Students help shape the future of a growing food initiative

Seventeen students from Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University and Mount Saint Vincent University worked with The Wave Placemaking for a hands-on Innovation Sprint at the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre rooted in food, culture and community impact. Known as a living lab for creative placemaking, The Wave Placemaking supports newcomer-owned and underrepresented businesses by transforming everyday community gaps like an empty restaurant, an underused courtyard, a chef without visibility, into opportunities for experimentation and growth.

During the session, Richard Yang and founder Joyce Liu shared the story behind The Wave Placemaking and how signature initiatives like Taste Asia, mobile food carts and school-based food education programs came to life. Students were invited to dig into three real challenges: offering solutions such as scaling Taste Asia across multiple cities, strengthening a community-focused recipe book, and refining the structure and user experience of a catering platform.

“The Innovation Sprint has been incredibly valuable for us as both a business and a nonprofit,” says Richard Yang, Manager of The Wave Placemaking. “The students brought fresh perspectives and strong ideas focused on helping us grow. It pushed us to think beyond our usual way of running events.”

Students gained an understanding of what goes into event planning, partnerships, operations and financial realities from a small but ambitious organization. They were also offered early-call opportunities for paid and volunteer roles with Taste Asia and promised credit if their ideas were implemented, making the work feel tangible and meaningful.

Saint Mary’s students earned first place

The first-place team, Saint Mary’s students Ifeanyichukwu Justin, Siyuan Xu and Modou Ceesay, focused on the community-centred recipe book. Their concept emphasized storytelling, highlighting each chef’s roots and cultural background. They developed a demo website and digital archive, proposing both online access and physical copies sold at The Wave Placemaking events to support fundraising.

Second place went to Mo Li from Dalhousie and Daniella Akpoguma from Saint Mary’s, who presented a highly practical production strategy. They suggested leveraging existing Wave initiatives to bridge cultural knowledge gaps, using the founder’s photo studio for professional visuals and distributing the book through the Kitchen on Wheels program.

The third-place team, Saint Mary’s students Mannat Gogia, Dwiesha Swann and Martino Elias, introduced “One Ingredient, Many Homes,” a concept celebrating a shared ingredient across Pan-Asian cuisines to build connection and belonging.

Second-place team

Third-place team

With $1,000 in prize funding awarded across the top three teams, the event highlighted how collaboration between students and community organizations can spark creative ideas with real-world impact.

High school students explore leadership, AI and entrepreneurship in Saint Mary’s co-op

High school students received a certificate for completing the AI and Entrepreneurship High School Co-op Program at SMU

Co-op students with faculty and staff from the Sobey School of Business

Last fall, Saint Mary’s University welcomed high school students from across the Halifax region to campus for a unique AI and Entrepreneurship High School Co-op Program, offering them early exposure to academic pathways, industry insights and hands-on learning opportunities at the Sobey School of Business.

Delivered in partnership with the local school board and more than 10 high schools, the program is designed to prepare students for the rapidly evolving AI space while introducing them to university life and post-secondary pathways.

As part of the experience, students participated in Leadership Day, which provided insights into leadership, innovation and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.

A highlight of the program was a one-hour keynote and Q&A session led by Ben McDade, Investment Director with Invest Nova Scotia and a proud Sobey School of Business alum. McDade shared his insights from his career and discussed entrepreneurship fundamentals, offering students practical perspectives on innovation and leadership.

Throughout the program, students explored a wide range of topics including artificial intelligence, generative AI, data visualization and data analytics. Sessions were delivered by SMU professors, alumni and industry professionals, including a team lead from the Data Analytics Support Centre at the Department of National Defence.

One participant, Karl, credits the program with shaping his academic future. After receiving undergraduate offers from top Canadian institutions, including the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, Karl ultimately chose to pursue his undergraduate studies at the Sobey School of Business, influenced by his experience at the Saint Mary’s High School Co-op program.

