Social Entrepreneurship / en 勛圖惇蹋 Entrepreneurship Week: 10 startups to watch /news/u-t-entrepreneurship-week-10-startups-watch-0 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋 Entrepreneurship Week: 10 startups to watch</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0321_TrueBlue011.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=V8QzRJ8T 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/0321_TrueBlue011.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qwQssyT7 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/0321_TrueBlue011.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lbEAr_xh 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0321_TrueBlue011.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=V8QzRJ8T" alt="Catherine Chan speaks to an attendee of the true blue expo at the Mars discovery district"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-03-10T17:45:09-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 17:45" class="datetime">Tue, 03/10/2020 - 17:45</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Catherine Chan of 勛圖惇蹋 startup Honeybee Hub, which connects researchers with study participants, speaks with attendees at the True Blue Expo in 2019 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/true-blue-expo" hreflang="en">True Blue Expo</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hub" hreflang="en">The Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship-hatchery" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship Hatchery</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-dentistry" hreflang="en">Faculty of Dentistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ibbme" hreflang="en">IBBME</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-biomaterials-and-biomedical-engineering-0" hreflang="en">Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/nutritional-sciences" hreflang="en">Nutritional Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-commerce" hreflang="en">Rotman Commerce</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From speeding the discovery of life-saving drugs to reducing the amount of plastic clogging the oceans, University of Toronto entrepreneurs and their startups are engaged in tackling some of the most pressing challenges of the day.</p> <p>Over the past decade, 勛圖惇蹋 has nurtured 500 startups that have secured some $1.5 billion in investment. Many of the companies were founded by&nbsp;students who sought to provide innovative solutions to problems. Others were launched by professors who were looking to implement their research in the real world.</p> <p>What they all have in common is that they emerged from a university entrepreneurship ecosystem thats ranked first&nbsp;in Canada&nbsp;and among the top 10 in the world.</p> <p><a href="/entrepreneurs?utm_source=UofTHome&amp;utm_medium=WebsiteBanner&amp;utm_content=EntrepreneurshipWeek2020">With Entrepreneurship Week&nbsp;underway</a>, heres a look at 10 exciting 勛圖惇蹋 startups to keep an eye on in 2020:</p> <hr> <h3>Structura Biotechnology</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/2018-02-13-Structura-Ali-Saara-%28weblead%292_0.jpg" alt="\"></p> <p><em>(photo by Chris Sorensen)</em></p> <p>When researchers in the United States&nbsp;worked to create the first 3D, atomic-scale map of the part of the novel coronavirus that infects human cells, a key step toward creating a vaccine,<a href="/news/u-t-startup-s-technology-plays-role-critical-breakthrough-coronavirus-research">&nbsp;they relied on software created by 勛圖惇蹋 startup Structura Biotechnology</a>.</p> <p>Structuras cryoSPARC program, which uses artificial intelligence&nbsp;to create 3D visualizations of protein, was spun out of <strong>Ali Punjani</strong>s PhD research in computer science at 勛圖惇蹋 and was designed by alumnus <strong>Suhail Dawood</strong>. The startup received support from 勛圖惇蹋s UTEST accelerator.</p> <p>The software enables scientists to visualize images captured&nbsp;using cryogenic electron microscopy, a Nobel Prize-winning technique that enables the capture of high-resolution photos of proteins by shooting electrons at frozen samples.</p> <p>The technique has already garnered the attention of several big drug companies, but&nbsp;Punjanis sister,&nbsp;Saara Punjani, the companys chief operating officer, said the use of cryoSPARC in efforts to battle the coronavirus is an exciting development.</p> <p>Part of the reason we got into it is, at the end of the day, because we are looking to make a difference, she told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em>.</p> <h3>Roll Technologies</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/DSC00523_0.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>(photo couretsy of Roll Technologies)</em></p> <p>Founded by 勛圖惇蹋 Scarborough alumnus <strong>Richard Cao</strong>, e-scooter startup Roll Technologies <a href="/news/e-scooter-startup-u-t-alumnus-set-roll-out-kelowna-bc">recently deployed 200 e-scooters and 50 electronic bikes (e-bikes) in Kelowna, B.C.</a> after securing a deal with the city.</p> <p>Caos father works in the e-bike and e-scooter manufacturing sector in China. That helped Cao formulate the idea behind Roll Technologies and develop some of the necessary connections. He then went to The Hub, 勛圖惇蹋 Scarboroughs startup accelerator, and worked with Director <strong>Gray Graffam</strong>, who set about differentiating Caos company from others in the burgeoning e-mobility space.</p> <p>Originally from Shanghai, Cao&nbsp;described e-scooters as a popular and effective form of shared mobility and one that provides a green solution to a common urban transportation problem.</p> <h3>BenchSci</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/BenchSci-group-weblead_0.jpg" alt="\"></p> <p><em>(photo courtesy of BenchSci)</em></p> <p>BenchSci, which uses machine learning to help scientists find the appropriate antibodies for their experiments, is backed by investors including Googles Gradient Ventures, and counts some of the worlds top pharmaceutical companies among its clients.</p> <p>The company grew out of frustrations experienced by&nbsp;<strong>Tom Leung</strong>, who, while working on his PhD in epigenetics, had experiments fail because his antibodies werent detecting target proteins. In search of a better solution, Leung reached out to <strong>David Chen</strong>, who was doing doctoral research in neuroscience, and <strong>Elvis Wianda</strong>, who was doing his PhD in medical biophysics.</p> <p>The trio initially worked with 勛圖惇蹋s Entrepreneurship Hatchery and Health Innovation Hub (H2i) to get BenchSci up and running. They were later recruited to the Creative Destruction Lab&nbsp;by then-MBA candidate <strong>Liran Belenzon</strong>, who eventually joined the company as CEO.</p> <p>Going forward, Belenzon <a href="/news/google-s-backing-u-t-startup-benchsci-using-ai-create-super-scientists">says he envisions BenchSci playing a crucial role in transforming scientists into super-scientists and helping them get cures to patients faster.