Innovation Sprint participants from Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie
It’s not every day that students are asked to build strategies for two completely different ventures at the same time, but that’s exactly what made this Innovation Sprint stand out.
Hosted in collaboration with the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and New Leaf GSI with the BraveArt Project, the sprint brought together 13 students, six from Dalhousie University and seven from Saint Mary's University, to tackle a unique challenge: building strategies for not one, but two ventures operating side by side.
New Leaf is a strategy-driven business focused on helping organizations scale through rigorous operations and leadership. The BraveArt Project, by contrast, is a social enterprise brand rooted in creativity, storytelling and advocacy.
However, they are deeply linked by a shared mission of impact: a percentage of all revenue generated by New Leaf Fractional COO Services is donated directly to The BraveArt Project, the non-profit founded by founder Jessie Taylor. This unique model ensures that every operational success at New Leaf directly fuels the creative advocacy and community work of BraveArt.
Jessie Taylor
Taylor, the founder of both organizations, set up the tone early, sharing her journey to launching both ventures, along with the challenges, pivots and momentum that shaped them. Her energy carried through the day, especially as she spoke about her continued collaborations, including her work with a previous sprint partner, The Wine Spa, showing students how these experiences can extend far beyond a single event.
What made this sprint stand out was how quickly ideas turned into real opportunities. Some students even expressed interest in applying for open roles with New Leaf, turning their solutions into potential next steps for their own careers.
By the final presentations, the level of thought and execution was clear.
First place went to Patricia Tagliapietra and Mila Souilliere (Dalhousie University students), who delivered a comprehensive plan for New Leaf, covering communication, revenue generation, community growth and a full implementation roadmap.
Second place was awarded to Hinesh Patel and Swapnil Kanade (Dalhousie University students) for their deep dive into revenue generation, including three scalable models and a creative proposal for a community-driven podcast.
Taking third place, Stuti Sandhu (Saint Mary’s University) presented a powerful concept focused on workplace equity, financial independence and using both ventures as a platform for advocacy and consulting.
Beyond the competition, Jessie’s growing list of recognitions, including being a 2026 Canada’s Choice Award Finalist and a nominee for multiple national and regional awards, added another layer of inspiration for participants.
If you’re interested in learning more about the next Innovation Sprint, sign up for our newsletter.