Throughout the program, Karl earned credits applicable towards his future degree, gained early exposure to campus life and explored cutting-edge topics in AI and entrepreneurship.

Looking ahead, participating students will be invited to the Youth AI Pitch Competition in 2026, along with additional opportunities such as March Break camps, competition preparation programs and teaching assistant volunteer roles.

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The next cohort of students recently began their High School Dual Credit Co-op at Saint Mary’s. This term, 20 local high school students will attend weekly on-campus sessions focused on AI and Data Analytics. The program is led by Dr. Michael Zhang and graduate students in the Master’s of Business Analytics program. Students will earn AI and Data Analytics career experience and attend sessions with various industry partners. 

Turning a passion for design into a growing local business

Brayden White showcases his products

For Brayden White, BW Works didn’t start as a big, polished business idea. It started with a simple interest in designing and making products that people would actually use.

A fourth-year student at Saint Mary’s University studying Entrepreneurship and Global Business Management, Brayden is originally from Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia. He launched BW Works out of a genuine interest in creating custom pieces that reflect a team’s, organization’s or business’s identity. What began as an idea has grown into a locally based keychain business that designs and manufactures its products right here in Nova Scotia.

One of the biggest moments for Brayden was seeing his keychains available at the Saint Mary’s Bookstore. Having something he designed and produced on shelves in his own university community felt significant. It was a reminder that the long hours of designing, testing and refining were worth it.

Brayden’s journey has also been shaped by his involvement in the Access Ability Entrepreneurship Incubator through the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. The program supports individuals who self-identify as living with a disability and are interested in starting a business, offering guidance, knowledge and practical resources. Through Access Ability, he was able to further develop BW Works, gain clarity on his goals and build confidence in his ability to grow the company.

BW Works keychains are available at the SMU Bookstore

At its core, BW Works is about creating custom products that feel personal. Brayden takes pride in being able to design and manufacture locally, and he is intentional about the quality of each order. The support from his community has played a major role in the business’s growth so far.

Looking ahead, White hopes to continue expanding BW Works and partnering with more local organizations, teams and businesses across Nova Scotia.

To explore BW Works’ custom designs or start creating something of your own, reach out to Brayden via Instagram or Facebook and see how he can help bring your idea to life.

Paralympian Katie Pegg talks student-athlete mental health

Katie Pegg competes in the Women’s Shot Put F46 Final at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France on September 4, 2024. Paralympic.ca

Most students worry about juggling school, work and exams. For Saint Mary’s track and field athlete Katie Pegg, life is similar: managing school, exams and her varsity athletics each term.  

The only difference is, Pegg is a Paralympian, and her schedule also includes high-performance training to compete on the world stage.  

Now in her fourth year as a biology major, Pegg finished seventh in the world in Paris in 2024—her first Paralympic Games. Pegg, who was born with a missing radial bone in her right arm, has been a vocal advocate for young athletes to get into parasports. Her decision to compete under this designation earned her a bronze medal at the 2025 World Para Athletic Championships in New Delhi, India.  

Featured in our lineup of SMU’s Olympians, Pegg adds to our rich history of athletic excellence here at Saint Mary’s, and she refers to her international experience as a “dream come true” for her goals as an athlete.  

So, how does a student-athlete handle the responsibilities that come with balancing a heavy competition schedule with student life? Coming off the heels of Huskies Mental Health week, Pegg gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the reality behind the podium.  

A mental game: training for the world stage 

Pegg’s involvement in shot put at SMU happened quickly—almost by fate; she talked to the right person at the right time to try out. She followed a similar path when she found out she qualified for the Paralympic Games.  

Going from “getting back into shot put” to qualifying for the Paralympics in a matter of months is a big adjustment, especially for someone still in school. Although physical training was a priority for Pegg—especially strength and conditioning—preparation was as much a mental game as a physical one.  

“Preparing for the Paralympics was surreal. Because of how fast my path was through the high-performance environment, we were really dialled in on how best to support my mental preparation for the games.” 

