Humber Polytechnic students and recent graduates showed off their entrepreneurial spirit as they pitched their business ideas in hopes of being awarded startup funding as part of the 2026 BMO Launch Me Competition that was organized by the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship.
A group of 34 finalists were invited to deliver their pitches in person at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation to judges from institutions and organizations including BMO, the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre, IDEA Mississauga, and the City of Toronto. The finalists had five minutes to deliver their pitch followed by questions from the judges.
They were vying for a share of the $130,000 in startup funding that was awarded across three categories – BMO Women Innovators Competition, BMO Groundbreaker Competition and BMO New Graduate Startup Competition.
John Lam, director of the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship (Longo CfE) at Humber, said it had been a long process to getting to pitch day as the students and graduates started with workshops in the fall. Lam noted how challenging starting a business can be, so the Longo CfE was there every step of the way to provide much-needed support including networking, mentors, speakers, and a structured program.
“We give them the time and space to focus on their venture,” said Lam.
He noted that many participants have gone on to launch their own companies. The 2025 winner in the BMO Women Innovators Competition, Feven Zewdu, has both started and successfully grown her own business and came back to this year’s event as a guest speaker
This year’s winners were:
BMO Groundbreaker Competition:
Nicholas Ndur-Osei Jr (Content Elevation) – first place and $15,000
Evan Mangiarelli (Running Uphill) – second place and $10,000
Ceylan Adiguzel (Maple Med Global) – third place and $10,000
Darya S. Tabatabaei (NexusBloom Inc) – fourth place and $5,000
Khoi Phan (Ludera) – fifth place and $5,000
BMO New Graduate Startup Competition:
Ting Wang (Fancy Here Studio) – first place and $15,000
Johnattan Ramcharran (QoinRing) – second place and $10,000
Ana Alvarez Rodriguez (Billy Productions) – third place and $5,000
Nina Pimentel-Soares (ThreadWorks Redesign) – fourth place and $5,000
BMO Women Innovators Competition:
Hoang Y Vy Nguyen (Yon Crochet) – first place and $15,000
Katherine Dela Cruz Munar (Tálihéa) – second place and $10,000
Maria Angelica Handog (Studio Handog) – third place and $10,000
Amaka Nwegbu (MiRoadMap) – fourth place and $10,000
Genevieve Amaka Awa (KvieveRoot) – fifth place and $5,000
Mangiarelli, a third-year Media & Communications Studies student at the University of Guelph-Humber, was there to pitch but also to network with other young entrepreneurs as he looks to get his business off the ground – the immersive content studio Running Uphill.
Mangiarelli liked the structure of the BMO Launch Me program and said it helped him and his team focus their idea. It gave them an opportunity to put together a business plan and the networking and mentorship was helpful.
“We think our business has limitless potential and, once we get our foot in the door, we could go across the country,” said Mangiarelli.
Nwegbu is a graduate of the User Experience (UX) Design program who was there to pitch her business MiRoadMap. It’s an app that uses easy-to-understand visuals to help newcomer students access services such as getting a driver’s license.
“The idea stems from my experience as an international student,” she said.
Nwegbu is glad she took part because it allowed her to network with others while also expanding her horizon by learning from her peers and their plans.
Find out more by visiting the BMO Launch Me Program and Competition webpage.
Source link
