The fifth Provincial Innovation Sprint brought together by the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and Nova Scotia Community College, gathered students and industry leaders at the NSCC Burridge Campus in Yarmouth, with additional students joining virtually from the NSCC Digby Learning Centre. The event connected 28 NSCC students from programs including Trades, Electrical, Business Administration and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning with Graves Electrical Ltd, a growing Atlantic Canadian company with ambitious national goals.
Founder Dwayne Raynard and two members of the Graves Electrical team presented students with a real challenge: how could Graves Electrical expand strategically and explore partnerships as it works toward becoming Canada’s first National Open-Shop Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Contractor. What made the Sprint interesting was that the same challenge is currently being explored by professional consultants hired by the company.
Students worked in teams to analyze the opportunity from multiple angles, offering creative and practical solutions. The range of perspectives and ideas impressed both the Graves Electrical team and Sprint organizers, demonstrating the value of bringing fresh student thinking into complex business conversations.
The winning team, made up of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning students Jake Whynot, Bill Ogdon, Josh Ford and John Gosson, presented a strategy focused on building partnerships with First Nations communities across Canada. Their proposal addressed several of Graves Electrical’s goals simultaneously, supporting national expansion while also creating opportunities for community integration and open-shop employment across the country.
Second place went to Business Administration students Angel Goreham, Jaxon d’Entremont and Ella Dyson, who explored expansion into the marine and shipping industry. Their concept highlighted an underdeveloped market where Graves Electrical could establish a strong early presence while building long-term relationships within coastal and small-town economies.
The third-place team, Sarah Thurston, Bryndis Baldursdottir and Chloe Deveau, who are all Administrative Professional Program students, proposed the creation of “Graves Academy,” a training and development initiative designed to support employee recruitment, professional growth and retention. Their idea focused on building a strong workforce pipeline while offering career mobility within the company.
Beyond the competition, the event also sparked early conversations about a potential scholarship or sponsorship opportunity between Graves Electrical and NSCC, highlighting how the Innovation Sprint continues to create meaningful connections between students and industry.
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