Pegg relied on a myriad of on-campus resources to support her through this career-making athletic opportunity, leaning on her academic advisors, coaches, professors and athletic directors to ensure she could achieve her goals in sport while still succeeding in her education. “It’s nice to know that there are people here at SMU who are ready to support you through every step of the student-athlete journey,” she says. “Even to this very day, they check in with me to tell me I can reach out to them for support with anything I need.” 

With supports in place for her academics and training, Pegg worked hard at creating strategies to manage the pressure that comes with international competition. Reframing her self-talk to honour the process, and not just the win, was key to her pre-game strategy.  

“Early on, I felt like I need to prove myself to others. Now, I focus on showing myself what I can do—and that was a big mindset shift we made as I prepared for international competitions.”

“One of the biggest takeaways going into the world championships was to remove some of the weight I was carrying mentally going into it. ‘It’s just another circle; it’s just another ball.’  I had to keep in mind that it’s another competition and your moments in these events don’t take away the hard work and training you put in ahead of that competition.”

Back to reality: adjusting to life off the pitch  

The high of making the podium at her first Paralympics wore off quickly, and getting back to reality after the games came with its own set of challenges. “Everyone talks about the post-game blues,” says Pegg, “and part of me thought it wouldn’t impact me that badly, but it really did.”  

Post-game blues can take many forms, including playing back and overanalyzing a performance. For Pegg, it manifested as extra pressure on herself to keep performing at that level after the international competitions ended. The aftermath of the season can be just as much of a mental battle as the training period that comes before it.  

“I am still working on how best to manage these stressors and pressures, especially going from the Paralympic Games to going back to our indoor season. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep performing at that same level, and it was almost as if I didn’t keep performing at that level, people might question how I got to the games in the first place.”  

Pegg has since leaned on her supporters and other resources to develop better strategies for navigating life before, during, and after the games. Managing such a wide variety of stressors requires an agile support system—and she’s found that right here on campus.  

“I found after my second world competition that I was better able to transition back to my normal routine—it was a lot easier on my mental health. I have worked on developing a more robust support group and had better strategies in place for managing that post-competition transition.”  

“It’s really important to develop those relationships with on-campus supports early in your career as a student-athlete. It can feel intimidating to reach out at first but building that relationship early has helped us work together to make sure my education works for me and supports my goals and responsibilities.”

Katie and Assistant Coach Jodi Langley at the AUS Championships in February 2026

That support system paid off at the 2026 Atlantic University Sport Track & Field Championships, where Pegg threw a new personal best of 12.78m, winning a bronze medal and breaking a 43-year-old Saint Mary’s school record.  

Looking ahead to next year, Pegg says she’s found what works for her to manage her health, wellness, and responsibilities. Among other things, she makes sure she has a dedicated schedule and relies on structure to keep everything going while making time for herself. She also crochets in her spare time—a hobby she finds relaxing and restorative in her time away from sport.  

Pegg will now compete at the U SPORTS Track & Field Championships, March 5-7 in Winnipeg, MB. 

Supporting student-athlete mental health

Athlete mental health isn’t just an afterthought here at SMU; it’s at the forefront of our programming and our resources. The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health is working with student-athletes to build a network of peer-driven resources that follow the mental wellness model that helped Pegg succeed.   

“We believe high performance is mostly a result of individual effort,” says the centre’s managing director, Jacob Glover. “But that effort is most healthy, most manifest, and most sustainable when it is supported by a large network of people who care about the athlete— and in which that athlete can trust. Our work is not about building that network for student-athletes, but about creating the conditions for them to build it themselves.” 

For more about athlete wellness at SMU, follow the centre’s social channels to stay up to date on their Athletics Ambassador’s program, or check out the SMU Huskies website to keep an eye on initiatives like Mental Health Week games. Saint Mary’s students also have access to additional supports, including the Counselling Centre.

