First-ever French Innovation Sprint brings students together in Nova Scotia

Students from Université Sainte-Anne participated in the first French language Innovation Sprint

The energy was high and the conversations flowed entirely in French at the first-ever French language Innovation Sprint, a new collaboration between the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, Nova Scotia Community College, Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) and Université Sainte-Anne. Held at the Centre de l’entrepreneuriat Louis-E.-Deveau in Church Point, Nova Scotia, the event brought together 20 students for an experience focused on solving real business challenges.

What made this Sprint stand out wasn’t just the competition; it was the sense of inclusion. For many participants, it was a rare opportunity to engage fully in French within Nova Scotia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As André LeBlanc, Manager of the Louis E. Deveau Entrepreneurship Centre, put it, “It is not often that the students get to participate in a French event allowing them to fully feel included in the provincial ecosystem.”

All 20 participants were students from Université Sainte-Anne, with a mix of academic backgrounds—three science students and seventeen commerce students. They were tasked with developing solutions for Wild Rose Farms, a local farm navigating the growing challenges of climate change. The business is seeking ways to remain resilient amid environmental uncertainty by adopting sustainable practices and technologies that support long-term operations and financial performance.

“It was an extremely tough challenge, but the students exceeded all my expectations. Their ideas were impressive and they worked incredibly hard,” said Gilberte Doelle of Wild Rose Farms.

Over the course of the Sprint, students worked in teams to build and pitch their ideas. The level of engagement was high, making it clear that there is a strong demand for more opportunities like this.

By the end of the event, three teams stood out:

1st Place: Délices Muswelemalue, Mike Miteulukusa, Adio Ange Bisse
2nd Place: Prudencia Princesse Mbiadjeu Mbunzwe, Liliane Kasanda
3rd Place: Séverine Makiesekink, Océane Gbaligazakies, Igor Mukwanga

“This experience helped grow my interest in entrepreneurship and pushed my thinking in a new way,” said a member of the first-place team. “It was rewarding to support the business and we even won some money.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the next Innovation Sprint, sign up for our newsletter.

Pitch perfect

Meet the three unique women who made up the top Stock Pitch team in Canada

Keira Hennigar, Katelyn Abriel, Laura McAleese and coach/faculty advisor Ross Hallett

A team of three Sobey School of Business women are the top stock pitching team in Canada after competing in Virginia, USA, in March.

Laura McAleese graduated from the Sobey School of Business in 2025 with her Bachelor of Commerce in Finance. She “landed at Saint Mary’s after hip-hopping around a bit,” knowing that the Sobey School was where her mother had gotten her accounting degree. She says she toured SMU when she was a little girl and “vividly remembers the Atrium with the plant wall.”  

From her BComm, she applied to the Sobey Master of Business Analytics “on a whim,” although she adds that the future-facing AI-focused curriculum appealed to her.

Laura is an active participant in the Impact Fund program, which deepened her passion for, as she calls it, “the technical aspect of finance.”  Last year, in her first year on the Impact Team, she competed at the Stock Pitch.

Keira Hennigar is a third-year BComm student majoring in finance. She is a member of Saint Mary’s Equestrian Club and the Investment Society. Katelyn Abriel is also a third-year student, majoring in finance and accounting and aiming to get her CPA designation and pursue a career in accounting. Both are current Research Associates with the Sobey School Impact Fund, Keira for real estate investment and Katelyn for consumer staples.

In March, Keira, Katelyn and Laura entered the women-only Bianca Caragliano Stock Pitch Competition.  

So what is a stock pitch competition?

Participants are tasked with choosing the stock that they hope will beat the market over the next year. “After choosing a stock, we basically do equity research on that stock,” says Laura. “We look at the company, we look at its competitors, industries, and then we try to come up with an implied share price for the stock and see whether or not it's mispriced in the actual market. Then, we give a buy or sell recommendation.”

This preparation paid off. The team competed at William & Mary in Williamsburg, against 21 teams from across Canada, the US and beyond. They landed at number four, topping teams from the Ivey Business School, Memorial University, UBC and University of Regina, making them the highest-scoring Canadian team.

First cohort of Sports Business students prepare to launch their careers

Matthew Lloyd is one of the first students to graduate with the Saint Mary’s Certificate in Sports Business

At Saint Mary’s, preparing students to thrive in agile, competitive careers is a top priority for us—and the Sobey School of Business is one of the faculties leading the charge with innovative programming designed for lucrative, high-demand industries.

