Sociable, a modern and innovative student engagement platform developed by three Saint Mary's students, was the grand prize winner in the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre's second annual Innovation Cup Final Competition held Friday, November 29.
Olivian Sanderson (BComm, Accounting and Management) Jason Phonchareon (BSc, Psychology) and Stuti Sandhu (BA, Psychology) developed the start-up to address student loneliness within universities. Sociable helps students connect with each other, get peer support and gain access to campus events. A standout feature is "Pre-Connect," which allows students to join group chats before an event. What sets Sociable apart is limiting the range of connections to students within the same school, promoting meaningful interactions and relationships within a campus community.
Jason Phonchareon, Olivian Sanderson, Stuti Sandhu Innovation Cup 2024 winner, Sociable team
"When I came to university, I found it hard to make friends, and I did not have many like-minded people around me," says Olivian Sanderson, one of the three members of the Sociable team. "Luckily, I found a group of people who aligned with me, including my co-founder, Jason Phonchareon, and we started talking about this issue."
"The vision of Sociable is to be the platform that ends student loneliness. We want to be in every school, giving as many students as possible the opportunity to meet people that they mesh with. In a digital world, it is so important to ensure we are still fostering those in-person relationships, which is why this platform is a necessity."
Innovation Cup finalists and judges
Ten Weeks, Ten Teams, Ten-Thousand-Dollar Prize
This is the second year for the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre's Innovation Cup a 10-week experiential learning program for Saint Mary's students, where ten teams compete for the grand prize of $10,000. Each team is made up of three students from across the three faculties of Arts, Commerce and Science.
"During the ten weeks of the program, students have weekly training sessions and workshops, connect with industry experts to increase their business understanding, skills and network," says Michael Sanderson, Director, Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. "All while turning their start-up idea into tangible ventures."
After three elimination rounds, three teams make it to the final round, where they give their best pitches to a panel of expert judges and a live audience. The judges for this year's final competition were Katerina Msafari, Founder Success Lead at Tribe Network and COO of Adrigo Insights; Mike Rothenburg, Economic Development Officer at ACOA; and Bethany Deshpande, Founder of SomaDetect and business and leadership coach.
Rothenberg praised the high calibre of the pitches, saying, "The three pitches today were truly impressive, showcasing high-calibre and innovative business ideas. The presentations were polished and well-structured, highlighting each team's vision for growth and development."
Deshpande seconds his comments and reflects, "The decision-making process was incredibly difficult, as each team demonstrated a deep understanding of their market and a compelling vision for the future. It was a pleasure to witness their hard work and dedication come to fruition."
The Sociable team will use the $10,000 towards completing their UX design, as well as legal fees, marketing and cloud storage.
A Diverse Field of Innovators
Beyond Sociable, the competition featured a diverse range of innovative ideas. One of the finalists, Alaagi, a startup presented by Sheheryar Khan (BSc and Dip. Chemical Engineering), S M Sourav Rabbi (BComm, Finance and I.T.), and Rida Naqvi (BA, Psychology and Entrepreneurship), addresses environmental concerns by developing innovative, biodegradable bioplastics derived from seaweed.
Another finalist, Bean, an AI-powered food assistant, impressed the judges with its potential to revolutionize meal planning and reduce food waste. The Bean team, consisting of Vaishali Sachdeva (BA, Entrepreneurship), Varshitha Venkatesh (BSc, Computer Science), and Anushka Kalantri (BComm, Accounting and Finance), garnered significant audience support, earning them the "People's Choice" award and a $1,000 prize.
The Innovation Cup will be back next fall for young entrepreneurs to pitch their innovative business ideas! Visit the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre website for upcoming events, work and learning experiences in the Winter term.