Enactus Saint Mary’s earns regional titles at 2026 Atlantic Exposition

Enactus Saint Mary’s the 2026 Atlantic Regional Exposition

Enactus Saint Mary’s secured finishes in all four categories at the 2026 Enactus Canada Atlantic Regional Exposition this past Friday:

• Innovation and Impact Challenge - 1st place

• TD Entrepreneurship Challenge - 1st place

• Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge - 2nd place

• Desjardins Community Empowerment Challenge - 3rd place

These results reflect the team's ongoing commitment to addressing social and environmental issues through sustainable business models.

Innovation and Impact

The Innovation and Impact Challenge, supported by Enactus Alumni, recognized the development of Alaagi. Now in its second year, the project was noted for its practical approach to sustainability challenges. The judges highlighted the team's ability to refine the project’s technical application while maintaining its core mission of environmental impact.

Community Entrepreneurship

The presentation for the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge focused on the entrepreneurial empowerment of two projects: Square Roots and Gluten Free Living.  The team provided 47 local entrepreneurs with the specific tools, skills and knowledge required to manage and grow their own community-based ventures.

Environmental Sustainability

In the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge, the judges reviewed the progress of the teams’ most established initiative, Square Roots. This project continues to provide affordable produce to communities across 28 locations in Nova Scotia by managing surplus food supplies.

Community Empowerment

Finally, the team earned third in the Desjardins Community Empowerment Challenge with two distinct models:

• Being There: A preventive-care model using clinical screening and weekly check-ins to help older adults maintain independence at home.

• Options Online: A flexible digital program empowering youth facing employment barriers to build the skills and confidence necessary for the modern workforce.

Next Steps: National Exposition

Following the regional wins, Enactus Saint Mary’s will advance to the Enactus Canada National Exposition held in Montreal, Quebec, from May 6-8, 2026. The team will participate in three competitions, including the defence of their current national title.

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Related:

Enactus Saint Mary’s are the 2025 World Cup Champions

Retail, reimagined: Sobeys event inspires career options for students

Executives from Sobeys and Empire held a panel during SMU’s Career Week in February

As part of Career Week at Saint Mary’s, students gathered for Retail Reimagined: The Careers You Don’t Expect at Sobeys, an event that highlighted the scale, complexity, and opportunity within modern retail at Sobeys.

Panelists Steve Leslie, Vice President, Chief Auditor & Head of Enterprise Risk Management at Empire Company; Heather DeBlois, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Sobeys; Jason Bennicoff, Head of Retail Media, Empire Media+ at Sobeys; and Cori Norman, Vice President, Merchandising Grocery, Lawtons, and Local Development at Sobeys, spoke directly about what drives success in retail today: curiosity, leadership, data literacy, and the ability to work across teams. Moderated by SMU student Olivian Sanderson, the discussion also featured insights from Yehansa Rupasingha, a SMU co-op student sharing her experience participating in a Sobeys co-op.

Panelists shared how careers evolve from finance to store operations, from merchandising to retail media, and how Sobeys invests in continuous learning through CPA pathways, analytics, supply chain innovation, and community engagement. A clear theme emerged: growth happens through people—through mentorship, collaboration, and diverse perspectives across the organization.

The discussion reinforced Sobeys’ guiding belief, It’s the people. From the more than 100,000 teammates in stores to the specialists working behind the scenes, people power the strategy, the technology, and the customer experience.

The conversation continued at the networking reception, where students connected with panellists, alumni, and executives to discuss co-op opportunities, sustainability, data, leadership, and the future of retail. The strong turnout and engaged discussions reflected what the evening was designed to showcase: real career pathways, practical advice, and meaningful connections.

The Arena 2026: Watch 64 student entrepreneurs compete on one national stage this March

The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is set to welcome 64 ambitious students from across the country to The Arena, where they will compete for a total of $17,000 in prize funding. Inspired by the high-energy, bracket-style format of March Madness, this head-to-head pitch competition challenges students to present their ventures to panels of experienced judges in a fast-paced, knockout-style tournament. 