Working in tandem with the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health, the recently unveiled Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Business major was launched last year as part of the Sobey School’s program offerings, with students like Van Bernard coming to SMU specifically for the program. As the only sports business program currently available in Atlantic Canada, we’re committed to developing talent right here at home—giving students the opportunity to build an education that supports their goals.  

The BComm in Sports Business didn’t launch overnight. It started as a Certificate in Sports Business in 2024. It’s still available as a certificate option for students interested in adding it to an existing major, and we’ve heard firsthand from students that it’s a fantastic pairing with other Sobey School programming.

Marketing major Matthew Lloyd is one of the first students set to graduate with the certificate in sports business, and he felt passionate enough about his experience in the program to write a profile of it in the SMU Student Journal.

“I had the option to go out of province for a sports business program, but I wanted to stay in the Maritimes. It aligned perfectly—with the sports business certificate, I was able to get sport-specific education while finishing my degree at Saint Mary’s.”

“The courses required for the certificate—like sports marketing and sports data analytics—have given me extremely relevant experience and allowed me to practice applying my marketing education in sports-specific contexts. ”

— Matthew Lloyd

A longtime fan, Matthew is passionate about every aspect of sports. He played basketball in his youth, and he follows hockey and basketball closely. His dream job would be a marketing role with a team like the Toronto Raptors, and he took full advantage of our sports-related programming, taking that first step toward turning his passion into a lifelong career.  

“Marketing and sports business go hand-in-hand, as sports marketing is a key part of the industry. Between sponsorships, event promotions and broadcast opportunities, having sports-related education under your belt when you graduate gives you a competitive advantage when getting your foot in the door in sports marketing.”  

You don’t have to be planning a career in sports to benefit from taking these courses, Matthew says. Each of the sports business courses—Human Resources in Sports and Sports & Sustainability—give students ample opportunity to apply the learning they do to real-world examples through case studies in the sports industry.

“I feel a lot better entering the job market because of my education at Saint Mary’s than I would otherwise. In addition to the education I received, I’m graduating with work experience. With the co-op program I participated in, I have 12 months of experience across three different organizations, so I have projects I can point to on my resume that give me an advantage in a competitive market.”

Matthew will cross the stage with his cohort of Sobey School of Business graduates on May 27 during Spring Convocation. Soon after, he’ll begin his new role with Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax.

With Sports Business now offered at Saint Mary’s, students who want a clear path to a career in the sports industry are able to set themselves up for success. Whether you’re looking to double major, minor, or add a certificate to your education, Saint Mary’s offers flexible opportunities to prepare students like Matthew for a successful start in their chosen field.

Same hometown, similar degrees, different pathways

William Cook and Matthew Chapman

Teammates in business

Growing up, they became friends playing sports together. Now, William Cook and Matthew Chapman are engaged in the sport of finance, crushing major competitions in Canada and the USA. It’s been a journey for the two friends from Lunenburg, who now have networks in Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, New York and Montreal.  

“We’ve known each other since we were at least eight years old, through various sports during our junior high days,” said Will. “Our community’s pretty tight in that regard. We got to know each other really well at Park View Education Centre, and then we came here. And after first year, we were like, why don’t we room together, given we had so many similar interests?”

Same town, different families

Will and Matt’s families exposed them to different paths early on.

“My dad’s an entrepreneur who runs the Knot Pub in Lunenburg, and my mom is a nurse practitioner. So, I was partially interested in science because of my mom, but my grandfather ran a TD bank branch for 35 years, and my uncle was a managing director for CI’s private wealth Atlantic division, so that’s where my interest in finance started,” said Will.

“He mentors him as well,” adds Matt.

For Matt, “It was kind of the opposite. My dad has a civil engineering degree and a bachelor’s in physics. I think he wanted me to be an engineer, but I just did not like science. My sister went to Saint Mary’s ahead of me, and she took finance and liked it a lot. So, I was like, maybe that's something I might be interested in.”

Finance and economics proved to be the right combination for Matt. “My father wanted me to get a business degree because he knew that's where my passion lies. It worked out because we have a family construction company, Maritime Homes Ltd. He does the technical side, and I help with the business side.”