</a></p> <h3>Ecopackers</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/ecopackers-embed.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>(photo courtesy of Ecopackers)</em></p> <p>Conceived by CEO <strong>Nuha Siddiqui</strong> during her time as president of the 勛圖惇蹋 chapter of the social entrepreneurship club Enactus, Ecopackers is on a mission to reduce the worlds reliance on single-use plastics.</p> <p>The company, developed with support from the Creative Destruction Lab, got its start manufacturing biodegradable packing peanuts made from agricultural byproducts. It&nbsp;has since expanded into producing eco-resins that can be used by manufacturers in place of plastic.</p> <p>Unlike many existing bioplastics, Ecopackers resin is designed to be compatible with existing manufacturing technologies&nbsp;and processes.</p> <p>We were one of the only eco-focused companies out there that wasnt going against the plastic manufacturers we were actually trying to work with them to develop products that worked with their technology, Siddiqui, a Rotman Commerce graduate, told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em>.</p> <p>The all-woman leadership team behind Ecopackers&nbsp; which also includes chief technology officer <strong>Chang Dong</strong> and chief operating officer <strong>Kritika Tyagi&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;is now working on pilot products with manufacturers around the world.</p> <h3>Cohesys</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Michael-Floros_VC_web-lead_0.jpg" alt="Portrait of Michael Floros standing beside a novelty check for 20 thousand dollars payable to cohesys"></p> <p><em>&nbsp;(photo by Erin Vollick)</em></p> <p>Spun out of research by Professor <strong>Paul Santerre </strong>at the Faculty of Dentistry and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), <a href="/news/u-t-bone-tape-startup-takes-home-international-prize">Cohesys is a biomedical startup that has developed a better alternative to the rigid metal plates and screws used to repair facial fractures</a>.</p> <p>The companys BoneTape is a flexible, adhesive and degradable material that holds promise in improving surgery times, reducing complications and boosting outcomes for patients who undergo facial surgery.</p> <p>Supported by UTEST and the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), Cohesys raised a total of $1.4 million in funding as it looks to pursue preclinical animal studies, biotechnology industry magazine <em>BioWorld</em> <a href="https://www.bioworld.com/articles/430433-investors-stuck-on-cohesys-adhesive-bone-tape-for-use-in-facial-reconstruction?v=preview">reported</a>.</p> <p>This is the only adhesive that sticks to wet bone, <strong>Michael Floros</strong>, CEO of Cohesys and a recent IBBME post-doctoral researcher, told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em> last year. There is no other tape for bones or anything similar out there.</p> <h3>Reeddi</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Reeddi_0.png" alt="Olugbenga Olubanjo poses for a photo in Ayegun, Nigeria with members of his reedi team and local community members"></p> <p><em>(photo courtesy of Olugbenga Olubanjo)</em></p> <p>As an international graduate student at 勛圖惇蹋, <strong>Olugbenga Olubanjo</strong> regularly spoke with family and friends in his native Nigeria over the phone, only to have the calls cut short due to power outages back home. He decided to do something about it and Reeddi was born.</p> <p>The company, which was nurtured by the Entrepreneurship Hatchery, <a href="/news/u-t-entrepreneur-creates-his-own-job-post-graduation-delivering-clean-affordable-energy-nigeria">provides portable energy via capsules that can be charged at solar-powered stations</a>. Customers rent the capsules at affordable prices and earn credits when they return them on time.</p> <p>Reeddi wants to bring clean and affordable energy to communities in Nigeria and beyond, with Olubanjo saying the startup has attracted interest from organizations and communities in countries like South Africa, Indonesia, India and the United States.</p> <p>Anywhere where theres an energy or electricity issue is where we come into play. We want to be in as many countries as possible, Olubanjo&nbsp;told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em>.</p> <h3>AmacaThera</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT6182_20140827_MollyShoichet_%28weblead%29_0.jpg" alt="Molly Shoichet smiles for a photo in her lab. Lots of vials are visible and two students are working on the bench behind her"></p> <p><em>&nbsp;(photo by Roberta Baker)</em></p> <p>A gel-based drug delivery system developed by 勛圖惇蹋 startup AmacaThera could eliminate the need to prescribe powerful painkillers after surgery and reduce the risk of developing opioid addiction.</p> <p>Developed in the lab of <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a>&nbsp;<strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>,&nbsp;in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and IBBME, <a href="/news/u-t-startup-raises-325-million-eliminate-prescription-opioids-after-surgery">the gel is capable of significantly increasing the duration of anesthetics injected at the site of surgical incisions</a>.</p> <p>Whereas drugs delivered through conventional injections disperse in a matter of hours, AmacaTheras solution is capable of keeping the anesthetic at the surgical site for up to three days.</p> <p>If this could obviate the need for people to take opioids in the first place, it would have a real societal benefit, Shoichet&nbsp;told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em> early last year.</p> <p>AmacaThera is the third startup built on research from Shoichets lab. It received support from UTEST and the Creative Destruction Lab.</p> <h3>Honeybee Hub</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Catherine%20and%20App_0.jpg" alt="Co-founder Catherine Chan holds up an iphone with the Honeybee Hub App shown">Finding suitable participants for research studies can be an arduous and time-consuming process&nbsp; something Honeybee Hub is looking to change.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Co-founded by CEO <strong>Catherine Chan</strong>&nbsp;(left) while she was pursuing her masters degree in nutritional sciences, Honeybee Hubs solution is<a href="/news/startup-built-u-t-alumni-helps-researchers-recruit-participants-research-studies"> an online platform that helps researchers find subjects for their studies&nbsp;and makes it easier for the public to find studies to participate in</a>.</p> <p>Chan got the idea while working on her masters thesis&nbsp;and was encouraged to pursue it by her supervisor, <strong>Harvey Anderson</strong>, a professor<strong>&nbsp;</strong>in the departments of physiology and nutritional sciences in the Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>She then partnered with co-founder <strong>Weiwei Li</strong>, who earned a masters degree in applied science, with the company receiving mentorship and support from the Impact Centre.