Nov. 19, 2024
Meet the 2024 Cannon Lachapelle Award winners
The spirit of ingenuity and entrepreneurial thinking is strong in students at the 草莓污视频导航, and the recipients of the 2024 Cannon Lachapelle Award embody the best of this spirit.
This year's prestigious award, presented by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, goes to: James Gu, Lujaina Eldelebshany, Declan Sander and Bill Zheng.
First established in 2019 with a generous donation from former 草莓污视频导航 president Dr. M. Elizabeth Cannon, BSc (Eng)'84, MSc'87, PhD'91, and Dr. G茅rard Lachapelle, PhD, professor emeritus of engineering, the $10,000 award recognizes undergraduate students who embody ingenuity and entrepreneurial thinking in their work and study.
All four recipients 鈥 who have worked with the Hunter Hub in the past 鈥 have been honoured for exemplifying the spirit that drove the creation of the award.
James Gu, Haskayne School of Business
James Gu, a fourth-year student at the , initially didn鈥檛 see himself as an entrepreneur.
After participating in various programs and competitions (such as 草莓污视频导航鈥檚 Enactus branch and Embedded Certificate in Entrepreneurial Thinking), Gu discovered an affinity for entrepreneurship as he worked to bring his ideas to life.
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful to be one of this year鈥檚 Cannon Lachapelle Award recipients. To me, the Cannon Lachapelle Award represents the culmination of all my failures and successes,鈥 he says.
His second time applying for the award, Gu notes the importance of persistence and resiliency. 鈥淚 think entrepreneurial thinking can be seen as a very nebulous concept," he says. "For me, it鈥檚 about reframing problems as opportunities and being willing to try things again and again, regardless of setbacks.鈥
Currently on exchange in Australia with the program, Gu continues to sharpen his entrepreneurial skills.
Lujaina Eldelebshany, Schulich School of Engineering
鈥淚鈥檓 so honoured and thrilled to be one of the recipients of the Cannon Lachapelle Award,鈥 says Lujaina Eldelebshany.
A fourth-year software and biomedical engineering student, Eldelebshany embarked on her entrepreneurial journey during the 2023 Global Hult Challenge. Her startup, Fabric Fusion, was one of three Canadian teams who participated.
The theme of the challenge was 鈥淩edesigning Fashion.鈥 In line with the theme, Fabric Fusion uses a unique glycolysis process to break down donated textile waste, reshaping the polymers into 3D-printer filament that is later sold to governments or private companies.
Prior to the competition, Eldelebshany and her teammates, Ella Johnson and Evan Bosdet, worked with Jeff Ryzner, senior manager of programs and events at the Hunter Hub, to refine their value proposition, readying them for the competition.
For Eldelebshany, entrepreneurial thinking is about collaboration.
鈥淓ntrepreneurial thinking means working with people like you and unlike you to achieve something new," she says. "Collaborating with people who come from a different background allows you to see things you may not immediately see due to your own unique perspectives and world views.鈥
Currently, Eldelebshany is part of Scholars Academy. Meanwhile, she and her team continue to grow Fabric Fusion.
鈥淲inning the award represents the support around me and makes me feel empowered to go after my dreams,鈥 Eldelebshany says.
Declan Sander, Haskayne School of Business
When he first arrived at 草莓污视频导航, Declan Sander was inspired by the entrepreneurial ecosystem that surrounded him.
A fourth-year finance major at the Haskayne School, Sander is the founder and COO of BirchBark Health, an Indigenous-specific virtual health-care venture that strives to help indigenous people gain greater access to health care, particularly in remote locations.
Through the Hunter Hub鈥檚 Launchpad program, Sander created and refined his business plan with dedicated mentorship and coursework, with additional help from the Hunter Hub Startup Fund. BirchBark Health has steadily grown; the venture placed second at RBC Fast Pitch and was a featured startup in the DDQIC Build to Scale Incubator Program at Queen's University. Sander has also secured $40,000 in non-dilutive funding as BirchBark Heath continues to scale.
鈥淭he Cannon Lachapelle Award will really contribute to my journey as an entrepreneur in the sense that it shows that there's a real belief from the 草莓污视频导航 in my future as an entrepreneur, but also in the work that I've done in the community,鈥 he says.
鈥淕iving back is central in entrepreneurship. It鈥檚 not just me receiving this award; it鈥檚 the entire BirchBark team and all the communities we are going to serve.鈥
Bill Zheng, Nursing
Bill Zheng is a third-year student with two unique entrepreneurial ventures.
Zheng is the founder of , a festival for anyone experiencing systemic vulnerabilities. The festival brings social services, health-care agencies, arts and entertainment groups together in a 鈥渙ne-stop shop鈥 for people to easily access resources in one place.
Additionally, Zheng is a co-founder (alongside Kristen Campbell, MA'14, BComm'19) of RadiCare Ventures, a for-profit social enterprise that addresses the negative perception of social disorder through specialized cleaning and trauma-informed security alternative solutions.
Zheng credits the Hunter Hub, specifically his involvement in Map the System, for allowing him to grow through collaboration. In connecting with other faculties to explore unique issues, Zheng was able to step outside the box and experience different perspectives.
鈥淭he award affirms that the 草莓污视频导航 is providing a space for people who are entrepreneurial, no matter which faculty they're in,鈥 he says. 鈥淓ven though I鈥檓 in the Nursing faculty, I'm still able to participate in entrepreneurship and innovation.鈥
Zheng looks forward to further developing his ventures with the support of the award.