Now in its sixth year, The Arena has built a strong national profile, drawing applications from 41 post-secondary institutions across Canada. Participating schools include McMaster University, University of Waterloo, University of Calgary and institutions throughout Atlantic Canada.  

“The Arena brings unmatched energy to student entrepreneurship,” says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. “It’s a powerful platform for emerging founders to refine their ideas, gain real-time feedback from industry leaders and compete for prize money to accelerate their ventures.” 

This year, four Saint Mary’s University students from the Sobey School of Business will compete in The Arena: Simone Boudreau, founder of CycleStrong; Ramon Stultz, founder of MazeMonk; Philip Bou Khalil, founder of Helprr; and Conrad Scotchburn, founder of Blyyss.  

The national champion will take home the $10,000 prize. The runner-up will receive $5,000, and third- and fourth-place finalists will each earn $1,000. The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre gratefully acknowledges Metronomics as The Arena’s prize sponsor. Founded by Saint Mary’s University alumna Shannon Byrne Susko BComm’89 BSc’92, Metronomics reflects a legacy of entrepreneurial leadership and innovation. 

The 2026 competition runs entirely online from March 3 to April 2 and unfolds over six rounds: 

• Round One: March 3–12 

• Round Two: March 16–19 

• Round Three: March 23–24 

• Quarter Finals: March 27 

• Semi Finals: March 31 

• Finals: April 2 

Members of the Saint Mary’s University community and supporters from across Canada are encouraged to follow us on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn to receive notifications when we go live!  

Visit here for details on all 64 competitors and the dates and times for each round of competition. 

Saint Mary’s students win VCIC in Boston, advance to global finals

SMU’s undergraduate VCIC team: Lydia Ramsay, Matthew Chapman, Katie Murray, Brennan Campbell, Vaishali Sachdeva with professor Dr. Ellen Farrell

A team of undergraduate students from Saint Mary’s University is heading to the global finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) this April after earning first place at the regional competition—marking the university’s first regional win in 10 years and its first-ever invitation to the global finals.

Hosted at Boston University, the New England regional competition saw Saint Mary’s place first against top institutions, including New York University, Tufts University, Amherst College, University of Connecticut and Dartmouth College—last year’s global champion.

The team will now travel to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in April to compete in the VCIC Global Finals against leading schools from around the world.

Unlike traditional case competitions, VCIC challenges students to step into the role of venture capitalists. Over two and a half days, teams assess real startups, conduct due diligence, and make investment decisions under pressure—mirroring the realities of high-stakes investing.

“This was one of my best experiences at Saint Mary’s to date,” said student Matthew Chapman. “I started the first round of founder interviews feeling nervous, but then our team instantly clicked. We built on each other’s questions, dug deeper with every answer, and turned the conversation into real due diligence. That’s when I realized teamwork can create results bigger than any one person—and that’s exactly what carried us to the win.”

From classroom to competition

For many students, the experience highlighted the power of experiential learning at the Sobey School of Business.

“As a Sobey student, this experience was unique because it bridged the gap between classroom theory and the high-stakes reality of the startup world.”

— Trang Nguyen

“A standout moment for me was the final partner meeting; the adrenaline was high, but our preparation gave us the confidence to stand our ground,” said student Trang Nguyen. “I hope to carry that same decisiveness and collaborative spirit into my future career in finance.”

The competition includes a series of intensive evaluations: interviewing entrepreneurs, drafting investment term sheets, and defending decisions before a panel of experienced venture capitalists. Each stage is judged independently, and teams remain anonymous throughout the process to ensure fairness.

Collaboration across programs

SMU’s graduate VCIC team: Brooklyn Bohach, Jacob Pitre, Mia Carey, Trang Nguyen, Jiaen Yu with Dr. Ellen Farrell

Behind the undergraduate team’s success was strong support from graduate students, who competed in a separate round and shared insights and strategies.

