Three Lethbridge Polytechnic Business students placed in the top four at the University of Lethbridge's LaunchPoint Pitch Competition in early March, with one taking home the first-place prize.
Roberta Mistaken Chief, first-year Business Administration – Business Operations student and owner of Niitsitapi Treats and Eats, was awarded the top prize of $2,000.
"Niitsitapi Treats and Eats is my way of sharing delicious Indigenous food with people across southern Alberta who might not have access to it," Mistaken Chief explains. "Winning this cash prize will really help me purchase new mobile catering and food preparation equipment that I need to grow my business."
Mistaken Chief's menu includes fry bread, Native tacos, bannock pizza and pemmican. She already has customers interested in her cuisine, and she hopes to hit the ground running soon.
"I have some initial steps to take, like obtaining a business licence and developing a social media presence, but I'm ready to get out there and interact with my customers,” she says. “I am excited to talk to people about the food and culture they came to experience."
Seth Tomasson, a second-year Business Administration – Management student, presented his Pacific View Window Washing business to the LaunchPoint competition panel. After finishing second in the competition and winning the fan favourite vote, Tomasson took home $1,750 in total winnings, which he looks to put toward his business.
"I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish,” says Tomasson. “I have a lot of things that I've taken from the pitch competition that I'm going to apply in the future."
Tomasson started his window cleaning business last year with his brother and says he enjoys working for himself. Last year, he had more than 100 clients and he hopes to double that number this year. He is also a member of the Kodiaks men's basketball team and equates his time with the team to his time on the job.
"Every day playing basketball you have to show up and you have to put in the hard work,” he says. “And that's what it was with window washing. Some days we didn't have any jobs lined up, but we just had to show up on time and ready to work."
First-year Business Administration – Accounting student Blake Chan also participated in the competition, placing fourth for his Nudge Phone Case, a unique take on improving personal productivity.
"Phones can be distracting to a fault, so I wanted to create a phone case that you didn't want to hold," says Chan. "Imagine a case that was still functional in protecting your device, but it was just dysfunctional enough that you wanted to put it down as soon as possible.
"We had a couple of ideas, like attaching high grit sandpaper or a microfiber cloth to the back of a case, and we're looking at using geometry to combine function and discomfort."
Chan, who won an hour of advisory time with Lethbridge-based Anova Law to assist with intellectual property, hopes to return to the competition next year with more experience.
"I'm a product person, and I have some other ideas I want to pitch as well,” he says. “But I've learned to make a product that I would use. It's important to believe in and care about your product as an entrepreneur."
All three students accessed support and resources from Lethbridge Polytechnic’s AgENT program to develop their ideas.
“Giving students a chance to pitch their ideas in front of business and industry professionals is part of the exceptional student experience we strive for here at Lethbridge Polytechnic,” says Josh Leith, AgENT program co-ordinator. “All three of them nailed their pitches; they just went above and beyond of what was expected of them and really showed the audience what Lethbridge Polytechnic has to offer through the AgENT program.”
AgENT is a free extracurricular program offered to all Lethbridge Polytechnic students and recent grads. It provides learning opportunities to develop foundational skills in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship through workshops, brainstorming sessions, industry networking events and pitch competitions.
“Josh was fantastic, and I know we couldn't have done this without him,” says Chan. “Meeting and working with him, Roberta and Seth were fantastic.”
“I really enjoyed meeting different entrepreneurs,” adds Tomasson. “I was able to meet people who own other businesses and who help other people grow their businesses. I was able to receive a lot of encouragement, as well as advice, which was really great.”
To learn more about Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Business programs, visit: www.lethpolytech.ca/business.