On March 15th, 2016, students across campus gathered for the 2nd annual Blue Sky Competition viewing night. Each group was composed of 2-4 students from a variety of different disciplines ranging from business to engineering to creative arts. The requirement for the competition was to create a 2-minute video pitch of a business idea that solved an every day problem in the world.
The top three teams received prizes with the 3rd place team taking home $500, the runner-ups receiving $750 and the 1st place team winning $1500. All three teams will also receive a free trip to Toronto to attend the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Discovery Conference in May.
A big congratulations to everyone who participated in the competition. You can see more details on the winning business ideas below:
1st Place
Team: Ads On Rides
Names and Majors: Connor Holowachuk (Electrical & Computer Engineering) and Mina Ghali (Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering)
Ever wonder what a vehicle could be used for besides transportation? The advertising space has become very expensive, especially for smaller companies and start-ups. Ads for Rides provides an easy and affordable way for businesses to advertise their brand and products by blending the sharing economy (such as Uber and AirBnB) with the advertising industry by having smaller advertisements that can be placed on vehicles.
The benefits of this model are two-fold. First, small businesses will have a new way of advertising at an affordable rate. Second, drivers will benefit since they will get paid for allowing ad placement on their vehicles. It’s a win-win for everyone involved and would redefine the way small businesses advertise their brands.
2nd Place
Team: Bondit
Names and Major: Gerald Agbalizu (Sociology, Anthropology & Criminology) and George Oni (Odette School of Business)
Have you ever lent money or property to friends without them returning it or paying you back? Bondit has an app to solve this problem. Through their legal contract app, users are able to draft legally binding contracts to protect their assets.
Even though oral contracts are enforceable in courts, it may be difficult to prove your claim. With Bondit, you can draft loan agreements, personal property agreements and obtain signatures to ensure enforceability if the other party does not stick to the agreement.
The app would allow users to choose from a wide variety of existing legal templates and enable them to customize these agreements for their particular situation. Users can also take pictures and videos for evidence and the app will send automatic notifications so borrowers know exactly when to return the money or property.
3rd Place
Team: NightLyfe
Names and Majors: Chris Tomaszewski (School of Creative Arts), Paulo Dela Cruz (Economics) and Brandon Halin (Odette School of Business)
What if you had access to information about bars and clubs in your area so you could pick the perfect spot for a night on the town? Nightlyfe is an app for club-goers that can do just that. It’s an app that allows users to access information about a club or bar on any given night. The app can also be used by owners of bars and clubs who want to attract new customers and generate more revenue, improve their reputation and create the right atmosphere.
Users have access to a variety of different information including: club location, cover charge, club demographics (male:female ratios, age, capacity, etc.), special offers and coupons and club atmosphere (reviews, type of music, quality of establishment, etc.).
After building a large base of users, Lightlyfe would approach owners of nightclubs and bars and offer to promote their establishment on the app. This would allow the bar/club to be featured and exposed to thousands of individuals within their target market.
