UPEI Student to Compete for National Entrepreneurial Award
Chad Heron, a fourth-year UPEI School of Business student, overcame stiff competition to win a $5,000 first prize and the opportunity to compete for the national Nicol Award in Ottawa on March 30, 2010.
Mr. Heron's winning concept, The Shelf.ca, triumphed over four other entrants who made the UPEI shortlist for the prestigious entrepreneurial competition.
The Shelf.ca helps students connect, share and collaborate. The initial product is an online textbook exchange that offers features for both buyers and sellers, eliminating the need for 'Books for Sale' flyers that are a universal feature of any university bulletin board. With the rising cost of textbooks, the demand for used books is growing. With limited options to buy and sell books, The Shelf.ca is a great opportunity for student engagement and monetization. The Shelf.ca is expandable to provide social networking integration designed to offer an efficient marketplace for students. A beta version of the site was launched to UPEI students over the winter semester.
The Nicol Entrepreneurial local competition held recently at UPEI was judged by Reagh Ellis, President of the Entrepreneur's Forum and owner of Mark's Work Wearhouse, and Sean Casey, QC, Regional Managing Partner of Stewart McKelvey, President of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce and a former Chairman of First Angel Investor Network. The judges were overwhelmed by both the ideas and the professionalism of the competitors. In awarding the $5,000 first prize to Mr. Heron and his partner Mr. Seaman, the judges were impressed with the concept and the development of the product. Second prize of $2,000 was awarded to Mr. Tyson Gimblett, with the third place of $1,000 being taken by Mr. Danny Murray.
The Nicol Entrepreneurial Award, launched in 1997, is unique for its emphasis on the value of the entrepreneurial spirit and the key role it plays in the success of a business. The Nicol Entrepreneurial Award attracts the brightest students from multiple disciplines to encourage the development of the next generation of entrepreneurs who will drive the Canadian economy. No other business award offers as true-to-life an experience or is as inclusive as the Nicol Entrepreneurial Award, which welcomes entries from any undergraduate student with a solid business idea, from any program.
Teams from 14 of Canada's top universities compete locally for cash prizes and the opportunity to be chosen by the national selection judges to be one of six finalists to go head-to-head at the National Award Gala for the National Nicol Award.
The Award will be presented during the sixth annual Nicol Entrepreneurial Award Gala on March 30, 2010, at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa. Richard L'Abbé, co-founder and former CEO of Med-Eng Systems Inc., will be the keynote speaker at this year's event.
For further information about the UPEI competition, please contact:
Prof. Alan Duncan
Tel: 902-367-9929
Email: awduncan@upei.ca
For more information, please contact:
Alison Canavan
Tel: 613-290-4456
Email: alisonc@aceeventmanagement.ca
(Media release from Nicol Entreprenueurial Award)