Competition successes: Impact Fund and Venture Grade

The two friends have been actively involved on campus since they arrived.

William Cook scored a coveted Research Associate spot with the Impact Fund team in his second year. In the history of the Fund, only one other student in memory has made it onto the team before third year. He completed his two years as a Fund Manager and travelled to Vancouver, New York and Toronto, taking part in competitions as part of the Impact Team. The largest of these competitions were the Rotman International Trading Competition (Toronto), the National Investment Banking Competition (Vancouver), and the Sauder Capital Markets Challenge (Vancouver). Now in his fourth year, he is part of Venture Grade, another student investment program.

Venture Grade Team at VCIC in Boston

Matthew Chapman is a fourth-year Finance and Economics student and is also with Venture Grade. He was part of the undergraduate Venture Grade team, with Lydia Ramsay, Katie Murray, Brennan Campbell and Vaishali Sachdeva, that travelled to Boston in February to compete in the New England regionals. The team took first place, besting prestigious American teams from New York University, Tufts University, and last year’s global champion, Dartmouth College. In late April, they will compete in the global competition.

“Yeah, we won. We were first in every category. The whole trip, we jelled well as a team. We're excited for Worlds.”

The value of competitions

Will and Matt acknowledged that the competitions were important for both building their networks and applying what they learned in the classroom.

“Stressful, but what a great opportunity to meet people from across the world who are doing the same kind of stuff,” said Will. “Competitions, being on new teams, it’s huge for relationship-building.” He notes that students competing in these high-level competitions form their own national network, recognizing one another from past events.

Matt says that after the VCIC competition Saint Mary’s hosted, he invited the other teams to socialize downtown.

“Every team except for one showed up. And that's where you really start to make good connections. The next day, I'm getting LinkedIn DMs saying, ‘that was awesome.’”

Matt also notes that the pressure of competition has helped them feel prepared for the work world.

“Going to these competitions, you know they're going to be tough. But you can come out of it knowing and learning so much more because of the time frame and the pressure you were put under. So that's kind of the trade-off. But it's a good one.” 


Will says, “It's almost like when you hear people talk about these high-pressure jobs. What you learn in those five days might have taken you three months if you had taken it slower. It's a sped-up version of learning for sure.”

The next challenge: launching their careers

With degrees in hand this May, and having trained and tested their skills in competition, Will and Matt are ready to level up as they head into their careers. What is ahead for these high achievers?

Will is headed to Montreal. “I am beyond excited to join Heward Investment Management and learn more about the family office industry. It’s the same place I interned last summer, an asset management firm, which has now transformed into a family office-style firm. I am fortunate that the new CEO, Eric Lapointe, brings an immense amount of industry experience, which is great for someone like me, just starting my career. Montreal is going to be different for me, because I'm from Lunenburg. And now I have to learn French.”


Matt will manage projects for his family’s business. “We are in a unique industry, modular construction. It's been growing in a big way. I'm going to be managing almost all our projects. So, I can get more into the technical side because that's where I'm not as strong. And obviously, Dad's going to help and mentor me there. He loves the sales side of our business. It'll be a good combination.”

Advice for future students

For other students coming to the Sobey School of Business, both say: get involved. The Impact Team is crucial, says Will, for anyone planning to pursue a career in corporate finance. “Because it’s real money, it makes it a little bit more serious. You need to do a full resume, cover letter and interview process to get in, so it's prestigious in that sense.”

And Matthew adds, take part in competitions. With the intensity of preparing and competing, when you get to the work world, “You kind of hit the ground running rather than taking that month or two to learn anything.”

TRIUMF triumph: Two Saint Mary’s science students awarded prestigious fellowships

Two Saint Mary’s University science students, Tehya Mohammed and Clara Wrightman-Dillon, will be travelling to Vancouver this summer for the Richard E. Azuma Summer Fellowships at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre.

Only two of these prestigious fellowships are awarded each year to students from TRIUMF’s 21 member universities across Canada, making it extra special that both students will be representing SMU.

The fellowships support promising Canadian undergraduate students in pursuing careers in TRIUMF’s research fields, including accelerator science and technology, detectors and instrumentation, life sciences, molecular and materials science, particle, nuclear, and theoretical physics, and scientific computing.

