A ‘magical opportunity’ to take care of business

South Winnipeg

Fort Garry

It took three days, featured 32 teams, and provided countless opportunities for some of the sharpest budding entrepreneurs and innovators across Canada and the U.S.

Hosted by the University of Manitoba, the annual Stu Clark New Venture Championships were held at the Fort Garry Hotel between April 25 and 27. During the competition, teams presented business plans and delivered video pitches to an expert panel of judges, who provided invaluable feedback.

Organizers say the challenge is open to both undergraduate and graduate streams, and gives participants the chance to connect with other entrepreneurs, investors, and business and industry leaders.

“We’ve been doing this for over 20 years now,” said Debra Jonasson-Young, the I.H. Asper executive director for entrepreneurship at the Stu Clark Centre at the University of Manitoba.

Jonasson-Young noted that participants this year included universities such Johns Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, Toronto, McMaster, and British Columbia.

“It provides students with a magical opportunity to compete with each other, make presentations, and think through everything involved with how a business works,” she said.

“They need to conceptualize all components of the business, and think about the viability of the business.”

Jonasson-Young said presenting to the judges can be “a bit nerve-racking” for some students, but it provides important experience such as how to present effectively, dress properly, and articulate ideas.

She added that there’s an incredible energy at the event, and organizers appreciate receiving compliments from out-of-town attendees.

“We put on, I think, one of the best competitions, which we do hear from the students,” Jonasson-Young said.

“We want them to leave the city with a good impression, and the Fort Garry Hotel does provide that ‘wow’ moment.”

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are alive and well at the University of Manitoba. Across the university, we’ve had great support,” she added.

One of the competing teams from the U of M was U-Pro Soccer — an enterprise that provides parents and players with the opportunity of a soccer training experience, which enables young athletes to sharpen their skills from home as they use a ball and a smartphone, and provide feedback using AI technology and motion-tracking. John Barboza is the founder and CEO of U-Pro Soccer.

“It’s a tool to help youth players practice their skills at home in the comfort of their living room,” said Daniel Schwade, 27, U-Pro Soccer’s head of research, noting the full launch of the company is expected to be later this year.

“It’s very meaningful to be able to do something for a new generation of players,” Schwade said, noting he moved to Winnipeg in 2019.

“Soccer, for me, is my biggest passion, and I’ve met a lot of people through the sport.”

Another competing team from U of M was GradFinder — a centralized online platform designed to bridge the gap between graduate students and supervisors by connecting them.

GradFinder is the brainchild of Devon Bath, 24, and Naim Ben Younes, 26.

“Finding graduate positions can be a lot like applying for jobs, and first you have to find a professor,” Bath said, noting the enterprise is expected to fully launch in January 2026.

“Some students are spending 100-plus hours looking for professors, which is a big time investment, while many professors can be flooded with calls and emails.”

The pair found the competition an enriching and rewarding experience, and highlighted the quality of the teams and the quality of the organization of the event.

“We had some very enlightening conversations. We expected the level of competition to be stiff, and it was something extraordinary,” Younes said.

“We want to add that we’re super appreciative of the feedback we received, and the exposure the event gave us.”