CAMBRIAN COLLEGE
Student Innovation Challenge caps off Research and Innovation week on campus

A digital art lab that preserves Indigenous stories and art for future generations is this year's winning pitch in Cambrian College's annual contest for student entrepreneurs.

Digital Heritage grabbed top prize at last night's Student Innovation Showcase, Powered by RBC. It was the finale of Cambrian's Research and Innovation Week.

Digital Heritage, a digital art lab that preserves Indigenous stories, art and culture was the top pitch at this year's Cambrian College Student Innovation Challenge, powered by RBC. Pictured are (left to right): Ying Teng, co-creator of Digital Heritage; Bill Bray, RBC Vice-President of Commercial Banking; Fei Yeo, co-creator of Digital Heritage.

Using AI and 3D tools, Digital Heritage preserves Indigenous stories, culture and works of art that are at potential risk of being lost to the passage of time.

Digital Heritage was created by Ying Teng and Fei Yeo, two students in Cambrian's Game Design program. They share the $3,000 grand prize.

"Winning this honestly feels surreal," says Ying Teng. "What made this real, though, was the Elders trusting us with their knowledge of the Medicine Wheel and welcoming us into a Smudging Ceremony. My Indigenous studies courses at Cambrian taught me to approach this kind of work with care, and this project showed me what that actually looks like in practice. Thank you to everyone at Cambrian who believed in this from the beginning. Graduation may be around the corner, but our work on Digital Heritage is far from over, and I hope to see this platform in the classroom sooner than later."

"I'd like to thank everyone who supported us throughout this journey," adds Fei Yeo. "As a 3D artist and a vibe coder, I'm used to spending most of my time behind a screen. This competition has been indeed a challenge, not just in the technical side, but in the courage to step onto the stage to present and explain our vision. I am also incredibly grateful for my best teammate, Ying. We've both poured immense effort into this project. Her foresight and persistence were invaluable. I'm glad I trusted her strategic decisions, just as she embraced my creative ideas."

Four other prizes were issued at the Student Innovation Challenge, for a total of $7,000 in prize money, provided by RBC.

"Watching these students pitch their ideas reminds us why we invest in this challenge year after year," says Bill Bray, Vice President, Commercial Banking at RBC. "They're not just thinking about their next job: they're thinking about the problems they want to solve and the impact they want to make. That entrepreneurial mindset is exactly what drives economies forward, and we're here to help turn those ideas into reality."

The Student Innovation Challenge is organized by the Hanson Venture Lab, which is part of Cambrian R&D, the college's applied research division. The Hanson Venture Lab is a space on campus that promotes and fosters entrepreneurship among students.

"For the past seven years, this challenge has given students a unique opportunity to step beyond the classroom and engage in a hands-on experience where they refine their innovative business ideas through workshops and develop their pitches," explains Pamela Drouin, Partnership Coordinator for the Hanson Venture Lab. "What continues to make this experience so powerful is the incredible support from our community, such as mentors, partners, sponsors and local leaders who are invested in helping our student competitors succeed."

The other winners at this year's Student Innovation Challenge include:

Second prize: Zidah's Treats, a catering company specializing in baked good and authentic African cuisine.

Third prize: Terranova, a proposal to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete by using mine waste (slag) in the mixture.

Best Use of Technology: MF Aquatics, a remote monitoring and water control system for aquariums.

People's Choice Award: Burnout Radar, an AI system that that detects early signs of burnout and stress through a simple 30-second weekly check-in on energy, sleep, and stress.