“Watching students succeed is the greatest reward for an educator. Having two SMU stu-dents win the only two fellowships at TRIUMF, and knowing that they competed against students from much larger institutions makes this a very proud moment.” says Dr. Sam Veres, Dean of Science. “These wins are a testament to Tehya and Clara’s dedication to their studies, and the exceptional education that our faculty and staff in the Department of As-tronomy and Physics provide.” 

Tehya Mohammed

Tehya Mohammed, from East Preston, N.S., just completed her third year of a BSc in Physics with an honours in Chemistry. She is excited to start working on a research project titled “Antimatter Physics with the ALPHA Collaboration” with Dr. Makoto Fujiwara at TRIUMF and at the CERN scientific research laboratory in Switzerland.

When she graduates in spring 2027, Tehya plans to attend graduate school; longer-term goals may see her staying in academia, teaching and doing research, and she credits her experience at Saint Mary’s with helping her land the fellowship this summer.

“I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had at Saint Mary’s,” says Tehya. “I was able to do research with my professors each summer starting after my first year. There are more opportunities available to undergraduate students at smaller schools like SMU.”

Chemistry professor Dr. Christa Brosseau is Tehya’s honours supervisor; she also worked with Dr. Rob Singer in chemistry, publishing a paper with him. She credits these experiences with helping to round out her resume for the fellowship.

Clara Wrightman-Dillon

Clara Wrightman-Dillon, a physics major from St. Andrews, N.B., will be working with Dr. Adam Garnsworthy and researchers at the University of York. Their project, titled “Decoherence of Quantum Entangled Photons,” will involve the collection, sorting and analysis of data for research that could affect PET medical imaging.

This won’t be Clara’s first visit to TRIUMF; she was there last year thanks to her work alongside Dr. Greg Christian, a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Physics at Saint Mary’s.

After graduating from Saint Mary’s, Clara intends to pursue a Master of Science in physics.

Tehya and Clara have both spent the previous two summers at Saint Mary’s conducting research with their professors in positions funded by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)’s Undergraduate Student Research Awards program and the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s.

The paid, four-month fellowship includes travel and a week's stay at TRIUMF House, a “home away from home for TRIUMF’s national and international visitors”. When fellowship winners complete their undergraduate degrees, a $5,000 scholarship is available to any of the 21 TRIUMF schools in Canada.

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Meson Hall at TRIUMF. Credit: triumf.ca

About TRIUMF

Established in 1968 in Vancouver, TRIUMF is Canada’s particle accelerator centre. The lab is a hub for discovery and innovation inspired by a half-century of ingenuity in answering nature’s most challenging questions.

From the hunt for the smallest particles in our universe to research that advances the next generation of batteries or develops isotopes to diagnose and treat disease, TRIUMF drives more than scientific discovery. Powered by its complement of top talent and advanced accelerator infrastructure, TRIUMF is pushing the frontiers in isotope science and innovation, as well as technologies to address fundamental and applied problems in particle and nuclear physics, and the materials and life sciences. 

First-year student launches travel startup LocalLink

Noah Hemphill

Saint Mary’s student and Enactus Saint Mary's member Noah Hemphill is turning his passion for travel and entrepreneurship into a tech-driven solution designed to reshape how people explore new places.

Noah chose Saint Mary’s for its strong business reputation, supportive environment and the opportunity to experience a new city while staying connected to his home in Prince Edward Island. He also highlighted the value of the university’s highly accredited business program and the opportunities it provides, which made choosing the Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s an easy decision.

Now, as a student entrepreneur, Noah is building his venture LocalLink through Enactus SMU, with additional support from the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. The project is a trip itinerary builder designed to create highly personalized travel experiences based on user preferences.

“LocalLink takes basic information about a user and asks a series of questions to build a hyper-personalized itinerary,” Noah explains. “Instead of only showing generic attractions you might find on TripAdvisor or Expedia, it highlights well-known destinations as well as hidden gems tailored to individual interests, budgets and preferences.”

Beyond curated itineraries, LocalLink is also being developed as an all-in-one travel platform. Users will eventually be able to book hotels, activities and flights directly through the site, keeping everything in one place and aligned with their personal budget and travel style.

His inspiration for LocalLink comes from years of hands-on experience in tourism. Having worked in the PEI tourism industry through his teen years, he noticed a consistent pattern: travellers often remember the lesser-known, unexpected experiences most, yet major platforms tend to prioritize larger, more established attractions.