</p> <p>Researchers are spending too much time on advertising and administrative tasks rather than their expertise, and we want to change that, Chan told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em>.</p> <h3>Nanology Labs</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Mohammad-Ali-Amini-weblead_0.jpg" alt="\"></p> <p><em>(photo by Steve Southon)</em></p> <p>Nanology Labs is a pharmaceutical startup that <a href="/news/u-t-pharmacy-grad-co-founded-startup-promises-help-detect-and-treat-cancers">has developed a low-toxicity MRI contrast agent that can improve cancer detection</a>.</p> <p>Launched by <strong>Mohammad Ali Amini </strong>while he completed his PhD, Nanology Labs leverages&nbsp;over two decades of research in the lab of Amini's supervisor, Professor <strong>Xiao Yu (Shirley) Wu </strong>in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.</p> <p>The companys innovative MRI contrast agent, called Manganescan, uses the element manganese, which naturally exists in the human body and is safer and less toxic than contrast agents made from gadolinium.</p> <p>Built with support from numerous 勛圖惇蹋 accelerators including the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), UTEST and the Impact Centre, Nanology Labs has won several awards including the $25,000 top prize at the 2019 RBC Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the True Blue Expo.</p> <p>If you want to be successful, create your own path, Amini told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em> last year. This is what Ive learned.</p> <h3>Niu Body</h3> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/alumni---laura-burget_48498071521_o_1.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>(photo by Roberta Baker)</em></p> <p>Co-founded by chemical engineering alumna&nbsp;<strong>Laura Burget</strong>, Niu Body <a href="/news/u-t-alumna-co-founds-company-after-spotting-blemish-skin-care-industry-lack-natural-and">creates skin-care products that are all-natural yet affordable</a>.</p> <p>Burget was inspired to start the company after taking a course on entrepreneurship and small business in her fourth year. She teamed up with Connie Lo, who has a background in business and accounting, and launched the company with an initial budget of only $4,000.</p> <p>In just two years, the number of retailers carrying Niu Bodys products swelled from one to over 300.</p> <p>Consumers are demanding better quality, more natural ingredients and at an affordable price, Burget told <em>勛圖惇蹋</em> in September. Our companys mission is to create natural skin-care products that wont break the bank.</p> <p>Burget credited her 勛圖惇蹋 engineering degree with her credibility in the&nbsp;business world.</p> <p>When I tell manufacturers and investors I have a chemical engineering degree, it tells them I know what Im talking about and what Im capable of.</p> <h3><a href="/entrepreneurs?utm_source=UofTHome&amp;utm_medium=WebsiteBanner&amp;utm_content=EntrepreneurshipWeek2020">Read more about entrepreneurship at 勛圖惇蹋</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 10 Mar 2020 21:45:09 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 163264 at 勛圖惇蹋 undergrad tests out solar-powered irrigation system in his native South Sudan /news/u-t-undergrad-tests-out-solar-powered-irrigation-system-his-native-south-sudan <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋 undergrad tests out solar-powered irrigation system in his native South Sudan</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-01-James%20Madhier.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OXM0P3Fd 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-05-01-James%20Madhier.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ih3IIULv 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-05-01-James%20Madhier.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LrG_fBa- 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-01-James%20Madhier.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OXM0P3Fd" alt="Photo of James Madhier"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-05-01T12:11:10-04:00" title="Monday, May 1, 2017 - 12:11" class="datetime">Mon, 05/01/2017 - 12:11</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">James Thuch Madhier, a third-year peace, conflict and justice student at the Munk School of Global Affairs, has launched Rainmaker Enterprise with 勛圖惇蹋 colleagues (photo by Bibi Veth)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/elaine-smith" hreflang="en">Elaine Smith</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Elaine Smith</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/drought" hreflang="en">drought</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/water" hreflang="en">Water</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/farming" hreflang="en">Farming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">James Thuch Madhier came to 勛圖惇蹋 through the Student Refugee Program</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>James Thuch Madhier</strong>&nbsp;fled South Sudan as a teenager, escaping&nbsp;the ravages of civil war and famine.</p> <p>Next fall, the 勛圖惇蹋 undergrad&nbsp;and his social entrepreneurship team will be testing out their solar-powered crop irrigation system on&nbsp;20 acres of land they've acquired in South Sudan.</p> <p>I see it as a model that we can scale up across the country and region, Madhier said. I believe in a ground-up approach. Its a way for local farmers to increase production and efficiency so that they are not simply doing subsistence farming.</p> <p>Madhier came from South Sudan via Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya&nbsp;through <a href="http://magazine.trinity.utoronto.ca/a-global-education/">勛圖惇蹋's&nbsp;Student Refugee Program (SRP)</a>, which sponsors refugees in collaboration with the World University Service of Canada.&nbsp;</p> <p>Now a third-year peace, conflict and justice student at 勛圖惇蹋's&nbsp;Munk School of Global Affairs, Madhier has worked with his classmates, <strong>Mike Hongryul Park</strong>, a math and physics student with a passion for sustainable development, and <strong>Katie Fettes</strong>, a fellow peace, conflict and justice student at Munk, to create&nbsp;a&nbsp;basic, solar-powered crop irrigation system that&nbsp;provides clean drinking water to countries in the developing world.&nbsp;</p> <p>The team's&nbsp;system, which includes a pump, a holding tank for the seasonal flood waters, solar panels to generate power and drip irrigation, is easy to install and use in South Sudan, where 80 per cent of residents are farmers or raise cattle,&nbsp;only 30 per cent have access to clean drinking water and 5.1 per cent of the population has electricity.