“We didn’t win in our round, but we’re proud of our undergraduate team,” said graduate student Jiaen Yu. “The most challenging part of the competition was encountering an industry and business structure we weren’t familiar with. We had to learn the entire industry from scratch with limited and redacted information.”

“The competition felt incredibly real,” Yu added. “During our interview with the entrepreneur, a new piece of information came up and changed everything. Since we were the first team to meet with the entrepreneur, we weren’t able to discover that beforehand. But we adapted quickly, and the judges were impressed by how we progressed with each round of feedback.”

The graduate team —Brooklyn Bohach, Jacob Pitre, Mia Carey, Trang Nguyen, and Jiaen Yu —later shared their framework and insights with the undergraduate competitors, helping reinforce a strong sense of teamwork across programs.

“We could see their confidence and belief in each other, and we are thrilled that they won,” Yu said.

A global stage ahead

The winning team—Lydia Ramsay, Matthew Chapman, Katie Murray, Brennan Campbell and Vaishali Sachdeva—will now compete on the global stage, representing Saint Mary’s against top business schools worldwide.

For Dr. Ellen Farrell, who coached the team, the milestone reflects both the students’ dedication and the strength of the university’s hands-on approach to business education.

“This is where classroom knowledge meets real-world decision-making,” she said. “Our students demonstrated not only technical skill, but the curiosity, resilience, and collaboration needed to succeed in venture capital.”

As they prepare for the global finals, Saint Mary’s students are carrying forward more than just a win—they’re bringing with them the confidence, experience, and momentum to compete at the highest level.

Students collaborate with ADDvocacy to strengthen support for neurodivergent communities

Students from universities across Atlantic Canada participated in the online Innovation Sprint

ADDvocacy began with a personal turning point. In 2009, NSCC Truro alum Keith Gelhorn received a series of late diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, depression, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and challenges with processing and executive functioning. This reshaped how he understood both his past and his future. Just a few years later, in 2012, he founded ADDvocacy to ensure others navigating similar experiences would not have to do so alone.

Keith’s story became the foundation for a recent Innovation Sprint hosted by the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and NSCC Entrepreneurship. It brought together 19 students from Memorial University, University of Prince Edward Island, Mount Saint Vincent University, Dalhousie University and Saint Mary’s University. Working alongside ADDvocacy, students were challenged to explore practical, forward-thinking ways to strengthen supports for neurodivergent individuals at a time when many services are facing growing demand and tightening resources.

Students approached the opportunity with enthusiasm and a clear sense of purpose. Ideas ranged from forming partnerships with large corporations and leveraging Lifestyle Spending Accounts to reduce financial barriers for young professionals, to integrating AI tools that could streamline administrative work, automate intake and check-ins and improve billing efficiency. Other teams focused on sustainable growth, proposing tiered revenue models, refined marketing strategies, student co-op engagement across campuses and detailed roadmaps outlining achievable goals over the next one, two and three years.

“The Innovation Sprint was an incredible four hours,” said Keith Gelhorn, founder of ADDvocacy. “I gained insights I hadn’t considered in my business and really valued the students’ ideas and perspectives. I’d highly recommend it to any entrepreneur, at any stage; it’s a powerful way to see your business through fresh eyes.”

Top teams were recognized for their contributions. First place and a $1,000 prize went to Saint Mary’s students Hazzaa Sujeer and Chloe Pobjoy-Ridolfo. Second place, earning $700, was awarded to Umit Kaan Oran from Mount Saint Vincent University, Martino Elias from Saint Mary’s University and Erick Batista from Memorial University. Third place and $300 went to Dalhousie students Prabhath Sundarapalli, Hinesh Patel and Benison Amirvin.

