Mount Royal student entrepreneurs earn cash from JMH LaunchPad

Six Mount Royal University students now have a leg up in getting their business ventures off the ground thanks to the largest student entrepreneurship event in the province.

The JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition is held annually by the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the university.

For the past 11 years, the most accomplished student entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to showcase their businesses for a chance to win a share of $70,000 in cash and in-kind prizes, provided by JMH & Co., connectFirst Credit Union, and Grant Design.

The judges this year were Jenna Galloway, Marc Nzojibwami, Jenn MacDonald, and Aislinn Grant.

As part of their winnings, students will receive ongoing coaching and support to continue to grow their businesses.

Here’s a list of the winners for this year:

Carman Lim & Rowan Dymond of LookMa!: $10,000 JMH & Co. award, $5,000 LaunchPad Alumni award

LookMa! Is a platform that connects smaller businesses seeking high-quality, user-generated content with the micro-influencers eager to create content. The result is a win for both brands and content creators.

 Kassidy Gerhardi of Cobra: $10,000 JMH & Co. award

Cobra is reimagining the traditional bra with an interchangeable system. By dividing the bra into separate components, women can achieve the desired fit, feel, and appearance without compromising comfort or functionality.

 Aliya Abdallah of Clean Energy Nutrition: $10,000 JMH & Co. award

Clean Energy Nutrition creates all-natural energy products made with sustainably sourced ingredients for the health-conscious gym-goer.

Karina Chow of Link and Learn Academy:$10,000 connectFirst Credit Union award

Link and Learn Academy maximizes the academic potential of all students through customized curriculums delivered in a private one-on-one setting. It caters its teaching to students with special needs and those seeking accelerated learning.

Bianca Veltri of The Hive : $10,000 JMH & Co. award, $15,000 grant for in-kind design services

The Hive creates community, giving users the tools to plan events and activities with their friends, all while offering discounts along the way!

Other students in the competition included:

 Nate McLennan of M1nimal

Taking the stress and planning out of charging your laptop, M1nimal’s innovative F1NAL charging sleeve ensures your laptop is always fully charged and ready to go so you can maximize your work time.

Talis Aurini of MOVEmeant 

Giving those with physical disabilities the opportunity to once again enjoy being active, MOVEmeant is an app that caters to the unique needs of those with physical disabilities through motivational on-demand activities that support their functional movement.