</p> <p>Weve adapted the system in a way that will not only irrigate food crops and provide grazing grass for cattle, but will also offer employment to women and youth and address issues of food insecurity, Madhier said.</p> <p>In 2016, Madhier, who has long been active with social development programs, was invited by the<a href="https://www.oneyoungworld.com/"> One Young World</a> organization to attend a global summit for young social changemakers. The summit included a social venture competition, and Madhier and Park decided this was&nbsp;the perfect opportunity to seek assistance with the irrigation project.</p> <p>Madhier pitched the idea at the&nbsp;summit and won a fellowship award as well as some seed capital and access to professionals who can mentor him.</p> <p>This past March, <a href="http://rainmakerenterprise.org/">the team formally launched Rainmaker Enterprise</a> in partnership with Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier-turned-musician from South Sudan, and they purchased land in South Sudan to test out the irrigation system during the November dry season.</p> <p>For the project, the land will be divided so that cows can graze in one area while crops can be grown in another area. It will allow for crop rotation so the land remains productive for both food and grazing. Madhier has a local field manager who will hire a local team to assist him, creating a self-sustaining enterprise.</p> <p>Madhier says that as a teenager he saw some horrific things during the famine.</p> <p>Thiet, my hometown, attracted people from all over the countryside who were suffering, he said. In the mornings, youd see the collection of people who had died of hunger overnight. Sights like these are toxic to the brain.</p> <p>After a trip to the Ivory Coast last year to research issues surrounding cocoa farming, Madhier realized that the problems of drought and food insecurity were much more widespread in Africa than hed realized and decided to do something about it not a quick fix solution, but something that would effect systemic change.</p> <p>Today, I know there has been technological advancement that could be used to lift people out of extreme hunger and food insecurity, he said.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 01 May 2017 16:11:10 +0000 ullahnor 107204 at St. Mike's Angel Lab hosts tech leaders Anthony Lacavera and Mark Palma at 勛圖惇蹋 /news/st-mike-s-angel-lab-hosts-tech-leaders-anthony-lacavera-and-mark-palma-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">St. Mike's Angel Lab hosts tech leaders Anthony Lacavera and Mark Palma at 勛圖惇蹋</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-01-10-angel-lab.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1cL3NxMe 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-01-10-angel-lab.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=UKZJecZv 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-01-10-angel-lab.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=52CI05Cw 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-01-10-angel-lab.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1cL3NxMe" alt="Photo of Angel Lab students with speakers Anthony Lacavera and Mark Palma"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-01-10T12:30:24-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - 12:30" class="datetime">Tue, 01/10/2017 - 12:30</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">From left to right, Canadian tech entrepreneur Mark Palma, students Enyi Anudu, Hao Chen, Andrew Dyck and Luke Kyne, and Palma's business partner Anthony Lacavera. The students are part of Angel Lab, St. Mike's initiative for social entrepreneurs</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/martyn-wendell-jones" hreflang="en">Martyn Wendell Jones</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Martyn Wendell Jones</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startup" hreflang="en">Startup</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Dealing with spectacular failures and the politeness of Canadians those were just some of the challenges faced by Canadian tech entrepreneurs and 勛圖惇蹋 alumni <strong>Anthony Lacavera</strong> and <strong>Mark Palma</strong>.</p> <p>The alumni and business partners shared their experiences recently with students interested in developing social justice startups at 勛圖惇蹋s St. Michaels College.</p> <p>Ive had some spectacular failures, Lacavera said, recalling that in the early 2000s, I wanted to make payphones free, and sell ads匈 would not let it go.&nbsp;</p> <p>It took three years and millions of dollars before he finally admitted defeat, he added.&nbsp;</p> <p>The fireside chat was attended by St. Michael's College President and Vice-Chancellor <strong>David Mulroney </strong>and Principal and Vice President <strong>Randy Boyagoda</strong>.</p> <p>It was organized and hosted by students from Angel Lab, an initiative St. Mikes launched last year to help undergrads start enterprises with a social impact. The startup effort is just one of the many ways St. Mikes has been helping students connect faith with academics&nbsp; the college's recent initiatives have been featured in the <em>Globe and Mail</em>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/at-st-michaels-college-at-u-of-t-a-push-to-integrate-faith-and-intellect/article33422892/">Read the<em> Globe and Mail</em> story</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3088 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2017-01-10-tony.lacavera.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>WIND Mobile founder Anthony Lacavera answering students' questions during the fireside chat</em></p> <p>Lacavera, who founded WIND Mobile and Globalive, and Palma, who manages Globalive, have known each other since their days in St. Mikes residence. &nbsp;</p> <p>Though Toronto is now home to incubators, accelerators, and a tech-friendly venture capital network, the city and academic institutions were not always so hospitable to business projects, said Lacavera.&nbsp;</p> <p>Its great to see senior leadership [at St. Michaels] supporting startup initiatives, Lacavera said. The world was so much more difficult to navigate in the mid 90s, pre-Internet.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/news/angel-lab-latest-accelerator-u-t-launches-st-mike-s">Read more about Angel Lab</a></h3> <p>Lacavera and Palma talked about the importance of character, a positive outlook and a willingness to work hard and the pair said their relationship as co-founders was instrumental in helping them succeed.&nbsp;</p> <p>Palma and Lacavera grew up together in Welland, Ont. They attended St. Mikes where they lived in residence for the duration of their 勛圖惇蹋 careers. Both pursued computer engineering.&nbsp;</p> <p>I forged many of the friendships that are now lifelong. The community is very powerful, Lacavera said of St. Mikes where he was known to parade around residence in a toga, declaring himself the emperor of More House.