Bachelor of Commerce student Olivian Sanderson, Co-Founder of Sociable, a mental health app designed for students, has won the Dream Chaser Change Maker (DCCM) Foundation Social Impact Award and $10,000. The DCCM invites student entrepreneurs with social impact aspirations to a pitch competition where a team of mentors and alumni select the next Dream Chaser.
Olivian competed against thirty contestants and was shortlisted as one of seven finalists at the recent DCCM Award Pitch Competition held at the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. The award, which provides a scholarship supporting tuition and start-up costs, celebrates student entrepreneurs who use their businesses to address pressing social and environmental challenges.
Olivian shared her excitement about the win and how the $10,000 prize will accelerate Sociable's development, “The competition was a great experience. Participating in the pitches was also amazing: being able to see all the amazing businesses other students are running and then being able to showcase my own to a panel of judges was great. The prize will help accelerate my business growth. With a portion of it going to my education, it also relieves some of that financial stress, meaning I can focus more time on doing what I love, building Sociable. The DCCM network has so many industry leaders and experts that I want to learn from, so I am excited to have been given such a valuable opportunity to do so.”
Beyond the $10,000 prize, the competition celebrated students as changemakers, recognizing their commitment to creating a positive impact. The other finalists represented a diverse range of innovative ventures:
Ashish Ganapathy, Co-Founder of Accesstructure, featured a business focused on creating more accessible campuses for those with disabilities;
Gabriel Martin, Founder of Purlo Foods, pitched his business emphasizing transparency and sustainability in the food supply chain;
Vaishali Sachdeva, Brand Ambassador of Bean, presented a smart food assistant app designed to revolutionize meal planning;
Stuti Sandhu, Founder of Being There, pitched an initiative aiming to support dementia care and prevention with a personalized, holistic approach;
Karanveer Singh, Founder of Eco-Nova Store, focused on sustainable and eco-friendly plastic alternative products that could be eaten after their use; and
Andrei Marchenko, Founder of All Year Greens, featured an innovative vertical farming solution to increase access to fresh, healthy food.
Finalist Andrei Marchenko shared his perspective on participating in the pitch competition: “This competition inspired me to grow as a presenter and helped improve my public speaking skills for a wider audience. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to grow both personally and professionally.”
Following the competition, all finalists were invited to a pitch training program led by the DCCM team to refine their pitching skills further and advance their businesses.
About The Dream Chaser Change Maker (DCCM) Foundation
Founded as a scholarship program in 2017, The DCCM Foundation is a federally registered non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of social entrepreneurs. The DCCM aims to alleviate financial barriers to education, helping Dream Chasers (student social entrepreneurs) harness the power of academic knowledge and their creativity to drive positive social change in the world.
Visit DCCM Foundation to learn more about the organization.