Mohawk College Students Pitch Innovative Business Ideas at Entrepreneurship Competition
By Amber Bartlett, Journalism Student
Creativity and personal stories took the spotlight as students and alumni gathered for the recent Pitch Competition, showing innovative business ideas. The event featured six finalists presenting their business ideas to a panel of judges. The top 3 would win a cash prize and bring their ideas to life.
Organizers opened the event by welcoming guests and introducing the judges to the crowd. Many of them were Mohawk alumni themselves. Visitors were encouraged to enjoy refreshments before the presentations started.
“We have six finalists coming up tonight to present,” the host Alyssa Lancia said to the audience. “They are mostly students and we do have an alumnus as well in the group.”
The competition showed a wide variety of industries from technology platforms, to creative services, and consumer products. Each finalist shared their story, the idea, and what problems their venture aims to fix.
The first presentation introduced a hair care brand called Mimi’s Bonnets, focused on protective satin bonnets designed to maintain healthy hair while remaining stylish and affordable. The founder Mariam, explained that entrepreneurship had always been a big part of her life.
“Growing up, I watched my mother run a business back in Nigeria, and that inspired me to start mine,” she said.
It was founded in 2024. The brand produces satin-lined bonnets intended to reduce hair damage due to breakage.
”Our premium satin bonnets are designed to protect your hair while also elevating everyday style,” she said.
Her company targets people who really care about hair care and protective styling. In particular for young adults and students who are active on social media. She also emphasized accessibility and sustainability in the brand’s design and packaging. According to her research, the hair accessory industry continues to grow every day.
“The global hair accessory market is valued at over $25 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach over $50 billion in the early 2030s,” she explained.
Mariam plans to go out further with her product line to include satin pillowcases, wooden combs and other hair accessories while increasing her brand online presence.
The second pitch offered a powerful personal story. It was combined with a unique approach to mental health education through live theatre. The founder Sherry introduced it as “Coffee Talk.”
Sherry shared with the audience her experience with mental illness. She explained how a difficult period in her life eventually inspired her business idea.
“I wanted to die. I had a plan, and I was ready to execute that plan.”
After receiving help, she was diagnosed with Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder. She began receiving treatment. That experience eventually inspired her to create her own theatrical production. It focuses on mental health awareness. One story from another woman in the same hospital inspired her to create this business.
”In 2019, it was the time for me to tell my story of triumph,” she said. “So I did whatever a good musical theatre girl could do. I wrote a show.”
This inspiring production combines performance with discussion. The first half features music and storytelling. The second half invites mental health professionals to speak with the audience and answer questions.
“I wanted to make sure that whatever audience I spoke to, I was helping link them to important mental health resources,” she said.
The production has already reached nearly 1,000 people and raised $25,000 through sponsorships and partnerships with mental health organizations
”Our vision is to take the show on the road,” she explained. “There are over 200 professional theatre companies in this country to partner with.”
Her pitch showed the power of storytelling to create human connection and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness.
”Everyone has a story,” she sang to the audience. “That’s how human connections are made.”
The third finalist presented a consulting company, called Morley Management. It focuses on bringing professional project management strategies to small and medium-sized businesses
The founder Krista explained that the idea came to her from years of professional experience and mindset developed early in life.
“What I didn’t realize back then is that what I was actually doing is developing what is called a systems-minded brain,” she said while talking about a school assignment many years ago that encouraged students to observe the world differently.
The consulting firm wants to help smaller businesses apply project management principles typically used by large corporations
”86% of small to medium organizations don’t truly understand what project management is,” she explained. “Yet 88% of high-performing organizations prioritize project management within their operations.”
Her company offers workshops, consulting sessions and long-term coaching to help these organizations apply project management systems that improve efficiency and collaboration.
She compared project management to a rope made of many threads.
“Most people think this is what project management represents, all kinds of mess and detail,” she said, while holding up a rope as an example. “What we do is pull away the strands until we find the core.”
Her goal is to simplify complex frameworks so businesses can focus on what matters most.
”Project management isn’t that sexy,” she joked. “But when frameworks are applied, project success rates go from 27% to 94%. That is sexy.”
The fourth pitch presented a guidebook designed to help collectors customize high-end ball-jointed dolls, a niche but passionate global hobby.
“These dolls can cost up to $1,500,” Bunny, the founder of Face Up explained.
Collectors often want to customize their dolls with their own ideas. But they tend to hesitate because they fear damaging an expensive item.
”People want to learn this magic,” Bunny said. “But the barrier is fear.”
The Face Up guidebook aims to teach beginners how to safely apply makeup and customization techniques while also learning how to repair their mistakes.
“My book distills my 13 years of professional artistry into a beginner-friendly guidebook,” she said.
Her project initially will launch as a digital product. It will be priced at $9.99. She also has future plans for print editions and online tutorials.
“I’m not just selling a book,” she said. “I am creating an entry-level ecosystem.”
The fifth pitch was very technology-focused. It introduced a mobile app designed to help mosques communicate with their communities more effectively.
The founder of My Masjid, Rida explained that many religious institutions rely on updated communication methods, such as WhatsApp.
”Mosques today are relying on scattered tools like WhatsApp, paper posters, and in-person announcements,” she said. “This makes it difficult to share updates and manage events.”
This app would help communication by offering prayer schedules, announcements, event registration, and donation systems on one platform.
”With these features, we expect mosques to see a 10% increase in monthly donations and triple their event attendance,” she said.
This app would operate on a subscription model, charging mosques a monthly fee. Long-term the founder hopes to expand internationally
“What we’re building is not just an app,” she said. “It's a digital infrastructure for mosques around the world.”
The final pitch highlighted a little business, offering face painting and toy sales at community events. The founder, Shanhshan shared with the audience that her idea began shortly after moving to Hamilton and attending local festivals.
“At one event there was a very long line at my booth,” Shanhshan explained. “Looking at the excited and happy faces of the children, I feel that my work is very meaningful.”
She also sells toys at the booth, creating an additional revenue stream.
“At a busy event, I painted more than 120 children in one day,” she said.
While her business may seem small compared to larger ventures, she said the impact makes it worth it.
”It brings joy and happiness to kids, friends and the community,” she said.
The evening concluded with the announcement of the competition winners. The third place winner was Bunny’s idea Face Up, second place was My Masjid by Rida, and first place went to Sherry, the creator of Coffee Talk.
These pitches provided aspiring entrepreneurs with an opportunity to refine their ideas. But for the students who presented their ideas that evening, the competition marked the beginning of turning those dreams into reality.