“Smaller businesses and unique experiences often get overlooked because they don’t have the same visibility. LocalLink is about changing that—helping people discover experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise considered, while also supporting small businesses.”

— Noah Hemphill, SMU student and LocalLink founder

Noah and the LocalLink team recently won the Sobey Strategy Case Competition hosted by the SMU Accounting Society

As a member of Enactus SMU, Noah has also been inspired by the organization’s recent national and global success, which he sees as a reinforcement of his decision to study at Saint Mary’s. He credits the Enactus community with providing access to mentorship, resources and like-minded innovators who help strengthen his entrepreneurial journey.

Looking ahead, Hemphill sees strong alignment between his commerce studies and his venture. Skills learned in areas like data analytics and accounting are already being applied directly to LocalLink’s development.

“Everything I’m learning in my degree feeds back into my business,” he says. “It all connects.”

As LocalLink continues to grow, Noah is encouraging others to follow along on Instagram as the platform moves toward launch.

Interested in learning more about how entrepreneurship can blend with other areas of study? Explore programs and events at the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre.

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VCIC sparks Atlantic venture capital ecosystem

Hosting international competition puts spotlight on Sobey School of Business

Students from across Canada participated in the VCIC competition held at Saint Mary’s in March

Venture capitalists from across eastern Canada judged the student competition

On March 6, Saint Mary’s University was proud to host the ninth annual VCIC Canada regional competition.

Dr. Ellen Farrell. Photo: Katie Murray

“For me, this is a pinnacle in the competition landscape in Canada,” said Dr. Ellen Farrell, professor of management at the Sobey School of Business and VCIC organizer. “It’s international, it’s well-organized, it’s professional. We’re going into our 10th year. This is sparking the Atlantic VC ecosystem into national attention.”

VCIC is a layer cake

A Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) is like a layer cake. From the top down, the three layers are entrepreneurs, students and judges.

High-performing founders are recruited to pitch to a group of students and VC judges for funding. The students, who compete as teams from across the country’s best universities, evaluate the founders. The third layer, the judges, are venture capitalists from eastern Canada, who then evaluate the student VCs.  

Over the course of one full day, the student teams participate in three events.  The student VC teams conduct due diligence with the founders, prepare a term sheet, and then defend their decision to the VC judges. 

At the VCIC Canada competition, the presenting entrepreneurs were six founders from across a range of startups:

• Jennifer Johnston, MD, founder of Elle MD, Biotechnologies

• Katie Carpenter, a multi-exit entrepreneur and founder of Lunavii

• Maricel Alcantara, founder of Quest Jobs

• Ranah Chavoshi, co-founder and CEO of PhyCo Technologies

• Garnette Weber, co-founder of Ethnomet

• Diane Hollett, founder and CEO at NL Marine Organics

This year’s undergraduate competition included teams from six universities across Canada, including the University of Guelph, University of New Brunswick, and the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfred Laurier University. Acadia University ranked third in the competition, with University of Waterloo taking second and University of Alberta earning first place.

The graduate competition included teams from the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie University, along with the third-place team from the University of Alberta, the second-place team from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, and the first-place team from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Queen’s University placed first in the graduate competition. Photo: Katie Murray

The U of T Rotman School of Business team placed second in the graduate competition. Photo: Katie Murray

The University of Alberta placed third in the graduate competition. Photo: Katie Murray

The University of Alberta placed first in the undergraduate competition. Photo: Katie Murray

The University of Guelph undergraduate team

The Sobey School of Business was pleased to have three VCIC alumni among the 20 judges—Alejandro Sanchez-Avila from Deloitte, Kory Henn from RBCx, and Ugochi West from CEED. See the full list of judges’ profiles, along with competitor names at 2026 Undergraduate Canada (Sobey) – VCIC or 2026 MBA Canada (SMU Sobey) – VCIC.

Building the VC ecosystem in Canada

Organizing a VCIC is highly complex, with multiple stages and layers that need to be coordinated. A team of 15 volunteers supported the organizing committee in finding the right entrepreneurs and high-quality judges for the competition.

“The event is well-coordinated with our Master in Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MTEI) degree program, where Venture Capital is the nexus of technology entrepreneurship and finance,” said Dr. Ellen Farrell.

