">which has created healthy and sustainable pet foods made from alternative protein sources such as insects</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/startup/arterial-solutions/">Arterial Solutions</a>, a diagnostics company that’s looking to introduce the first blood test for peripheral arterial disease, took home the $10,000 Lo Family Social Venture Fund Impact Award.</p> <p>In all, the prize winners at the UTE Startup Prize Pitch Competition hailed from six different accelerators spanning all three U of T campuses.</p> <p>Bailey’s fireside chat, meanwhile, was titled “From the Track to the Boardroom” and was moderated by <i>Globe and Mail</i> business writer Rita Trichur. Bailey recounted his journey from winning the 100-metre sprint gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta to overseeing Bailey Inc., the company that manages an array of real estate and brand partnerships, and the Bailey Foundation, which supports a range of philanthropic causes.</p> <p>He also talked about his approach to managing risk, his attitude towards learning from failure, barriers facing racialized entrepreneurs and his longstanding interest in real estate.</p> <p>In response to a question from HDAX Therapeutics co-founder <b>Tobi Olaoye </b>during a Q&amp;A session, Bailey highlighted the importance of entrepreneurs not being afraid to network and seek out mentors.</p> <p>“It’s very important for you to reach out to someone who’s in the same industry you’re in, and who has the success that you’re trying to get,” Bailey said. “The internet exists, my man. At the end of the day, you can Google whomever and you can reach out to people. And if someone doesn’t have time for you, they don’t have time for you – but there’s always the second guy or second woman, or that person.</p> <p>“Part of your passion in being successful is being relentless in ensuring that you’re successful – so you’re going to reach out to whoever to get there.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:24:18 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 173414 at U of T entrepreneur to 'make the world a little more inclusive one necklace at a time' /news/u-t-entrepreneur-make-world-little-more-inclusive-one-necklace-time <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T entrepreneur to 'make the world a little more inclusive one necklace at a time'</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/amanda-sottile-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PRPUmuMG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/amanda-sottile-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2FaXklLH 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/amanda-sottile-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hGlVoyyW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/amanda-sottile-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PRPUmuMG" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-11T12:07:01-05:00" title="Friday, March 11, 2022 - 12:07" class="datetime">Fri, 03/11/2022 - 12:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Amanda Sottile, who studies issues related to disabilities, launched a jewelry business that sells necklaces with add-on magnetic clasps for people who experience challenges with fine motor skills (photo courtesy of Amanda Sottile)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As she pursues a career working with people with disabilities, Ƶ student&nbsp;<strong>Amanda Sottile</strong>&nbsp;decided in the summer of 2020 to launch&nbsp;what she calls an “inclusive, high-quality”&nbsp;jewelry business.&nbsp;</p> <p>Her company, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shophavenandco/?igshid=11rj0le5xyedv">Haven &amp; Co</a>., sells necklaces with add-on magnetic clasps designed for individuals who face challenges with their fine motor skills.&nbsp;The magnetic clasps are also sold individually and can be added to any necklace to make it more accessible.</p> <p>Ten per cent from every order is donated to a charity that’s selected monthly.</p> <p>“This lets them put necklaces on and off with ease,” says Sottile, who is in her third year in the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education. “Haven &amp; Co. offers inclusive, high-quality jewelry that can be used and loved by all.</p> <p>“My goal is to make the world a little more inclusive one necklace at a time.”&nbsp;</p> <p>While in high school, Sottile says she&nbsp;got interested in weight training and wanted to be an athletic therapist for a sports team. But her focus later shifted after she started volunteering – and eventually working – as a special education instructional assistant at CE Academy, a multidisciplinary therapeutic and education facility based on the conductive education (CE) model and philosophy for children with&nbsp;any condition affecting their motor (physical) development.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I decided then that I wanted to be a physical therapist for youth and individuals with physical disabilities,” she says.</p> <p>Over the past three years as a U of T Kinesiology student, she has considered a number of different career paths other than physical therapy, but she is steadfast about wanting to work with youth or adults with disabilities.&nbsp;</p> <p>As part of her research course at KPE, she is working with Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos&nbsp;</strong>and her research team to find the best strategies to foster quality participation on playgrounds for youth and children with disabilities. She is also working at the Jays Care Foundation on their inclusive programs teams, as part of the&nbsp;faculty’s <a href="https://kpe.utoronto.ca/academics-researchbachelor-kinesiology-bkin/field-learning">in-field learning program</a>.</p> <p>Why did she decide to launch a jewelry business in the middle of the pandemic?</p> <p>“I have always loved jewelry and accessories, but this venture allowed me to merge my love for accessories and my passion for helping individuals of all abilities by creating inclusive jewelry,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Although Sottile is the sole owner of Haven &amp; Co., she says she would not be able to run her business without the help of her support system, including her parents, sister, friends, boyfriend&nbsp;and dog.</p> <p>“My mom recently knit me jewelry pouches and my dad is my IT support and does all the post office runs,” she says. “My lovely sister and friends model my jewelry for all my photoshoots and are always wearing it and showing it off.”</p> <p>Sottile says her boyfriend acts as a soundboard for her ideas and offers encouragement, while her puppy helps with the recycling by&nbsp;ripping up the cardboard boxes after they’ve been used.