Prolific Hockey and Golden Connections win 2025 Slaight New Venture Competition
A digital coaching platform for hockey players and an online hub designed to combat loneliness among seniors are the two winners in the 23rd annual Slaight New Venture Competition at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
For over two decades, the Slaight New Venture Competition (external link) at the Ted Rogers School, generously supported by the Slaight Family Foundation, has fostered student entrepreneurship by awarding a $25,000 prize of startup seed money to a Ted Rogers School student. This increased over time to two $25,000 prizes – one for a startup led by a student founder who identifies as female and one for a student founder who identifies as male – to encourage more women to participate.
The competition is hosted by Enactus TMU (external link) and Dr. Sean Wise (Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship & Strategy, Ted Rogers School). The six finalists (three male-led and three female-led ventures) made their presentations to judges on April 1, 2025 at the Ted Rogers School.
The 2025 Slaight New Venture Competition winners are Chris Playfair (Entrepreneurship) for Prolific Hockey, a digital platform that offers players and parents an affordable subscription for structured, high-quality training, and Viona Chang (Global Management Studies) for Golden Connections, an online hub designed to combat loneliness and foster genuine community engagement among seniors.
“As Dean of the Ted Rogers School, one of the things I care about is helping student entrepreneurs turn their ideas into something real,” says Cynthia Holmes. “Whether it's through what they learn in class, support from mentors, or access to funding and hands-on experiences, I am committed to ensuring they have the tools to succeed.”
“One of my top (PDF file) priorities is to expand these opportunities and make initiatives like the Slaight New Venture Competition more accessible to all Ted Rogers School students,” she adds. “The competition challenges students to take what they've learned and apply it to something they're genuinely passionate about, and I am incredibly grateful to the Slaight Family Foundation for continuing to carry that vision forward.”
Prolific Hockey
Prolific Hockey strives to revolutionize hockey training through a digital coaching platform that delivers elite-level instruction, personalized feedback and AI-powered analysis – all at an accessible price point.
The company’s internet-based platform offers hockey players of all ages and their parents an affordable subscription for structured, high-quality training that enhances skill development, while making elite coaching affordable, engaging and accessible. Coaches benefit from filtered practice plans and drill options, ensuring consistent, engaging and age-appropriate training for players. This system saves coaches hours of planning by adapting to key variables like player skill, group size and session timing, eliminating common training inefficiencies.
“Winning the Slaight New Venture Competition is a huge milestone in my journey as an entrepreneur. It validates the work our team has poured into Prolific Hockey and gives me the resources and confidence to scale our impact,” says Playfair. “This prize will directly help us build out our digital platform, expand our reach and continue to innovate in the space of athlete development.”
Playfair is very appreciative of the Slaight Family Foundation’s incredible generosity and belief in young entrepreneurs. “Your support is not only helping me pursue my dream, but is empowering Prolific Hockey to positively impact the lives of thousands of youth athletes,” he adds. “I'm deeply grateful for this opportunity and excited to carry this momentum forward.”
Golden Connections
Golden Connections is a digital platform for adults 55+, built to unify the fragmented world of senior engagement. It is more than a social platform — it is a centralized, safe and senior-designed digital ecosystem that finally unites all the key players: isolated older adults, senior centres, non-profits and businesses serving the 55+ community. At the heart of Golden Connections is accessibility, empowered by AI.
Chang did win the 2024 Slaight New Venture Competition in November, but that competition was for ideas only, not ventures with traction. Over the last five months, Golden Connections has gone from idea to market traction and has validated institutional demand through direct outreach, in-person engagement and early-stage partnership development with senior organizations. The start-up has built the first beta of their app and has been running workshops at seniors’ centres.
“Winning this competition for the second time feels like Golden Connections is truly stepping into its next chapter,” says Chang. “With this additional funding, I’m looking forward to elevating our platform to the next level — building stronger partnerships, integrating innovative features and ultimately creating something that makes a real difference in people’s lives.”
Chang’s company is leaning into AI and smart integrations to make the experience as seamless and intuitive as possible for our users. “With this, we’ll be able to enhance not just the functionality, but also the accessibility and personalization of the platform, making sure seniors of all comfort levels with technology can easily engage,” she explains.
She is grateful to the Slaight Family Foundation for the support she has received to help build Golden Connections. “Thank you for championing initiatives that aim to make a difference where it matters most. It’s inspiring to have your support on this journey,” Chang adds.
Judging panel and other finalists
The judges for this year’s competition were Michael Mihalicz (Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship & Strategy), Mina Mohammadi (Adjunct Professor, Entrepreneurship & Strategy), Alejandro Domenech-Pereda (Founder, Viable Ads; 2023 Slaight New Venture Competition winner), James Desmoulin (Entrepreneurship and Strategy Program Advisory Council; 2025 Chang Volunteer of The Year Recipient), Dean Skurka (President, WonderFi) and Majed Masad (President, Mejuri; 2012 Slaight New Venture Competition winner).
"Returning as a judge this year was both humbling and inspiring,” says Masad. “Having been in the shoes of the finalists as both a winner and an alumnus, I can truly appreciate the dedication and passion that each of these entrepreneurs has poured into their projects. It’s a full-circle moment for me, and I’m grateful to see the next generation pushing boundaries just as we did."
Other finalists who competed in the 2025 Slaight New Venture Competition included Jaiden Bolianatz-Lerch (Dosi Kicks), Artej Cahill (Kaizen4MartialArts), Mya Rose Hermogenes (GlamNailsByMya) and Caroline Pimentel (AZTN Corporation).
"We are proud to continue supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of students at the Ted Rogers School of Management through the Slaight New Venture Competition,” says Gary Slaight, President & CEO, The Slaight Family Foundation. “This school has a strong track record of nurturing innovative, socially conscious entrepreneurs who are eager to take on real-world challenges—and that’s exactly the kind of impact we want to champion."
"Over the past 23 years, we’ve seen this competition grow into a powerful launchpad for student-led ventures, and this year’s winners—Chris Playfair and Viona Chang—are outstanding examples. Prolific Hockey and Golden Connections both show how creativity and purpose can come together to meet a need. We’re honoured to support the next generation of business leaders as they build ventures that make a difference."