Farrell sees the international Canada VCIC as integral to her longer-term vision of building the VC ecosystem in Canada and particularly in the Atlantic region. She describes the virtuous circle of benefits to all the types of participants: “The entrepreneurs are pitching in a room with venture capital professionals; the students practice their due diligence and analytical skills and can win prizes; and the judges get insight into innovative startups, plus an early look at potential new hires. Everyone is contributing to the VC ecosystem.”

A new tradition: Atlantic Sustainable Marketing Case Competition debuts at Saint Mary’s

Students presented compelling pitches at the inaugural Atlantic Sustainable Marketing Case Competition hosted at Saint Mary’s

The Sobey School of Business was buzzing as students from across Atlantic Canada gathered for the inaugural Atlantic Sustainable Marketing Case Competition (ASMCC).

Twelve undergraduate teams from Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island tackled real-world marketing challenges through a sustainability lens, with more than 80 students, faculty, judges, sponsors and volunteers participating.

From idea to reality

Katie and Chris welcome participants to the case competition

ASMCC started as a bold idea from student co-chairs Katie Murray and Chris Nemeskeri, aiming to give students hands-on experience solving real-world business challenges.

"I’m super proud of what Chris and I have built together from scratch," says Katie Murray. "Starting all of it was a learning curve, but it gave me so much experience for my future endeavours."

"Our goal was to create a platform for students to tackle real-world challenges through a sustainable and innovative lens," says Chris Nemeskeri.

With support from advisor Dr. Hao Lu and Dean of the Sobey School Dr. Michel Delorme, the team managed everything—from branding and sponsorships to logistics—turning a student-led idea into a full-scale competition

The challenge

This year’s case partner, Sprout Dwellings, challenged teams to rethink their marketing strategy as the company transitioned from business-to-consumer to business-to-business marketing while expanding into larger developments.

Students had just three days to analyze the case, submit slide decks and present their solutions to a panel of judges. The case, designed by Jocelyn Grabke and Yanting Wu, has been submitted to the Sustainability Case Writing Awards through Ivey Publishing.

After preliminary rounds, six teams advanced to the finals, showcasing creativity, strategy and professionalism.

Top honours went to:

• 1st Place – Saint Mary’s University: Vaishali Sachdeva, Trang Truong, Hazza Sujeer, Chloe Pobjoy-Ridolfo

• 2nd Place – Dalhousie University: Ryan Ski, Jaime Mason, Naomi Johnston

• 3rd Place – University of New Brunswick: Rahma Khanes, Domenica Vasco, Natalie Liscuna, Matthew Heans

Judges praised the level of preparation and insight. "The level of preparation and creative thinking was inspiring," said one judge.

First-place team: Saint Mary’s University

Second-place team: Dalhousie University

Third-place team: UNB

Expanding sustainability in the Sobey School of Business

ASMCC highlights Saint Mary’s growing focus on sustainability and experiential learning. Building on the competition’s success, the Sobey School of Business will launch a new sustainability-focused major in Fall 2026.

The Sustainability Management Program will prepare students to integrate responsible practices throughout a business. Students will tackle real-world challenges, develop sustainable solutions and gain the skills to lead organizations with social and environmental impact in mind. Learn more here.

Empowering women through bold ideas

Students from three universities participated in the FemXchange Innovation Sprint

In celebration of International Women’s Month, the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre brought together students and founders for an Innovation Sprint featuring FemXchange, a growing platform designed to help female+ individuals share skills, build connections and support one another.

The sprint welcomed 14 students from Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University and Mount Saint Vincent University, all tasked with tackling a real challenge: how FemXchange can grow sustainably through partnerships while continuing to engage the right members and stakeholders. The opportunity came at the perfect moment, as conversations are already underway to deepen collaboration between FemXchange and the Centre, particularly in ways that could better connect students, alumni and existing programming.

“I was blown away by the bright, diverse minds in the room,” said FemXchange Founder Caroline Mastropaolo. “As a solo founder, having such a range of fresh, objective perspectives is incredibly valuable. I’m excited to hit the ground running with all these new ideas.”

Not only were students solving for business growth, but they were doing so for a platform rooted in empowerment and access. As a bonus, all female participants received one year of free access to FemXchange, turning the experience into something that extends well beyond the classroom.

The solutions presented reflected both creativity and strategic thinking. First place went to Saint Mary’s University arts student, Stuti Sandhu, who proposed partnerships with university alumni offices, venture capital firms and small business insurance companies. Her idea also highlighted an important social impact angle, suggesting the platform could support survivors of domestic violence and economic abuse by promoting financial independence.

