Lakehead University has helped to launch four student business startups this month with the students graduating from the sixth cohort of Ingenuity’s Ascend Accelerator Program.
Each chosen startup project receives funding from the John Dobson Foundation, along with mentorship and weekly workshops, and students are held accountable to milestone goals created throughout the 10-week boot camp-style program.
Alyson MacKay, Ingenuity manager, said each year they choose the top 10 applicants with the help of a selection panel.
“It’s the budget that dictates taking four business ideas,” she said. “They can be a team, they can be a sole proprietor, but it’s the budget that dictates the four.”
This year, one of the startups was from the university’s Orillia campus.
“Every time I run this program, the ideas are just so expansive and all so very different,” MacKay said.
Students in this cohort are managing their regular program classes while doing the Accelerator program on the side.
This year’s graduates include Wenlong Yang, an international student who has been pursuing his master’s of business administration (MBA) at Lakehead University since September. His business, called Trippal, creates engaging activities for children during travel and commutes, helping parents reduce screen time while fostering meaningful interactions.
“I came to Thunder Bay with an initial entrepreneurial background, having started my educational product brand, Chefan, in 2021 after becoming a father,” he said.
“I chose Lakehead’s MBA program to strengthen my business skills and grow the company further. During my studies, I discovered the Ingenuity program, which has been a great window.”
Alexey Babich and Anirudh Shahi have created Ellow Technologies Inc., which specializes in the design and fabrication of custom radioactive objects using advanced 3D printing technology, addressing the needs of medical imaging, research, and industrial applications.
“Our main goal is to revolutionize how medical and research institutions work with radiation,” Babich said.
“Realistically, it would take months to develop our prototype and years to secure all the necessary certifications. We believe the world is entering a harsh global recession that could take years to recover from. With government budgets shrinking and private investors becoming more cautious, raising funds for such scientific startups will become more difficult.”
To achieve their main objective in this environment, Babich says they must establish a small but stable cash flow.
“Our second objective is to provide 3D printing/industrial adaptation services and design services for 3D printing here in Thunder Bay as a stand-on-its-own as a business,” she said.
“As the economy struggles, businesses will look for ways to sustain their profit margins and this creates an opportunity for us to provide industrial-quality replacements at better prices.”
Also graduating is Thomas Collins with his startup business, Algol Research and Development. Algol RnD is a company dedicated to transforming proven research into a formal, commercial product and is currently working on commercializing a gasoline-operated, autonomous waterborne drone for performing hydrographic surveys in environments unsafe for human operators.
Graduate Ty Williams was successful in starting Northern Lawn Services, which is a lawn and landscaping business that operates out of Barrie, Ontario.