While the sprint marked a single moment in time, its impact extends further. For students, it demonstrated how classroom learning can translate into tangible, community-driven outcomes. For ADDvocacy, it offered fresh insight and momentum shaped by the next generation of problem-solvers.

If you’re interested in being part of a future Innovation Sprint, click here.

Students tackle solutions for gender inequity in pro sports

Dr. Ann Pegoraro, Lang Chair in Sport Management and Full Professor at University of Guelph 

Maura Martina, Facilitator at Canadian Women & Sport

Dr. Annika Voltan, Assistant Professor of Management at SMU

Students from across faculties participated in a case competition tackling gender disparity in professional and collegiate coaching

The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health hosted its inaugural case competition last fall, bringing industry experts together to let student-athletes pave the way for a new generation of professional coaches.  

Systemic barriers for women in coaching positions still exist, and according to a 2023 report by Women’s Sports Foundation, “women in head coaching positions at the collegiate level had fallen from 90% to 41% since the implementation of Title IX [in the United States].”  

This competition was born out of a clear and necessary mission: to give students and student-athletes a dedicated space to tackle ongoing gender disparity in professional and collegiate coaching. This wasn’t just an academic exercise; it was a chance for the next generation of leaders to make a direct, tangible impact on the industry they love. 

The competition 

Dr. Annika Voltan of Saint Mary’s University, Dr. Ann Pegoraro from the University of Guelph and Maura Martina of Canadian Women & Sport briefed students on the case and provided the foundational insights needed to navigate the complex realities of gender inequality in professional coaching.  

This thorough brief ensured that when the competition day arrived, the solutions presented were grounded in real-world knowledge and experience.  

Taking the top spot with their pitch was "The Five R's," composed of Sophie Scully, Jill Duggan, Ashley Penney, Kara MacLean, Keyara Nelson and Leslie McLean.  

“We propose that the AUS help address systemic barriers affecting the underrepresentation of women in coaching and leadership roles by creating an AUS-wide assistant coach apprenticeship that prioritizes the recruitment of varsity women and alumnae seeking to further their education.

In this program, we envision collaborative work between the faculty of graduate studies at AUS schools and their athletic departments to provide cohorts of 10-12 graduating student athletes the opportunity to be mentored as assistant coaches while completing a master’s degree at their respective schools. Our mission aligns directly with the AUS mission: creating extraordinary, personal, and memorable student-athlete experiences – the kind that build belonging.”

“We envision a future where young women watching the bench can look at the staff and finally see themselves there too, not by exception but by expectation.”

— The Five R's team

Team The Five R’s took first place in the pitch competition

They were followed by "HERizon" in second place, featuring Charlie DaFonseca, Reid Valade, William Thompson, Mathew MacDougall and Josh Wainman, who created a solution that brought support pieces such as childcare stipends, scholarships and paid work experience into the fold.  

“Our two-year program combines rotational coaching experience, mentorship, NCCP training and access to a regional Women in Coaching Network.” 

Third place went to the team "LeadHER Atlantic", represented by Taylor Lougheed, Marisa McClocklin, Mackenzie Beggs, Jacquline Moore and Lianne Rogers. 

“Our team proposed a coaching certification and leadership advancement pathway designed to elevate women in sport. Within five years, the program aims for all women student-athletes to graduate with entry-level coaching certification in their respective sports, while each female varsity team is paired with a community woman mentor.” 

Team HERizon took second place

Team LeadHER Atlantic took third place

One of the Centre’s benefactors, Leslie McLean, was on-site to award the prizes. Key members from SMU’s Athletics & Recreation department, the Faculty of Arts, the Sobey School of Business, and local and provincial sport organizations participated on the adjudication panel.  

Looking ahead 

By inviting student-athletes into the conversation, the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health bridged the gap between those who play the game and those who will eventually manage it–demonstrating the importance of having a diverse range of voices at the table where industry-changing decisions are made.  

To get involved with sports-business initiatives that have a real impact on the world, connect with the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health and check out our Sports Business program.