Media releases

• Brock student David Lisi wins Monster Pitch competition

  Wednesday, April 05, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 4 April 2017 – R00073

  For David Lisi, winning Monster Pitch was a surreal experience.

  After watching CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den for the past five years, Lisi had the chance to take to a similar stage in a spirited student entrepreneurial competition on Monday, April 3.

  The second-year Brock student won the competition which included a funding and startup package worth up to $15,000 after pitching his business idea, Bundle, to four renowned business experts.

  “Winning Monster Pitch just gives me such great validation and confidence about Bundle and its potential,” said Lisi.

  The judging panel was comprised of Jim Treliving, one of five judges on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and chairman and owner of Boston Pizza International Inc.; Bruce Croxon, co-host of BNN’s The Disruptors and CEO of Round13; Deborah Rosati, corporate director and co-founder of Women Get On Board; and Jason Sparaga, co-founder and co-CEO of Spark Power Corp. and founder of Spara Capital Partners.

  Bundle, Lisi’s winning business idea, aims to have a substantial social impact across Canada.

  Using a one-for-one business model, Bundle donates a scarf to someone in need for every scarf purchased. The company will also contribute financially to a yet-to-be-chosen not-for-profit organization that helps people through difficult times.

  “I learned a lot from the judges and the feedback they provided,” Lisi said, adding that learning how an investor thinks is valuable as an entrepreneur.

  After judging the competition, judges gave feedback to each of the four finalists.

  “That was a lot of fun and it’s always great to hear new ideas,” said Croxon. “You’d think we’d get tired of new ideas but it’s always great to see new stuff and especially great to see new stuff coming from young people.”

  Before announcing the winner, Treliving commented on the innovative nature of each student’s pitch.

  “There are no bad ideas. There are always better ideas and you’ve created a lot of that today,” he said.

  “It was really hard to sit here and say ‘this one’s the best one and this one’s the worst one.’ It’s not like that. It’s ‘what can you go to the next level with.’ That’s what business is all about and you have done that really, really well,” he said to the finalists.

  Hosted by the Brock Innovation Group in partnership with the Goodman School of Business and BioLinc and sponsored by Spark Power Corp., the competition was held at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
   
  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

  – 30 –
   

  Categories: Media releases

• In the spring sunshine, Open House attendance soared

  Tuesday, April 04, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 4 April 2017 – R00072

  The final numbers are in, and they confirm what was widely suspected: Record crowds poured into Brock University for Sunday’s Open House, the most important event in the recruitment calendar.
   
  In this first year when the annual event moved from late winter to early spring, the backdrop was sunshine, green grass and April flowers as nearly 5,000 prospective students, parents and other guests made the journey from around Niagara, the GTA and southwestern Ontario.

  Beth Natale, Director of Recruitment, said Sunday’s crowds represent a 12 per cent attendance jump over last year.

  “The whole campus community stepped up,” said Natale, “and it showed how Brock can work together as a team. Students and parents were having a great experience. They were happy, they were enjoying themselves and they loved the interaction with faculty and students.”

  She said the enthusiasm was palpable to the more than 400 staff and students who gave up their Sunday to greet visitors, answer questions about degree programs and offer tours of everything from labs and residences to athletics and food facilities. Earlier in the weekend, visitors also toured Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines.

  “Energy levels were off the charts,” said Natale. “People were enjoying themselves, and really getting a sense of what we have to offer.”

  University Registrar Geraldine Jones said her staff on Sunday had 21 on-the-spot registrations for fall term, an unusual level of commitment on a day when most people are in information-gathering mode.

  Besides the buzz taking place at the Information Fair in Beddis Gym, where representatives from academic Faculties and campus services fielded questions and distributed materials, the measure of the massive collaborative effort group could also be seen in other numbers for the day:

  •    17 different presentations given, spanning Academic program/Faculties, Experiential Education, Study Abroad, Financing your Brock Experience and sessions for prospective Graduate students, Grade 10-11 students, and International students;
  •    12 Experience Brock opportunities were provided, including a Career Coach demonstration and labs for Nursing, Big Data, Computer Science, Digital Humanities, Archaeology, Applied Health and Lifespan Research;
  •    even the Campus Store offered discounts on Brock gear, and by day’s end visitors had bought more than 200 Brock sweatshirts.

  Rescheduling this year’s Open House from March to April was a strategic move to connect with potential students as they are receiving their offers of admission from Brock and other universities, said Senior Recruitment Officer Matthew Melnyk.

  “A lot more students are in the frame of mind where they’re making their final decision,” said Melnyk, “so I think our event made a difference. We wanted to make sure we were hitting the sweet spot where they had gotten their offers.”

  Melnyk said the other benefit of pushing the event until April was much better weather.

  “It was nice to see tulips instead of snow when we were putting the signs out.”

  The next big date on the application calendar is April 15, the deadline for incoming students to apply for the OneApp, where a single application allows them to apply for hundreds of awards and bursaries. The OneApp deadline for returning students follows on May 31.

  Melnyk said the true barometer of success from the spring recruiting season will be after June 1, the deadline for Ontario high school students to accept their offers from the University.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
   
  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.
   

  Categories: Media releases