Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Pitch Competition 2026 Wrap-Up

(April 23, 2026)- The Jim Fielding Innovation & Commercialization Space at Laurentian University was full of energy as 10 student teams took the stage for this year’s Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Pitch Competition, hosted by The Foundry.

BYOB gives students and recent graduates the chance to test their ideas in a real pitch setting, gain feedback from experienced judges, and build the confidence that comes with presenting something they’ve created. It’s one of the many ways The Foundry supports innovation and entrepreneurship on campus, helping participants validate early-stage ideas, learn about intellectual property, and connect with community partners.

This year’s prizes were generously sponsored by IAMGOLD:

• 1st Place — $4,000

• 2nd Place — $2,500

• 3rd Place — $1,500

• People’s Choice — $1,000

Competition Winners

1st Place — Green Subsidiaries (GreenFuel)
Jenny Tola Alabi
Green Subsidiaries converts organic waste into electricity and valuable byproducts using AI-optimized biodigester and methane-splitting systems.

2nd Place — Life-Cycle
Oliver Wuthrich-Giroux
Life-Cycle is an AI-powered mobile app that uses image and barcode scanning to instantly provide users with location-based options to repair, upcycle, donate, or responsibly recycle everyday items.

3rd Place — Easy Robotics by ROBOPARKS
Xingyu Zheng & Haoliang Sheng
ROBOPARKS delivers humanoid robotics-based STEM education programs that combine hands-on robot interaction with AI-assisted tools to engage code-naive students.

People’s Choice / Choix du public — TriageIQ
Md Rashed Azad Chowdhury
TriageIQ is a clinician-supervised AI platform that transforms unstructured patient intake into evidence-grounded triage notes, differential diagnoses, and routing decisions — keeping clinicians in control while reducing documentation time and improving consistency across hospital settings.

Judges

Participants pitched to an experienced panel of judges:

• Josée Pharand — Regional Business Centre, City of Greater Sudbury

• Don Duval — Entrepreneur in Residence at Laurentian University and Principal, Head of Mining at Evok Innovations

• Claude Rivet — Regional Economic Development Branch, Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth & Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation

Judges were listening for a clear problem, an original solution, strong potential impact, and a confident, well-communicated pitch. They challenged participants with thoughtful questions and practical feedback.

BYOB continues to provide students with a practical, hands-on opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and take meaningful steps toward bringing their ideas to life.

The range of ideas this year, from clean energy and healthcare innovation to robotics education and circular economy solutions, highlighted the depth of creativity and problem-solving happening across disciplines at Laurentian.

Have an idea of your own? The Foundry (foundry@laurentian.ca) welcomes students, faculty, and researchers at any stage to connect and explore how their ideas can be supported.