</p> <p>Palma said St. Mikes exposed small-town students like him to a much larger and more culturally diverse world an essential piece of education for anyone working in todays cosmopolitan tech industry.&nbsp;</p> <p>Earning trust was a challenge in those early days, Lacavera said. As a business owner fresh out of university, he&nbsp;found himself at the head of a team of people who were years older than he was.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3089 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2017-01-10-markpalma.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Mark Palma talks about his experiences at St. Mike's and in the business world</em></p> <p>Lacavera said the only option for establishing trust and leading effectively was total transparency.&nbsp;</p> <p>I told people the whole, complete truth, and this helped him to develop a very loyal team.</p> <p>Palma added: You have to know what you dont know.&nbsp;</p> <p>Honesty and humility about unknown risks or issues can help go a long way towards creating trust with clients and employees in the tech industry, they said.<br> &nbsp;<br> Lacavera recalled having to apply for his first business loan at an RBC branch. Today, things are a bit easier for raising capital.</p> <p>WIND Mobile, a company Lacavera founded in 2008 despite widespread doubt and opposition, sold for $1.6 billion CAD in 2015. (The company has since been rebranded as Freedom Mobile.) The move to create&nbsp;WIND was seen as suicidal at the time, Lacavera said. Telus, Rogers and Bell appeared too deeply entrenched to allow a new wireless communications provider to enter the fray. Lacavera staked his decade-long record of business success with Globalive Communications in order to launch WIND, and the risk paid off.&nbsp;</p> <p>Asked how to go about pitching unproven technologies to investors, Lacavera stressed the importance of knowing both the technology and the clients industry.&nbsp;</p> <p>The first step, he said, is getting your client to believe you about the outcomes that your product can deliver.&nbsp;</p> <p>Most people will not be convinced by the pitch, but because Canadians are really polite, they might not directly communicate their skepticism, he said. For those who are convinced, you need to lead them to that outcome, and you have to ask for the sale, he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Palma agreed and further emphasized the importance of creating a feedback loop of customers having a stake in your success.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the end of the day, its simple, rational, common sense that makes a person fit for business, Lacavera said.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 10 Jan 2017 17:30:24 +0000 lanthierj 103017 at Nia Technologies brings 3D prosthetic printing to developing countries /news/nia-technologies-brings-3d-prosthetic-printing-developing-countries <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Nia Technologies brings 3D prosthetic printing to developing countries</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lavende4</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-04-18T13:48:38-04:00" title="Monday, April 18, 2016 - 13:48" class="datetime">Mon, 04/18/2016 - 13:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Matt Ratto (left) with orthopedic staff at CoRSU Hospital, Uganda</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/dominic-ali" hreflang="en">Dominic Ali</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Dominic Ali</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/3d" hreflang="en">3D</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medical-research" hreflang="en">Medical Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-staff" hreflang="en">Faculty &amp; Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>According to the World Health Organization, approximately 30 million people in low-income countries require prosthetic limbs, braces or other assistive devices. To make things even tougher, the vast majority who require these devices dont have access to rehabilitation services.</p> <p>Until now, that is.</p> <p>Thanks to a Canadian non-profit social enterprise called Nia Technologies &nbsp;supported by University of Toronto research&nbsp; children with disabilities in developing countries may soon have better access to high-quality and better-fitting prosthetics.</p> <p>Nia is currently testing its innovative 3D printing technology to help improve the lives of the disabled in developing countries. Nias flagship technology, called 3D PrintAbility, was developed in collaboration with the University of Torontos Faculty of Information Associate Professor <strong>Matt Ratto</strong>, who also serves as director of the <a href="http://semaphore.utoronto.ca/">Semaphore Research Cluster</a> and as Nias chief science officer.</p> <p>It has been incredibly validating to see how quickly clinical practitioners are able to adopt and even extend the cutting edge technologies we have provided to produce patient outcomes that potentially leapfrog our capacity in the developed world, says Ratto.</p> <p>Perhaps the best testament to Nias work was its very first patient, a spirited four-year-old Ugandan girl named Roseline who was born without a right foot. Roseline was outfitted with a 3D-printed prosthetic socket that was manufactured using Nias 3D PrintAbility. With her 3D PrintAbility socket in place, Roseline was able to walk and run alongside other children for the first time in her life, says Jerry Evans, CEO of Nia.</p> <p>3D PrintAbility is a set of software tools that combines 3D scanning, modelling, and printing to produce customized prosthetics and orthotics for individuals with disabilities. Nia tested its devices in Uganda last year and will revisit the country in Spring 2016 and expand its trials into other developing countries in the coming year.</p> <p><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 11.0819px; line-height: 13.6418px;">[item (class="additional class"|id=item id|type=div,d,span,s)]</strong><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__744 img__view_mode__media_preview attr__format__media_preview" height="180" src="/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/2016-02-24-ratto-student-sized.jpg?itok=93Sj3hKN" typeof="foaf:Image" width="180" loading="lazy"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 11.0819px; line-height: 13.6418px;">[/item]</strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 11.0819px; line-height: 13.6418px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 11.0819px; line-height: 13.6418px;">[embed_content nid=7664 (class="additional class")/]</strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 11.0819px; line-height: 13.6418px;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Nias prosthetics are made from high strength nylon, using consumer grade 3D printers that are available off-the-shelf in North America. The developers are pleased with the early results.