Second place was awarded to commerce student Isabella Scuse and science student Abdinasir Ali, both from Saint Mary’s University, who developed a multi-partnership approach. Their strategy included collaborations with Etsy to support DIY entrepreneurs, Credly for certifications, Shopify for scaling businesses and RBC for funding and financial literacy.

Third place went to Saint Mary’s MBA students Laura Thompson, Benjamin Broadbent and Noah Zelin-Opps. Their plan focused on partnerships with universities, professional organizations and platforms like PrestaShop, alongside a detailed activation strategy that included chatbot integration and a WhatsApp ecosystem.

Overall, the Innovation Sprint highlighted what’s possible when the right people, purpose and timing come together.

If you’re interested in learning more about the next Innovation Sprint, sign up for our newsletter.

New Bachelor of Engineering degree starting this fall

Saint Mary’s University is proud to announce the launch of an exciting new program, the Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Resource Engineering.

The first cohort of students will begin in September 2026 and will choose to specialize in one of two distinct streams: Mining Engineering or Renewable Energy Engineering.

Designed in collaboration with industry, the new degree builds on a 100+ year history of delivering foundational engineering education at Saint Mary’s. The BEng is modern, interdisciplinary and is squarely aligned with regional and national priorities.

From the materials used in buildings and technology to the energy that powers homes and cities, engineers play a critical role in designing systems that responsibly produce and manage the resources required to support society.

The Bachelor of Engineering in Resource Engineering equips students to address the full lifecycle of resource development, from land use planning to construction and operation to reclamation, with a balanced curriculum that addresses technical, environmental, economic and societal considerations.

The two program specializations feature common core programming, with education in areas such as environmental impact assessment and risk management, lifecycle cost analysis, project management, geomatics and engineering design.

Students who specialize in Mining Engineering will undertake additional study in surface and underground mining methods, structural geology and rock mechanics, and environmental contaminants. Students in the Renewable Energy Engineering stream study solar and wind systems, biomass utilization, grid integration and energy storage technologies.

Along with coursework, the program includes 16 months of integrated co-op work placements, allowing students to connect in-class learning with real-world experience and to begin building their industry networks prior to graduation.   

“Hands-on work experience is such a critical part of engineering education,” says Dr. Sam Veres, Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s. “We’ve created a co-op program structure that’s ideal for both students and employers, where students will be able to spend 16 continuous months with a single employer, or two consecutive eight-month terms with different employers and really have the opportunity to establish themselves in the workplace, be valuable employees, and build relationships that jumpstart their careers.”

Students will study in SMU’s Engineering building, which opened in 2024

The importance of hands-on learning is apparent throughout the engineering curriculum at Saint Mary’s, with students undertaking a range of laboratory experiences and design projects beginning in first year. Students in the Resource Engineering program will get to complete five courses focused on engineering design, including an industry-based design course connected to co-op, and a two-semester-long capstone project.

“Our class sizes are strategically kept small, which gives our students opportunities for one-on-one interactions with professors for support or extra challenges, or to think about next steps in their academic and future careers,” explains Don MacNeil, the director of the Division of Engineering.

“Working in small teams facilitates the creative thinking process and encourages students to consider other perspectives, allowing them to generate innovative solutions to tackle real-life and challenging problems.”

The Division of Engineering, part of the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s, is based in the university’s new Engineering Building, located on campus at 960 Tower Road, Halifax.

Bringing trades and business together at the 5th Provincial Innovation Sprint

Students across Nova Scotia participated in the Innovation Sprint with Graves Electrical Ltd.

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.

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

Community Service Learning: Connecting coursework, communities and contributions that benefit everyone

Community Service Learning Team: Masrooq Hossain, Diego Ramos, Novella Nicchitta and Keslyn States

The Saint Mary’s Community Service Learning (CSL) program has seen unprecedented success and growth in recent academic terms, reflecting strong student and faculty interest in community-engaged learning. Through collaborative projects that address community-identified needs, CSL connects academic learning with meaningful community engagement, helping students apply their studies in practical contexts.