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I’m so grateful for their support,” says Sottile. “It really is a family affair.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:07:01 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173413 at A cut above: U of T startup Fyyne makes hair services more accessible /news/cut-above-u-t-startup-fyyne-makes-hair-services-more-accessible <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">A cut above: U of T startup Fyyne makes hair services more accessible</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1249828176-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3-4YZX7x 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1249828176-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xavBIob2 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1249828176-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BVYOedij 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1249828176-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3-4YZX7x" alt="A barber cuts a man's hair with clippers"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-10T17:01:50-05:00" title="Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 17:01" class="datetime">Thu, 03/10/2022 - 17:01</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Fyyne, a startup co-founded by two U of T alumni, seeks to eliminate the difficulty in finding suitable hair services and prioritizes Black-owned businesses (photo by WestEnd61via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tina-adamopoulos" hreflang="en">Tina Adamopoulos</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-founders-network" hreflang="en">Black Founders Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-commerce" hreflang="en">Rotman Commerce</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-college" hreflang="en">University College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white"><b>Jeffrey Fasegha</b> and <b>Olugbenga Olubanjo</b> once shared a similar time-consuming frustration: finding the right barber.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">&nbsp;The two Ƶ alumni recall separately asking their respective friends about their experiences finding adequate hair services.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">They soon learned many faced the same difficulties and began thinking about ways to help.</span></p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Jeffrey-Fasegha-crop_0.jpg" alt><em><span style="font-size:12px;">Jeffrey Fasegha&nbsp;and Olugbenga Olubanjo</span></em></div> </div> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“I think there is a gap between customers finding beauty artists and artists being able to communicate with new potential customers,” says Fasegha, who graduated from the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science in 2020 with a degree from Rotman Commerce.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">After initially working on their own solutions, Fasegha and Olubanjo later decided to join forces to launch<a href="https://www.fyyne.com/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink1" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://www.fyyne.com/">Fyyne, a startup that prioritizes Black-owned businesses</a></span> and seeks to eliminate the difficulty in finding suitable hair services.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">The mobile-first social marketplace for beauty services helps hair artists start and scale their business, connecting them with customers. From barbers, braiders or anyone offering beauty services, professionals can register to Fyyne’s pro platform, which allows them to automate a booking process, track analytics like engagement with their profile, income and top services.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Meanwhile, customers can scroll through the app for the latest hair trends, find an artist who will best suit their needs and book an appointment in just a few clicks. They can also review an artist’s verifications, write (and read) reviews, as well as filter searches by price, distance or rating.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“We want to sit in the middle and find artists for customers and customers for artists,” says Fasegha, who was a member of University College.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fyyne officially launched in Canada, the U.S. and U.K. in mid-February with more than 500 users registered so far. The startup is supported by an undisclosed amount of pre-seed funding from Canada’s<a href="https://www.bkrcapital.ca/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://www.bkrcapital.ca/">BKR Capital</a></span> (formerly Black Innovation Capital), the first Canadian venture capital fund dedicated to supporting Black entrepreneurs in the technology industry.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Olubanjo, who graduated from U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering in 2020, notes that even in a large, diverse city like Toronto, it can be difficult to find time with popular Black hair stylists in Toronto, which leaves customers searching elsewhere without much to go on.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“I’ve had to drive hours for a cut, but I had no idea what their work was like because they had no platform to list their reviews,” he says. “I would then wait hours, and I thought, ‘There has to be a better way to discover artists.’”</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fasegha similarly says he found it challenging to find a trusted barber when he first moved to Toronto from Calgary.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“I was literally stopping people on the street to ask them who cuts their hair,” Fasegha says. “It’s not because these people are not out there. There is no good way, yet, to connect with them.”</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Finding Black hair services can be even more challenging for potential clients who live outside of major cities.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fasegha, for example, played hockey in the Prairies and frequently moved to various small towns to pursue the sport. He says he often had little luck finding a barber to cut his hair – which is why Fyyne is making sure to feature artists in cities and smaller towns across all three countries and streamline community-based, word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fyyne’s arrival on the scene couldn’t come at a better time for the beleaguered Canadian beauty industry.