</p> <p>Preliminary research shows that by using 3D PrintAbility, technologists in developing countries can produce well-fitting devices in 1.5 days instead of the usual 5 days, says Evans.</p> <p>As a social enterprise, Nia works towards establishing local expertise in developing countries. By training technologists to use 3D PrintAbility, Nia is transferring knowledge and skills that will help them help more people in their communities. During the initial clinical trial in 2015, the team in Uganda produced prosthetic sockets for about 40 children and youth with lower limb disabilities who ranged in age from 4 to 25.</p> <p>Currently, 3D PrintAbility produces transtibial (below-the-knee) prosthetic sockets and ankle-foot orthoses (braces). But Nia hopes to add other orthopaedic devices in the future that will help more children like Roseline.</p> <p>When Roseline tried walking with her new 3D PrintAbility prosthetic for the first time, she confirmed the value of Nias mission to its CEO. It is in those magical moments that all the messy and hard work of innovation comes together and makes sense, says Evans. Seeing Roseline walk gave me a glimpse of how 3D PrintAbility could be of great value to other children and society at large.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:48:38 +0000 lavende4 13844 at 勛圖惇蹋's Team Vicis heads to Hult Prize regionals with e-commerce for street vendors /news/u-ts-team-vicis-heads-hult-prize-regionals-e-commerce-street-vendors <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">勛圖惇蹋's Team Vicis heads to Hult Prize regionals with e-commerce for street vendors</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-12-10T07:48:00-05:00" title="Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 07:48" class="datetime">Thu, 12/10/2015 - 07:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> Christopher Villegas-Cho, Adam Day, Tricia Jose, David St. Bernard </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/terry-lavender" hreflang="en">Terry Lavender</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Terry Lavender</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ibbme" hreflang="en">IBBME</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Tricia Jose: We are capable of making a change in the world today, right here and right now </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Team Attollo, meet Team Vicis.</p> <p>Team Attollo,&nbsp;winner of the first 勛圖惇蹋 Hult regional prize competition in December 2014, went on to the world finals of the highly competitive global social entrepreneurship event.</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/u-t-grads-finals-hult-prize-talking-stickers-boost-literacy-impoverished-children">Read about Team Attollos path to the finals</a></h2> <p>Team Vicis, which won the second 勛圖惇蹋 Hult competition last weekend, is hoping to follow in Attollo's&nbsp;footsteps after&nbsp;beating&nbsp;14 other 勛圖惇蹋 teams to&nbsp;earn&nbsp;a spot in the Hult regional rounds in March 2016.</p> <p>In the Hult Prize competition, teams of students from around the world develop ideas for social enterprises to solve global challenges.</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/social-entrepreneurship">Learn more about social entrepreneurship at 勛圖惇蹋</a></h2> <p>The theme of the 2016 challenge, co-sponsored by Hult International Business School and the Clinton Global Initiative, is Crowded Urban Spaces and will focus on economic inclusion, more specifically, doubling the incomes of the residents who live in some of the toughest conditions in the world through improved mobility and increased connectivity to people, products, services and capital by 2022. &nbsp;</p> <p>More than 20,000 university students participate in the challenge each year with only 300 teams making it to the regional rounds in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai. The winners of the regionals compete for the top prize of US$1 million in start-up funding, as well as mentorship and advice from the international business community.</p> <h2><a href="http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/Connect/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/20151210.aspx">Learn more about the Hult competition at 勛圖惇蹋's Rotman School of Management</a></h2> <p>Team Vicis is composed of graduate students from across the university: <strong>Tricia Jose</strong> (MASc, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), <strong>Adam Day</strong> (MBA, Rotman School of Management), <strong>David St. Bernard</strong> (JD/MBA - Rotman School of Management/Faculty of Law), and <strong>Chris Villegas-Cho</strong> (MGA - Munk School of Global Affairs).</p> <p><em>勛圖惇蹋</em> spoke to Jose, the team leader, after the Vicis victory.</p> <p><strong>What does the name of your team, Vicis, signify?</strong><br> Vicis is Latin for change. We chose this name to represent our team because we felt that to really promote effective change, we needed to dig deep into our roots (what's deeper than Latin?) and really understand how and where change comes about. Interestingly, nobody knows how to pronounce our team name. The old school Latin pronunciation is "wee-kis". Our team name is pronounced "vee-chee," hoping to breath a bit of new life to old concepts!&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Whats your project about?</strong><br> At the heart of our project is connecting under-utilized people, goods, and capital while overcoming and reducing congested city roadways. In crowded urban spaces, there is large market inefficiency in connecting people to the opportunities they desire and need. Team Vicis aims to increase and connect demand for under-utilized/underemployed entrepreneurial individuals in order to avoid economic exclusion. Our solution offers street vendors, who are otherwise limited to face-to-face sales to passers-by, the opportunity to access an increased market through an e-commerce platform that can be coordinated from their end without Internet, simply by the use of the mobile phone they already have.</p> <p><strong>What motivated you to try for the Hult Prize?</strong><br> All four of us are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship, international development, or some combination of the two following the completion of our respective programs. What drew us to Hult Prize is that it stood as a reminder of what we as students often lose sight of: that we are capable of making a change in the world today, right here and right now. Being in school should be a catalyst for that, not a barrier. The Hult Prize is an amazing opportunity to pursue what we love, and make a lasting difference while doing so.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How did it feel to win the 勛圖惇蹋 event?</strong><br> Honestly, there were so many great teams and ideas pitched that we just feel fortunate to have been part of such an amazing, inspiring event. We are really excited about being able to move onto the next round of the competition. We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us.