Osentreprendre 2016 Local Winners and Entries

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education received a whopping 28 project entries this year.  We really didn’t expect to have so many entrepreneurial projects. What a thrill!! From the 28 projects, 10 qualified for entry in the Osentreprendre Challenge – Quebec’s entrepreneurship contest where students and businesses compete for prizes. We really wanted to move all 10 projects to the next level, because they were all so great, but were forced to choose only one local winner who then moves on to the regional competition.

LOCAL WINNER

The Dawson College local winner was selected by a jury consisting of 5 staff members for the entrepreneurial project “Our Village – Bringing Togetherness back to Motherhood”

Our Village is a place for mothers to gather to share stories, learn skills, and have fun! This project was developed earlier this year by Analytical Chemistry student (and mother of 3) Melissa Robertson in conjunction with Projet Chance to provide mother-centered activities while eliminating the stress of finding good quality childcare for mothers who wish to participate in activities. Check out her website

Melissa now moves on to regional round of the contest and will compete against all Cégep students in  Montreal. The winners of the regional contest will be announced late May, early June, So stay tuned……

Congratulations Melissa Robertson!! Melissa wins a $500 cash prize at the local level

HONORABLE MENTION

As mentioned, it was very difficult to choose between projects because there were so many good ones, each one displaying unique entrepreneurial qualities. Some demonstrated great originality and initiative and others the ability to mobilize resources. One project that stood out because of its leader’s perseverance was Rentproof, led by Computer Science student Eric Hughes. The judges found that Rentproof deserved an honourable mention because of Eric’s pursuit of the idea even after stumbling and failing to win other contests. He demonstrated that obstacles will only slow down progress of the idea and may even change the idea or path altogether but that giving up was not a possibility. Take a look at one of the contests he participated in.

RentProof aims to take the guesswork out of renting an apartment in Canada for both landlords and tenants. Starting in 2015, Computer Science student Eric Hughes co-founded the company with his partner Denis Ouspenski. They are developing an all-encompassing app for the rental market and will be bringing it to market soon!

Congratulations Eric Hughes!!  Eric wins a 250$ cash prize for the Honorable Mention

OTHER PROJECTS

So what about the other projects? Well, they were so representative of the true entrepreneurial spirit our students that we would like to share them with you. Take a look at what your classmates have done. Maybe you can enter next year with your project??

1. Cotton Candy Productions aims to help women and LGBTQ artists gain visibility and network within their medium. Environmental Studies Profile of Social Science student Sarah Drouin created this venture to promote and collaborate with artists to help them develop an audience. Sarah’s team has already organized several events and published media pieces.
2. Sayfespace is an online community, and winner of last year’s Dawson’s Den during Eweek, developed by Psychology Profile of Social Science student Brittany Dalfen. It provides a service to college-aged students who are looking for a place to discuss mental health issues, and has already received over $3,000 in initial prizes and funding!
3. GrimeyMTL was launched as a business and website on January 15^th by Arts & Culture Profile of ALC student Thomas Papakostas as a means to support emerging artists. 150 people attended the launch, there are already three more GrimeyMTL shows booked in the coming months!
4. Anarchon Games is an ambitious video-game development project launched by Accounting and Management Technology student Filip Dascalu. Combining aspects of three other video games, Anarchon centered on tactical consideration and team objectives all while providing a fun and energetic experience for players.
5. Hour of Code is a worldwide phenomenon hosted at Dawson for the first time by Commerce Profile of Social Science student Alessio Pellegrino. The event, the first of its kind at Dawson, featured 3 special guests and introduced coding to interested students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
6. Ligue de Hockey Dix30 was developed by Civil Engineering Technology student Alek Godbout as a response to hockey-fans in Montreal needing a well-organized league to play the game they love. The league already had 10 teams committed in their first season of operation and is planning to expand to 18 for the next one!
7. Jules Rodschat, the Civil Engineering Technology student, visited Guatemala in 2013 and learned all about Sustainable Adobe Construction. He took that knowledge to the Philippines where he collaborated with locals to provide affordable housing in rural areas. He is now back in Canada working to continue this amazing project!
8. Zohm represents a break from traditional app store games by focusing on well-being instead of mindless entertainment. Game Design students Chris Day and Socrates Sotos are developing this game with plans to release it on Android and iOS in the coming years.