Nearly 250 students, mentors and industry leaders took part in the second annual BioTech Entrepreneurship Pitch to Win competition on campus earlier this month.
Students from the Master of Medical Biotechnology (MMB) and Master of Materials Chemistry and Engineering (MMCE) programs shared a day of networking, collaboration and innovation.
Pitch to Win participants and judges (from left) Tim Eansor, Godswisdom Ogbonna, Barbara Okoh, Oluwasola Awe, Ogechi Chinonso, Chinwem Onu, Sydney Thompson and Marcelo Sarkis. (SUBMITTED BY ZAREEN AMTUL / University of Windsor)
Designed to spark creative problem-solving, the competition challenged teams to develop practical solutions to real-world issues facing the biotechnology sector.
Throughout the day, students refined their pitches, connected with experts and explored how their academic training could translate into entrepreneurial opportunities.
"The event gives students valuable networking experience and opportunities to showcase their work," said Dr. Zareen Amtul, faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and competition founder.
"The event gives students exposure to industry partners and hands-on involvement as contestants or volunteers."
A key feature of the program was the Judges' Choice category, where a panel of experts from industry and academia evaluated pitches developed in the MMB Biotechnology Entrepreneurship course taught by Amtul.
The Agilent and OIPE Best Pitch Award was presented to Chinwem Onu, Barbara Okoh, Ogechi Chinonso and Oluwasola Awe for their project, "Turning Waste into Foam, Not Pollution."
Their proposal outlined an eco-efficient approach to producing lightweight closed-cell biodegradable foams using biopolymer chemistry and enzyme technology, offering strength, durability and low thermal conductivity while reducing environmental impact. The award was established by Dr. Amtul with sponsorship from Agilent Technologies Inc. and the University of Windsor's Office of Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship (OIPE).
The event also included professional development opportunities.
Marcelo Sarkis, senior patent agent and fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, delivered a guest lecture on protecting innovative ideas.
Later, the annual Career Workshop facilitated by Tim Eansor, owner and president of Double-AA Metal Roofing Inc., offered practical advice for new graduates. His session was complemented by a panel featuring Godswisdom Ogbonna, campus director of the Hult Prize at UWindsor and Sydney Thompson, entrepreneurship program coordinator with OIPE.
The event concluded with a farewell address to the outgoing MMB cohort, delivered by Shahira Shaik Ansari.
Amtul said it was a fitting close to an event that celebrated creativity, collaboration and the entrepreneurial spirit driving the next generation of biotech innovators.