&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Interested in entrepreneurship? Visit 勛圖惇蹋's Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></h2> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-12-10-hult-prize.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 10 Dec 2015 12:48:00 +0000 sgupta 7521 at World Toilet Day: an update on 勛圖惇蹋's response to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation challenge /news/world-toilet-day-update-u-ts-response-bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation-challenge <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">World Toilet Day: an update on 勛圖惇蹋's response to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation challenge</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-11-19T09:04:40-05:00" title="Thursday, November 19, 2015 - 09:04" class="datetime">Thu, 11/19/2015 - 09:04</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">From left, Professors Yu-Ling Cheng and Mark Kortschot with Nathan Myhrvold, Prince of Orange and Bill Gates in 2012 (photo courtesy of Professor Yu-Ling Cheng)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Tyler Irving</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/engineering" hreflang="en">Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Field trials in a developing country expected by next August</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>November 19 is <a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/toiletday/">World Toilet Day</a>, but if you were able to celebrate it, you should consider yourself lucky. Worldwide, about 2.5 billion people &nbsp;a third of the global population &nbsp;have no access to safe sanitation.</p> <p>This lack of hygiene is linked to the spread of many preventable diseases, such as diarrheal diseases that kill more than 500,000 children under the age of five every year.</p> <p>Since 2011, a team of 勛圖惇蹋 engineers under the direction of Professor <strong>Yu-Ling Cheng</strong>, director of the Centre for Global Engineering, has been developing a solution. They took up a challenge issued by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to design a toilet that could disinfect human waste without connections to water, sewer or grid power. Its total cost had to work out to less than five U.S. cents per person per day, and it needed to be designed for users in the developing world.</p> <h2><a href="https://thewalrus.ca/the-toilet-papers/">Read more about Chengs toilet project in <em>Walrus Magazine</em></a></h2> <p>Cheng and her team were among the winners at the first Reinvent the Toilet Fair back in 2012. Since then, with continued support from the Gates foundation, they have been working to develop the disinfection process as well as building and refining their mechanical designs. Writer <strong>Tyler Irving</strong> spoke with Cheng.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Your team presented initial proof-of-concept ideas at the original Toilet Fair in 2012, and have been working since then to develop your ideas. Can you update us on your progress?</strong><br> Things have progressed a lot over the past three years. &nbsp;We created a first integrated prototype, as opposed to the proof-of-concept modules we showed at the time of the first Toilet Fair. That prototype was presented at the second Reinvent the Toilet Fair held in Delhi, India in March 2014.</p> <p>With continued funding from the Gates foundation, we further refined the design of both the process and the prototype, making it smaller and more energy efficient. &nbsp;We have made a great deal of progress, and have recently been awarded additional support to take us to the point of being able to conduct large scale field trials.</p> <p><strong>How close do you think you are to a finished product?</strong><br> I think were pretty near completion in terms of designing the technical process. I dont expect major revisions, but there are things we need to tweak. What we will focus on going forward is to improve robustness and lower costs. &nbsp;In other words, what happens if we run our system for a long time? Does every part still work? &nbsp;Can it stand up to people using and misusing it? &nbsp;Can we handle variability in user inputs such as big spikes in the amount of material to process?</p> <p><strong>How has your design changed since 2012?</strong><br> At a very high level, the process hasnt changed very much. &nbsp;We separate solids and liquids, burn the solids to generate heat, and use the heat to dry new incoming solid waste and pasteurize liquid waste. &nbsp; But there have been many advances in the details these have allowed us to reduce the prototype size by a factor of four from about 4 m3 to 1 m3, and to lower energy requirement by a factor of 5 to about 10 watts on average.</p> <p><strong>How were you able to shrink the size and the energy requirement?</strong><br> Our first prototype was based on a batch process. &nbsp;We collected a whole days worth of waste from a household &nbsp;which for us was defined as 10 people &nbsp;and then processed it all at once. &nbsp;</p> <p>We have since evolved to a continuous process. That means we process small amounts at a steady rate all the time 24 hours a day, and for as long as we have fuel to feed the process. &nbsp;A system that operates continuously can be much smaller than a batch system, as long as you control the rate at which youre feeding in new material. &nbsp;</p> <p>In addition, we only need to provide the energy needed to ignite the process at the beginning of the process which is a big saving in energy. That initial ignition energy cost is amortized over weeks and months. It becomes a very small energy cost.</p> <p>We have also improved the way we manage heat. &nbsp;Most significantly, we have eliminated some major inefficiencies in how we dry incoming solids. This sounds like a simple problem, but it has not been easy for us as well as a number of other groups.</p> <p><img alt="diagram of toilet" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-19-toilet-embed.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 399px; margin: 10px 45px;"></p> <p><strong>Where are you going next?</strong><br> Going forward, were starting to think about how users will interact with it. This is a key challenge: if people require special training to run it, then it wont meet their needs, so it has to be easy to operate and maintain. It also needs to be robust, and be responsive to changes in input. For a household size of 10 people, we need to process on average about 30 grams of dry fecal mass per hour. &nbsp;But not every household is that big, and not everyone will be home all the time. &nbsp;</p> <p>And we also have to accommodate increased input parties, weddings, etc. So we have worked out ways to control processing rate over a wide range.