Sprawled inside the Summerlee Science Complex, student products have been thrilling judges since 1996.
Whether bandages made from seaweed, biocarbon hairbrushes or soy-based sunscreen, student entries in Project SOY Plus have always begun with a seed of strange curiosity.
Typically, a group of friends will hear about the contest and think, "Why not just sign up?" - competing to test their entrepreneurial skills and build the ideas they've been dreaming of. But some projects go further, sparking new businesses and careers.
Take Jessica Ulbikas. A University of Guelph undergrad at the time, Ulbikas had made some food products during her nutrition courses but always knew she wanted to do more. In 2023, she and her friends developed Nutri-Secure, a plant-based cake pop made from upcycled fruits and vegetables, which earned them the silver medal that year.
"Pitching our ideas in the finale shook off some of my nerves," recalls Ulbikas, now working at the Guelph Food Innovation Centre.
"It gave me the courage to start my own business."
Straight after the competition, Ulbikas put her ideas through the incubator programs at the John F. Wood Centre, where she learned from community mentors the fundamentals of running a business, from market research to branding, finances and commercialization.
A year after Project SOY, she founded BioSnactive, a chocolate company that sells Canada's first supplemented dark chocolate for menstrual pain, dubbed, appropriately, Code Red.
"When it came time to develop BioSnactive, I knew what I was doing, and I could draw back on those memories from Project SOY Plus."
From soybeans to sustainable opportunities
Project SOY (Sustainable Opportunities For You) Plus launched exactly 30 years ago, when the University's Office of Research aimed to develop new products for soybeans and support student innovation within the sector.
Its first winner was Nicole Lepkowski, who developed a fruit-based soy custard.
The competition then evolved to Project SOY Plus in 2019-2020, expanding its partnerships to include more plant-based species and target student competitors in different programs. The creative stream was opened in 2024 for student-artists to create on-theme compositions. Ultimately, the competition grew from developing soy-based products to calling all students to imagine a more sustainable economy.
Manahil Zaid and Vanya Khanna competed in 2024 with their circular economy entry: dog treats made from oat pulp, an industrial byproduct from the production of oat milk.
"Researching oat milk led us down this rabbit hole of realizing how much of a waste issue oat pulp really is," says Zaid, explaining the origins of Oatstanding Dog Treats, for which her team won third place.
Zaid always planned to become a dietician, but it was Project SOY Plus that changed everything.
"Ever since I did that project, it opened my mind to identifying problems with that entrepreneurial lens."
Zaid and Khanna took their learnings to develop Cultured Friends, their upcoming business that aims to fill the lack of representation of cultural foods in the health and wellness space. Their first product, Neer, is high-protein paneer, an Indian cheese designed to be more snackable and portable, which they hope to get in markets by the summer.
"What drew me to U of G wasn't just one nutrition program," says Zaid, "it was all the different topics and expertise you could ever think of when it comes to food. We are the food university. I think that's what makes U of G such a great place for things like Project SOY Plus and for these kinds of student businesses to start."
Challenging students to unleash biodiversity
This year's entrants are on track to add innovative ideas to the competition's now 30-year legacy.
Funded this year by Food From Thought, the competition has challenged students to explore the potential of diverse and underused species. Under the theme Biodiversity by Design, some entries in 2026 include:
- High-protein crackers made from insect protein and Prairie berries
- Biodegradable packaging made from sugarcane residue
- AI-powered platform to monitor the rapid decline of pollinators
- A skincare brand that transforms coffee grounds into personal care products
The theme makes for a timely intervention into the sustainability crisis, says Nakita Byrne-Mamahit, lead coordinator of Project SOY Plus at the Research Innovation Office.
"This year's theme encourages students to engage with biodiversity as a source of inspiration and possibility," says Bryne-Mamahit. "Whether they're exploring underused species, rethinking how materials are designed or creating tools that make ecological change visible, Project SOY Plus gives students the space to experiment boldly and design solutions that are both imaginative and practical.
"Their projects reaffirm the value of student curiosity as a driver of impact."