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Hairdressers and other beauty services were forced to close their doors for long stretches during the pandemic, with Statistics Canada estimating that hairstylists (mostly women) were more than three times more likely to have lost their jobs in 2020 than other occupations.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">By providing them with the tools to be discovered, sustain and grow their clientele, Fyyne’s co-founders say they’re essentially providing business owners with an inexpensive platform to market themselves as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed in many provinces.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“We’re amplifying talented artists who would have otherwise remained undiscovered,” Olubanjo says. “When you move to a new town as an artist, for example, you have to rebuild your customer base because you have to establish your credibility.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“Fyyne is solving that problem.”</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><img alt="Three mobile phone screens showing Fyyne’s 3 services: find inspiration, see artists near you, and book the best. " src="/sites/default/files/Fyyne-graphic-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 366px;"></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><em><span style="background:white">Users can scroll through Fyyne’s app for the latest hair trends, find an artist who will best suit their needs and book an appointment with just a few clicks.</span></em></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fasegha and Olubanjo say they received considerable support through U of T’s entrepreneurship community and accelerators.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Both are members of the recently launched<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a></span> (BFN), which boasts more than 100 Black founders as members. Launched by U of T Scarborough alumnus <b>Efosa Obano</b>, BFN was created to<a href="/news/black-founders-network-support-black-entrepreneurs-create-more-black-led-businesses"> </a><span class="Hyperlink3" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="/news/black-founders-network-support-black-entrepreneurs-create-more-black-led-businesses">support Black entrepreneurs</a></span> at any stage of their career through access to resources and inspiration to launch their startups.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“Having community support, especially in the early stages of starting your business, is important and this is what the BFN is trying to do as well, to scale up these interactions and support Black entrepreneurs,” Fasegha says.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Another key source of support for Fyyne was U of T Mississauga’s<a href="https://icubeutm.ca/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://icubeutm.ca/">ICUBE incubator</a></span>, which employs a values-based approach to supporting and training entrepreneurs and served as a place for Fasegha and Olubanjo to test their ideas.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Both Fasegha and Olubanjo are no strangers to the business world.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Fasegha,<a href="/celebrates/jeffrey-fasegha-named-one-canada-s-rhodes-scholars-2021"> </a><span class="Hyperlink1" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="/celebrates/jeffrey-fasegha-named-one-canada-s-rhodes-scholars-2021">who was named a Rhodes Scholar two years ago</a></span>, started his first business at the age of 11, delivering flyers and franchising other paper routes, and later refurbished and sold yard and sports equipment. He is the founder of the<a href="https://www.blackcareerconference.com/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://www.blackcareerconference.com/">Black Career Conference</a></span> (BCC), which connects Black students, graduates, and entrepreneurs to industry professionals for an opportunity to connect with employers in various fields. He also co-founded<a href="https://www.blackrotmancommerce.org/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink3" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://www.blackrotmancommerce.org/">Black Rotman Commerce</a></span> (BRC), a student group whose mission is to support Black undergrads interested in business at the social, academic and professional levels.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“As a Rhodes Scholar, I’m interested in using entrepreneurship and innovation as a tool for economic and social development, particularly in Nigeria,” Fasegha says. “Fyyne is the application of my theory: being able to build platforms to help people commercialize their skills and make a living.”</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Olubanjo, meanwhile, is the founder of<a href="https://www.reeddi.com/"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="https://www.reeddi.com/">Reeddi Inc</a></span>., a clean energy startup company that brings affordable power to energy-poor communities. Rented for $0.50 a day, Reeddi’s rechargeable and portable batteries are powered by solar energy and used by more than 600 households monthly in Nigeria. Thanks to Reeddi, Olubanjo was<a href="/news/u-t-alumnus-olugbenga-olubanjo-one-15-finalists-17-million-earthshot-prize"> </a><span class="Hyperlink2" style="text-decoration-line:underline"><a href="/news/u-t-alumnus-olugbenga-olubanjo-one-15-finalists-17-million-earthshot-prize">one of 15 finalists</a></span> of Prince William’s inaugural Earthshot Prize in 2021.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Whether working on Reeddi or Fyyne, the mission is the same for Olubanjo – he wants to lead the way to an equitable and inclusive future.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">“I think it’s the only way I can make a creative future that I want for myself, and it’s the only way I can make positive change for people that I care about,” he says.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">As for Fyyne, the future looks bright.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Hair services is a $125-billion global industry – a figure that represents just one quarter of the global beauty market.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">No surprise then that Fasegha and Olubanjo can see the potential in extending Fyyne’s services beyond hair, noting that many customers similarly struggle to find services like makeup and eyebrows.