CSL-integrated courses at SMU span a wide range of disciplines, from history, literature and intercultural studies to computer science, environmental science, psychology and business, but share a common focus on connecting academic learning with community engagement. Thanks to expanded external funding, Community Service Learning now supports an average of 350 students each year and reached a notable 425 participants across 32 courses in 2025.

In the last year, CSL has provided 83 students with bursaries to support engagement, recognize commitment and enable meaningful community projects. Ten highly engaged students were selected for funding through the pilot Community Engaged Learning Certificate, a nationally-funded initiative supported by Career Experience and Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada. Designed for students who demonstrate a strong commitment to CSL, the certificate recognizes deeper involvement and guides participants in reflecting on their experiences and translating that learning into resume-ready competencies with career coach support.

SMU students have many opportunities to demonstrate learning outside of the classroom, including CSL, co-operative education and co-curricular recognition

“What we’re seeing through CSL is students stepping into meaningful work and realizing how much they have to offer while they’re still learning,” said Novella Nicchitta, CSL Placement Coordinator.

“As the program continues to grow, we’re creating more opportunities for students to apply their coursework in community settings, and for faculty and partners to collaborate in ways that benefit everyone involved.”

“Students respond extremely well to the CSL option and frequently report that they 'love it' because it feels meaningful, applied and connected to real-world issues,” shared Dr. Margherita Cameranesi, Assistant Professor of Psychology, who has integrated CSL into multiple courses.

“In my courses, I intentionally design CSL-related assignments that are directly relevant to the host community organization’s goals and needs so students can contribute in concrete, appropriate ways.”

“Experiential learning is a great way to stay involved and give back to your community. I was able to have experiences which deeply enriched my learning of psychology. I think it is so important to be reminded that psychology is not just theories and symptoms – my hands-on experience was a very important reminder of this. ”

— Sage Rizcallah

For many students, CSL is where coursework connects directly to community engagement. Honours Psychology student Sage Rizcallah, who took Typical and Atypical Development in Winter 2025, described their placement with Autism Nova Scotia’s Arts program as a chance to deepen their learning beyond the classroom.

The CSL program also makes experiential learning more manageable during a busy semester. “Many university students are simply too busy to be able to get applicable and course-related volunteer experience throughout the year," Rizcallah noted. "Experiential learning is a great way to get such experience, while still contributing work to an ongoing course, making it more manageable to fit into an already busy semester.”

Dr. Tatjana Takševa, Professor and Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature, says CSL gives students the chance to bridge academic theory with meaningful experience.

“CSL fosters deep integrative learning and active application of theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, helping students connect classroom learning to authentic demands and expectations,” Takševa noted. “CSL facilitates discovery of multiple career paths, showing students how they can put to work their arts education for meaningful participation in today’s globally oriented civil society.”

Dr. Tatjana Takševa and students in WGST 6604: Contemporary Issues of Feminism

Adebola Osegbun, a master’s student in Dr. Takševa’s Transnational Feminism course, described her CSL component at The Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice as “the best and most memorable experience of my graduate studies”.

Matthew Nault at his CSL placement, and now workplace, United for Literacy

Similarly, Matthew Nault described his CSL placement with United for Literacy—connected to Dr. Takševa’s Reading and Wellness course—as “an amazing opportunity for experience and resume building that will be invaluable later in my career.”

Nault also participated in the pilot Community Engaged Learning Certificate and is one of several students whose placement roles have evolved into paid employment opportunities.

Beyond employment, CSL helps students explore potential career paths, expand their professional networks and gain clarity about what kind of experiences feel meaningful. For students like Chloe Gohier-Mossman, CSL also helped her build professional connections, gain advocacy experience and clarify her future academic goals.

“CSL opened doors for me to explore career opportunities, build professional connections and advocate for the communities I belong to, all while applying what I’m learning in my courses,” Gohier-Mossman shared about her experience working with the Chisholm LINKS Literacy Program.

Miranda Haley, Chisholm LINKS Program Manager, shared that CSL placements benefit both community partners and students. “The CSL program supports organizations like ours in filling important part-time roles, while giving students meaningful experience,” Haley said. “We value the opportunity to guide and mentor students as they develop practical skills, confidence and professional insight. At the same time, we learn from their perspectives, energy and academic knowledge, which strengthens our organization and the work we do in the community.”

To learn more about CSL opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners, visit SMU Community Service Learning, or connect with the CSL Placement Coordinator at service.learning@smu.ca.