{"id":110488,"date":"2026-06-18T16:17:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T20:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=110488"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:17:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T20:17:49","slug":"from-vision-to-venture-chancellors-gift-supports-women-with-bright-futures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2026\/06\/from-vision-to-venture-chancellors-gift-supports-women-with-bright-futures\/","title":{"rendered":"From vision to venture: Chancellor\u2019s gift supports women with bright futures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up in India, Aashi Arora (BBA \u201926) always found joy baking treats for family and friends. That passion served as the catalyst for Cake is Bae, now operating in India and Canada.<\/p>\n

Arora\u2019s startup gained momentum through word of mouth before expanding via Instagram. Partnering with her mother, who currently manages the business in India, Arora earned her Bachelor of Business Administration while growing the brand in Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a strong entrepreneurial mindset since Grade 11, when I founded my first business,\u201d Arora says. \u201cWhen you love something the way I love baking, you\u2019re unstoppable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arora is among five visionary Brock students recognized as recipients of the 2026\u00a0Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award<\/a>, sharing a combined $50,000 to support their business aspirations.<\/p>\n

The award is possible through a generous gift by Brock University Chancellor Hilary Pearson and her husband, Michael Sabia, in honour of his mother Laura, who was a strong advocate for women\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Pearson joined the recipients at a recent reception to hear more about their ideas and share wisdom from her career spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe creativity and determination I see in these young women is truly inspiring,\u201d says Pearson, a recognized Canadian leader in philanthropy and community engagement. \u201cEach of them possesses a strong entrepreneurial spirit and I cannot wait to see what they do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the child of immigrant parents, fourth-year Computer Science student Ivie Osagie knows first-hand how difficult it can be for newcomer families to navigate the Canadian education system. These experiences informed her creation of Plan-ED, a technology-based guidance platform that simplifies the Canadian school-to-postsecondary pathway.<\/p>\n

The mission of her platform, which is expected to launch in the fall, is to make academic guidance more accessible, personalized and equitable. A purpose-driven entrepreneur, Osagie\u2019s work is driven by making a positive difference in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve been developing Plan-ED, the LINCubator program has been so helpful, allowing me to gain knowledge from various experts and mentors. The team encourages you to bring in your ideas and are rooting for your success,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Necessity also sparked innovation for Becky Kwok, a Master of Science in Biotechnology student. Seeking a cost-effective and efficient way to learn French, Kwok created LinguoTone, an artificial intelligence mentor for high-stakes language proficiency exams.<\/p>\n

Kwok is already branching out with meeting-partner.com, a personal assistant for meeting recording. Drawing on accounting experience gained in Hong Kong alongside skills in coding and machine learning, she is focused on solutions that help individuals and businesses improve performance and efficiency.<\/p>\n

She says the support of Brock LINC and the Laura Sabia Award have further fuelled her desire to create.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to say thank you for the generosity. Brock LINC continues to help me understand how to build and grow a business, and the prestigious Laura Sabia Award supports my moving forward,\u201d Kwok says.<\/p>\n

Additional recipients of the 2026 Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award include:<\/p>\n