</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">Says Fasegha, “At Fyyne, we are entirely focused on formalizing this informal industry of hair services, but I can also see our solution scale in a lot of different industries as well.”</span></p> <p class="Body" style="border:none"><span style="background:white">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="image-with-caption left">&nbsp;</div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 10 Mar 2022 22:01:50 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173347 at ‘There's no beauty without wellness:’ U of T alumna's startup embraces rituals in hair care /news/there-s-no-beauty-without-wellness-u-t-alumna-s-startup-embraces-rituals-hair-care <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">‘There's no beauty without wellness:’ U of T alumna's startup embraces rituals in hair care</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/sumera-with-product.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fak1t1ud 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/sumera-with-product.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eQnwCgeh 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/sumera-with-product.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ne2QSyg2 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/sumera-with-product.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fak1t1ud" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-03-10T10:38:32-05:00" title="Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 10:38" class="datetime">Thu, 03/10/2022 - 10:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Sumera Nabi, who graduated from U of T Scarborough in 2008, is the creator of Glow Ritual a natural hair care company that aims to bridge&nbsp;health, beauty and wellness (photos courtesy of Glow Ritual)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alexa-battler" hreflang="en">Alexa Battler</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-week" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Week</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In retrospect, <strong>Sumera Nabi</strong> says she is&nbsp;grateful for a health scare that forced her to revaluate her life&nbsp;last year.</p> <p>“These kinds of situations can have a silver lining&nbsp;– it can really help you get clarity on what's important to you,” says Nabi, an alumna of the Ƶ Scarborough and the founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://glowritual.ca/">Glow Ritual</a>, a natural hair care company that bridges&nbsp;health, beauty and wellness.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As she navigated the health-care system, Nabi says became more aware of the products she was putting on her body. Investigating ingredients on allegedly “clean” and “natural” hair products revealed potentially harmful chemicals.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It was disappointing just to see how hair care products are mislabelled, and the gross amount of miscommunication around some of them,” says Nabi, who was recently nominated for an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.</p> <p>At the same time, she saw an inequity in how people were recovering from the stress of the pandemic. During lockdowns, for example, some escaped to cottages or second properties, but others – particularly essential workers – lacked a similar luxury.</p> <p>She asked herself what a fulsome break could look like for people unable to get away or take extended time for themselves.</p> <p>“In the absence of products that focused on actual wellness, I started to dig into my own experience.”</p> <p>To create opportunities for convenient, restful breaks – which she terms “micro-recoveries” – Nabi wondered how her ancestors might have found chances to rest and relax. She landed on the scalp massage, which her mother did for her as a child. Scalp massages, popular in many South Asian households, are meaningful moments for connection and recovery.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“I wanted to revive some of those beautiful traditions and honour some of the ancestral wisdom my own family passed along to me,” she says. “The scalp massage is a recovery ritual that doesn’t require you to physically remove yourself from a location or get on a plane. It just seems so perfect for the times we’re in.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The inspirations culminated in a line of hair care products made of natural, botanical ingredients and a brand that emphasizes self-care rituals such as scalp massages. By eliminating chemicals that can accumulate in hair and cause damage, such as silicones and artificial fragrances, Nabi says Glow Ritual is taking a “long-term approach to hair care.” The company also offers a free workbook with tips and a weekly template for customers to design their own hair rituals.</p> <p>“It's those little micro-investments that remind you of your self-worth and give you that healthy glow from the inside out,” she says. “There's no beauty without wellness and wellness is a process.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Though starting a business during a pandemic hasn’t been easy, Nabi’s journey is one of silver linings. Skyrocketing global shipping prices and disruptions in international supply chains pushed her to source sustainable materials close to the Greater Toronto Area. At the same time, the inability to network at local markets or events forced her to reach out internationally by virtually attending conferences and connecting with people who she may never have reached in-person.&nbsp;</p> <p>Nabi knows she is up against giants in a field dominated by conglomerates and venture-backed firms, but she’s not fussed.&nbsp;She says her experience in public policy, advising senior decision-makers and designing public programs&nbsp;prepared her for entrepreneurship since both fields rely on strategy, diligence and a people-first mentality.</p> <p>Glow Ritual is already generating positive a response. The&nbsp;company recently got <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZxEB6PAaJF/">an Instagram shout-out from Rick Caroto</a>, hair stylist for celebrities including Mindy Kaling. Nabi says that proves there is a need for her products that existing companies aren’t meeting.</p> <p>Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to “start small, start scared, start somewhere. Start not knowing all the answers.”&nbsp;</p> <p>“Don't overthink it, just go ahead and start and you'll start pivoting, you'll start evolving, you'll go in the direction your community wants you to go,” she says.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:38:32 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173351 at