MAKO Student Innovation Award Final Pitch

Join Zone Learning and Mako Design + Invent on July 29th for the MAKO Student Innovation Award Final Pitch!

3 finalists will be pitching for the MAKO Student Innovation Award which will provide them with $10,500 to assist them in transforming their ideas and prototypes into market-ready products and successful businesses.

Finalists

AquaSignum, Science Discovery Zone

The amount of raw sewage pumped into Canadian waterways during overflow events at an increasing amount since 2013. AquaSignum has developed a biosensor that can continuously and remotely measure and notify municipalities of changes in the nutrient status of water.

CompTech, iBoost Zone

Traditional medical compression garments rely on material to provide compression, which can be restrictive or uncomfortable. CompTech redesigns these garments using a powered, mechanical tension system.

Enhanced Medical Nutrition, Biomedical Zone

In Canada, as high as 69% of individuals admitted to hospitals experience declining nutritional status during their stay. This life sciences startup is developing a protein isolate water formula to increase protein intake and muscle metabolism.

Judges

Harrison Newlands, Director, Strategic Relations, Hoshi International

Harrison Newlands has diverse experience in capital markets, having invested, advised, marketed and co-founded dozens of small to mid- cap companies. He is a cannabis industry expert with extensive professional knowledge of the North American cannabis market, and currently serves as the Director of Strategic Relations for Hoshi International. Prior to Hoshi, Harrison was Director of Business Development at Fire & Flower, Canada’s leading independent cannabis retailer, and Research Associate for MacNicol & Associates Asset Management in Toronto, Ontario. Harrison currently sits on the board of a local Ontario-based charitable foundation and is a student and startups mentor at the University of Guelph, Ryerson University and the Leaf Forward business accelerator. He has also advised on Ryerson’s Business of Cannabis course in The Chang School.

Ashutosh Jha, Co-Founder/Co-CEO Emeritus, 180 Smoke Vape Store

Ashutosh Jha is the Co-Founder Emeritus of 180 Smoke Vape Store and 420 Wellness Inc., retailers and manufacturers of vaping and cannabis products. In 2018, after eight years at the helm and building 23 successful retail locations across Canada, 180 Smoke was acquired by CannaRoyalty. Ashutosh is currently the Director of Projects for the POA Educational Foundation, which promotes education and entrepreneurship with a special focus on Canadian Aboriginal communities. He is also an active Board Member of dgMarkets, one of the largest online electronic marketplaces for government procurement information such as tender notices, contract awards, bidding documents, and more. Ashutosh is a recipient of the Government of Ontario’s Volunteer Service Award, and the Government of Canada’s Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Anju Virmani, CIO, Cargojet

Anju Virmani has been an adviser, entrepreneur and consultant in the information technology industry for more than 30 years in Canada and the United States, and has served as a senior advisor to many technology start-ups. She is currently Chief Information Officer at Cargojet, Canada’s leading supplier of time-sensitive air cargo services. She also serves on the Ontario Health Board, and the Board of CentrePort Canada, North America’s largest inland port in Winnipeg. Anju has also served on the Boards of the Toronto Transit Commission and Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. Her other appointments include the Advisory Council for National Security, the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on National Security and the Schulich School of Business Advisory Committee. Anju is also a talented artist, venture capital investor, and passionate advocate for women, particularly in STEM fields and board leadership. She is a philanthropist and community builder who currently supports a generous scholarship program for women in STEM at Ryerson University.

Guest Speaker

Kevin Mako, President, MAKO Design + Invent