Five New Startups Showcased By Summer Institute
FREDERICTON – Last Thursday’s Demo Day out of the Summer Institute unleashed five new startups ready to take their next steps as companies.
The Summer Institute is designed for New Brunswick entrepreneurs with an idea they want to pursue. In three months, the entrepreneurs turn their innovative idea into sustainable ventures with funding, mentorship, and training.
The program’s run out of the J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management & Entrepreneurship at the University of New Brunswick.
“We’ve had five amazing companies participate, four of them led by female founders and they are all New Brunswick companies,” said Chair of the J. Herbert Smith Centre Dhirendra Shukla during his opening remarks.
“It’s going to be great to see their journey and follow their successes because they have a lot of mentors that have gone global and done amazing things and they have the opportunity to learn from them as well as lead the path to greater success for us and our community and do awesome things.”
The event featured innovations from Moneeb Kassimi and Irtiza Khan of Tutor on Time, who showcased an online tutoring system they’re developing to provide students with affordable, easy access to tutors.
Amy Andrews & David Itoafa showcased their crowdsourced software called Amble, which is part of their company Lifetrack. Amble aims to determine safe routes for walking and commuting. Using users’ “safety scores”, the app gives users knowledge of the safest way to reach their destination. The app was developed as a response to low rates of police reports of sexual and physical assaults.
Emily Durling of Soul Star Aromatics introduced her Energetically Aligned Essential Oils. The oils made by Durling aim to provide energy and inner peace to the user. The products are currently being sold through popups around Fredericton as well as in stores Sequoia Fredericton and Aura Wholefoods.
Miriam Ismail of Vivera Natural Cosmetics presented her business, a series of cosmetics made from natural ingredients. Vivera will begin by offering three products with plans to expand their offerings as they grow: Moroccan soap, natural soaps, and natural deodorants.
Emilie Patterson introduced Village Sage Herbals at the event. The company was founded by Patterson, a clinical herbalist, after seeing the effects herbs had made in her family’s life. Patterson offers a wide variety of herbs including dried jasmine blossoms, dried red rose petals, and dry lavender blossoms. Village Sage herbs sell their products in smaller quantities than some of their competitors to avoid bulk purchases taking space in homes.
The demo day can be viewed in full on the Summer Institute’s Facebook page or below.