Although their focus lies on two different sectors, the winning entrepreneurs at this year’s Navigate pitch competition have the same goal: connecting people with opportunity.

Connor Kucharic and Abhinav Garg were each recently awarded $2,500 for their respective startups after emerging victorious at the annual competition hosted by the Brock LINC, Brock University’s innovation and entrepreneurship centre.

Kucharic’s virtual nursing career fair company, NurseRecruit, aims to connect nursing students, new graduates and experienced nurses from across Canada with career opportunities. The business is intended to assist hospitals, health-care organizations and companies with the ongoing nursing shortages being seen across every province and territory, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Garg’s startup, Manor DAO, centres on digital assets and aims to curate baskets of crypto assets based on thematic exposures, which will be offered to consumers. Through the company, Garg strives to offer an unparalleled opportunity for investors to diversify their portfolios and explore the world of cryptocurrency with ease.

Kucharic, a Brock LINC community member, and Garg, a Brock Goodman School of Business student, were recognized for their developing business ideas during the July 19 pitch competition.

“We are so thrilled to announce the winners and proud of all the participants who completed the program,” says Cassie Conte, Brock LINC Program Manager. “We witnessed participants take their early-stage idea, pivot and move their business forward based on feedback from their customers and market research.”

Navigate is an 11-week early-stage entrepreneurship program open to students, staff, faculty and community to develop their business idea with the support of Brock LINC staff and community mentors. As a finale of the program, participants can participate in a pitch competition to win $2,500 — adjudicated by local business experts and entrepreneurs.

All participants who complete the program are eligible to receive a certificate of completion, and students who complete the program will get credit towards the Innovative and Creative Thinking domain in the Campus Wide Co-Curriculum.

A combination of Brock students, faculty and community members from Niagara region took part in the second offering of the Navigate program, which ran from May to July. All participants received coaching from dedicated mentors, and learned and applied the principles of the Lean Startup methodology to their startup idea.

Applications are now open for the fall offering of the Navigate program. For more information, visit the Brock LINC website or contact Conte at cconte@brocku.ca