Mac students tap into Hamilton's potential
By their fourth year of university, most McMaster students would hope to be on track to earn their degree, have some work experience and be prepared to graduate without too much debt.
Mohamed El Mahallawy has something better.
The fourth-year Psychology and Economics student is CEO and founder of his own business, called Nervu, that won third place on Oct. 4 in Hamilton’s Lion’s Lair competition.
The Lion’s Lair contest, which has a premise similar to that of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a panel of local business owners in the hopes of earning start-up funds.
The prize? Fifteen thousand dollars.
He and two fellow McMaster students Bilal Husain and Shawn McTigue developed the business and chose to pitch it in the competition, organized by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Innovation Factory.
And in fact, it was Innovation Factory, a Hamilton not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario Network of Excellence, that helped get his business started through Innovation Night, a networking event for local startups.
“I shot a few ideas here and there with my dad and my friends, but I never really had the guts to do it,” El Mahallawy explained. “Once I found out about Innovation Night, and I actually went … I realized maybe my idea actually had some potential. Why not maybe go out and pursue it?”
El Mahallawy said that at first, Lion’s Lair didn’t seem accessible for him as a student, since no students had ever entered before.
“When we first became a client [at Innovation Factory] we thought, no way, it’s never going to happen, [but] Lion’s Lair was an open window that we … just tried.”
Their company, Nervu, is a text-message based service that allows its users to choose brands in order to receive notifications about sales or deals they have.
El Mahallawy and his colleagues, who all hail from the GTA, had good things to say about Hamilton as an incubator for new businesses.
“Hamilton is no longer the ‘armpit of Ontario,’” he said. “The only thing is, we don’t have a very thriving economy. And that’s why I think [that] entrepreneurship in Hamilton, that’s really key … [it] creates jobs … and that grows and puts Hamilton on the map.”
He feels that McMaster, on the other hand, could afford to offer more encouragement and support to entrepreneurs.
Recognizing that significant funds and resources are dedicated to medical and scientific research, El Mahallawy said, “there’s not really any resources or any help for startups.” He also claims the school lacks “incubation space.”
McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering is one area, outside of the undergraduate commerce program, that offers entrepreneurship support in an academic setting. As of last fall, the faculty offers an entrepreneurship stream through the faculty’s five-year Engineering and Management program.
The optional specialization is meant to give undergrads “the opportunity to test the feasibility of new business start-up ideas while they are introduced to the concepts and tools used for new business creation.”
The Engineering and Management program was unavailable for comment.
“I believe it is more of a science school, as well as an engineering [school] so it’d be nice to see entrepreneurship and resources and whatnot here,” El Mahallawy said of Mac.
Whether or not McMaster is providing similar support to students, El Mahallawy, Husain and McTigue will walk away from this experience happy.
“It really taught us a lot, from things like what to wear in front of a camera, how to speak to a journalist, to … organizing our pitch and whatnot.”
And what of their $15,000?
“We’ll be using it to accelerate the development [of Nervu],” said El Mahallawy.
Sonya Khanna
Business Editor
Given the competitive nature of the job market, industry exposure offered by Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec boasts real-world gains by providing students with an innovative learning experience.
CNTAE unfolds a field of job opportunities for students to expand on, allowing students to get their foot in the door through ample networking opportunities.
With phase one and two of the competition out of the way, competitors are meticulously prepping for the next aspect of the competition. CNTAE has teamed up with Chevrolet to put eager students to the test with the aim to develop an integrated marketing communications strategy for the launch of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark.
“I think being in my last year at DeGroote is definitely something that is one of the bigger milestones of my degree,” says finalist Natalie Marshall. “It’s really exciting that this viagra vs cialis competition brings together all that I’ve learned and developed in my four years studying at McMaster.”
Following the completion of phase two, a group of top ten finalists were selected to participate in the final round of the competition. With preparation for the third phase in full swing, competitors are gearing up to prepare oral presentations, drawing on previous experiences. The finalists will broaden presentation skills before a panel of judges. Finalists have a unique opportunity put everything on the table and visually convey previously developed ideas, condensing information into a fun and appealing 25-minute presentation.
“I’m very excited to be in the top ten,” says another McMaster finalist, Ryan Moran. “We are going to put every bit of effort into the competition, being able to present and put everything to use. My advice to future competitors is to focus on the big idea. It is important to have the justification and grounding for what you propose, but go crazy with it as well.”
Ideas will be presented at the end of the month in Toronto with one team being selected, claiming the title as Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec and all the glitz and glamour that surrounds it. Prizes include one of two Chevrolet Sparks for the winning team, along with scholarship and internship opportunities from Chevrolet.
“It is enjoyable but it is a lot of work, so when you go from top twenty to top ten, there is of course a lot more riding on it,” says Marshall. “We are representing DeGroote and McMaster, so we have to make something that drives home our idea.”
McMaster University has maintained a strong presence in the competition, with five teams from Mac, demonstrating the strength of DeGroote School of Business and the innovative nature of Mac students.
“We initially heard about the competition in the fall and the majority of the work and idea generation, which we felt was the tough part, went together during the winter break,” says Marshall. “I think as a team it is important to sit down and get as many ideas on the table as possible; most of the work involves sharing and critiquing ideas. As we have been told by people who have competed before, it’s really important that your ideas are strong right off the bat and then everything just follows.”
Marshall acknowledges the beneficial nature of having support from former competitors. Motivation from past contestants offers a sense of camaraderie. It provides contestants with a role model to look up to and relate to, offering support to expand on ideas and gain insider knowledge on the nature of the competition.
“My advice to future competitors is to have a good well rounded submission,” says Marshall. “It’s important to be creative. In business school you learn so many theories and the functional way of going about doing something, so it’s good to find a balance of both looking for theories and ways to back up ideas, along with creativity.”
Top ten finalist Kailee Jaimeson stresses the importance of speaking with industry professionals to give an extra boost during the competition.
“Speaking to people will spark idea generation. Utilize your network to speak to people out in the industry and this will broaden your knowledge,” says Jaimeson.
As students roll up their sleeves in preparation for phase three of this high-profile competition, McMaster University can stand proud witnessing the vast numbers of innovative submissions maintaining a strong presence in this competition and demonstrating the strength of the marketing in DeGroote School of Business.
