CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Conestoga entrepreneurs compete at annual pitch competition

Hosted at the Waterloo campus, the event showcased the best pre-seed start-ups in the business incubator program offered through the Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective. Open to the college's students and alumni, the Venture Lab works with participants in the early stages of exploring or launching a business, guiding them with lab coaches to develop a career plan for their venture and take steps toward launch.

Three finalists were selected prior to the event and were given five minutes each to pitch their business before taking questions from a judging panel.

Wioletta Wiercinska, a 2024 Business - International Business graduate, finished in first place with a $5,000 prize for their venture New Journey Family Daycare. The business combines an innovative play-based program with Montessori-inspired learning, featuring six activity rooms, a natural wood playground, flexible scheduling, and nourishing Mediterranean-style meals. Its mission is to offer high-quality care while reducing long waitlists and supporting the needs of the growing community.

Calen Cullen, a 2019 Business Administration - Management and 2025 Software Engineering Technology graduate, placed second with Apex FogTech. The venture is creating anti-fog eyewear solutions for use in sports, outdoor work and industrial applications, utilizing technology to revolutionize cloudy vision. Cullen received $2,000 as a prize.

In third place, 2024 Strategic Global Business Management graduate Nicolas Muños was awarded $1,000 for Nestivolt. Muños co-founded the venture, which converts discarded electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries into storage systems that are up to 30 per cent cheaper than new ones and sells them through solar and wind installers to homeowners who already have or are considering clean energy systems.

As part of the event, local entrepreneur Kris Ronan presented a keynote address. The former Venture Lab coach co-founded Ginger Goat Hot Sauce, a brand crafting all-natural, award-winning sauces in Waterloo Region. Ronan shared their founder journey from small batches for family and friends to their breakout success when featured on Hot Ones, and lessons learned over the last four years.

With support from the Rotary Club of Cambridge Preston - Hespeler, the event is made possible by the generosity of local entrepreneur Wilfred Rieck, who embodied the program's entrepreneurial and community spirit. Rieck passed away in 2020.

The Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective empowers students and alumni to successfully participate in the Waterloo Region entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem by providing multiple pathways for engagement, including starting a new business, becoming a freelancer, and training for in-demand roles in the innovation economy.

Applications for the spring/summer 2026 Venture Lab cohort are open until mid-February.