Temilade Adesina’s path to success may not have unfolded the way she expected, but every obstacle she overcame along the way fuelled her passion for making life better for others.

After sustaining a spinal cord injury, the Brock University Master in Applied Disability Studies student was inspired to create a line of products and services to enhance quality of life for people with disabilities or health challenges. Her business, Eriworld Linen, offers a line of high-quality, eco-friendly bed linens and services such as bed-laying and laundering, offering critical comforts and care without sacrificing luxury in the process.

Master in Applied Disability Studies student Temilade Adesina received the Laura Sabia award to support her business Eriworld Linen.

“I can say with all boldness, I am a professional entrepreneur,” Nigerian-born Adesina says with pride.” When you have the vision, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.”

Adesina is among seven visionary Brock University students who were recently recognized as recipients of the Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award, sharing a combined $70,000 to support them in developing and launching their business ventures.

Brock University Chancellor Hilary Pearson provided the generous gift in partnership with her husband Michael Sabia, honouring the legacy of his mother Laura, who was a strong advocate for women’s success in business and professional occupations.

Pearson joined the recipients at an intimate reception last week. As she learned more about their businesses, Pearson also shared words of wisdom that she gained from her career spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Fourth-year Political Science student Tiffany Muhindi received the Laura Sabia award to support her business Dawa & Co.

“These inspiring young women aren’t just building businesses — they’re shaping culture, challenging expectations and inspiring a new generation of changemakers, and it is invigorating to learn about their passion,” says Pearson, a recognized Canadian leader in philanthropy and community engagement. “I have no doubt they will drive meaningful change within our University community and beyond.”

For Dawa & Co. founder and fourth-year Political Science student Tiffany Muhindi, the award will help bolster the sustainable growth and global appeal of the immune-boosting health drink she created. Inspired by the beloved Kenyan Dawa remedy, Muhindi’s beverage seeks to blend time-honoured tradition with modern approaches to wellness.

She says receiving an award in tribute to Laura Sabia, whom Muhindi calls a “trailblazer” and “champion for women and community leadership,” is both humbling and empowering.

“Entrepreneurship, to me, is about continuous learning, innovation and contribution and this award has only strengthened my resolve to keep growing, thinking boldly and delivering meaningful impact,” she says. “Being recognized for my work, especially in connection to such a powerful legacy of leadership and innovation, is incredibly meaningful.”

Recipients of the 2025 Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award include:

• Fourth-year Medical Sciences student Abbie Burchell: Founder of pHer Health Inc., a medical device company focusing on non-invasive methods for early vaginal infection detection and menstrual cycle prediction.
• PhD in Behavioral and Population Health student Isabelle Hill (Bkin ’22, MSc ’24): Co-founder of Healthy Habits Coaches, which offers virtual, research-based health coaching and certification programs.
• Fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student Stuti Patel: Founder of Taal by Stuti, which provides affordable Indian folk and classical dance lessons for youth.
• Second-year Political Science student Maheen Rajani: Founder of Épanouir Beauty, a skincare brand created to challenge societal stigmas around men’s use of cosmetics and normalize skincare as a fundamental part of men’s self-care.
• Fourth-year Child and Youth Studies student Trinity Samarita: Founder of Oopsie Daisy Apparel, which creates upcycled, hand-crafted clothing with a focus on creativity and self-expression.

Laura Sabia was a founding member of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, was President of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and served on St. Catharines City Council from 1963 to 1968. She also hosted a radio talk show for eight years and wrote a regular column for the Toronto Sun in the 1970s and 80s. In 1974, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her work toward improving the status of women.

The Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award is open to students enrolled in Brock’s undergraduate and/or graduate programs who are actively working on developing a business idea, creating products or prototypes, or running a registered or incorporated business.

Part of a larger $500,000 gift from Chancellor Pearson and Michael Sabia, the award supports women in business through the programs in the Brock LINC as well as the fields of science, technology, engineering and math in the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering. To be eligible for the entrepreneurship award, students must be working with the Brock LINC in one of the following entrepreneurship programs: Entrepreneurship Co-op, Navigate, Blueprint or LINCubator.

Students interested in applying for the Laura Sabia Award can learn more at the Brock LINC website or by contacting Tamara Jensen at [email protected]