</p> <p>We will do some simulated user studies in our lab in Toronto, probably with the next iteration of the prototype, or something pretty close to it. Its a squat toilet interface, so not what people here are used to, but it will give us more data on how it responds to variable input. &nbsp;</p> <p>After that, the next step will be setting up field trials in India or another developing country. That will involve selecting a field site, making sure we have access to users, community approval, access to machine shops for troubleshooting, access to labs for testing, etc. We are planning those studies for August 2016.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What drives you and your team to keep working on this project?</strong><br> What many of my team members have told me is that they like working on this project because it is so purposeful.</p> <p>The Re-invent the Toilet Challenge set out some very demanding specifications, so it should not be surprising to see some approaches fail. With all the technical advances we have made, I think we have a good chance of succeeding. &nbsp;</p> <p>But even if we dont get to our final goal, I would much rather not quite reach the final goal working on such a potentially impactful project than doing something else thats less meaningful.</p> <p><em>This interview has been condensed and edited.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-11-19-Gates-Third-World-Toilet_12_08_15_0.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 14:04:40 +0000 sgupta 7460 at Tiny device from 勛圖惇蹋 startup helps blind and partially sighted people navigate daily life /news/tiny-device-u-t-startup-helps-blind-and-partially-sighted-people-navigate-daily-life <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Tiny device from 勛圖惇蹋 startup helps blind and partially sighted people navigate daily life </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-11-10T05:56:55-05:00" title="Tuesday, November 10, 2015 - 05:56" class="datetime">Tue, 11/10/2015 - 05:56</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The BuzzClip detects obstacles within the wearers immediate surroundings and provides intuitive vibrations at different frequencies depending on the distance to the object, says Bin Liu (all photos courtesy iMerciv)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/scott-mcauley" hreflang="en">Scott McAuley</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Scott McAuley</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startup" hreflang="en">Startup</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/india" hreflang="en">India</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/engineering" hreflang="en">Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/bbcie" hreflang="en">BBCIE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>There's a story behind the Buzzclip &nbsp;a clip-on device that detects obstacles in the path of blind and partially sighted people and uses vibration to alert them to obstructions ahead.</p> <p>And the&nbsp;story&nbsp;begins in India.</p> <p>That's where&nbsp;<strong>Arjun Mali </strong>spent years volunteering with his family at a blind school and orphanage.&nbsp;His late grandmother was one of the schools largest supporters and he spent a lot of time helping prepare and serve food to the children.&nbsp;</p> <p>I used to spend&nbsp;a lot of time with kids that were the same age as me. We would play games and I would teach them bits of English and read them English books, said Mali. They especially loved <em>Harry Potter</em>. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>The orphanage provides a safe and secure environment for the children to live and learn, Mali said, but the stigma associated with blindness and the everyday chaos of Indian city streets means that many of the children grow up without ever leaving the compound. When they reach the age where the opportunity of college and further education is available, many students do not participate because they fear travelling outside.</p> <p>Mali and longtime friend <strong>Bin Liu</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;a civil engineering&nbsp;grad&nbsp;from the University of Toronto with a minor in business&nbsp;&nbsp;channelled these experiences into a startup designed to make an important improvement in the lives of blind and partially sighted people.&nbsp;</p> <p>What really inspired this venture was meeting a 19-year-old student called Sunita who wanted to continue her education, Mali said. She would commute to a girls college about 35 minutes away from the orphanage and would constantly talk about her love of running.</p> <p>Everyday on her way back from school, she would try and find a place where she could safely run as fast as she could. It took her seven months to carefully find a route to a field that was big enough for her to run free. Thats when I decided that I had to do something, anything, even if it could make life a little bit better for her and many other incredible people like her.</p> <p>Through iMerciv, a company the two friends founded, they developed the BuzzClip: a small and discreet wearable device. &nbsp;</p> <p>The BuzzClip detects obstacles within the wearers immediate surroundings and provides intuitive vibrations at different frequencies depending on the distance to the object, said Liu. This allows the wearer to safely navigate around obstacles that might be missed by traditional aids.&nbsp;</p> <p>(Below, a six-foot-five user of the BuzzClip offers a&nbsp;video testimonial about how the device offers the kind of help a white cane cannot provide for someone who is tall.)</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JxMPE-SGsg?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></p> <p>Mali and Liu developed their company at Techno2014, an entrepreneurship training program hosted by the <a href="http://www.impactcentre.ca/">Impact Centre</a>, one of the University of Torontos nine campus-linked accelerators and part of 勛圖惇蹋s Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship.</p> <p>Every day, 勛圖惇蹋 entrepreneurs demonstrate the positive impact technology like the BuzzClip can have on peoples lives, said <strong>Karen Sievewright</strong>, director of the BBCIE. This social innovation addresses an important market need and Im looking forward to seeing them exhibit their product at the universitys accessibility showcase at the end of this month. &nbsp;</p> <p>Since graduating from the Techno program, Liu and Mali&nbsp;have continued to build their company and experiment with different product models.&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Interested in startups and entrepreneurship? Visit the BBCIE</a></h2> <p>Due to the social stigma attached with visual impairment, for those who are partially sighted, there are no solutions at all, said Liu. Many of these individuals tend to opt out of using a cane or guide dog as they do not want to stand out in public or be perceived as someone that needs help.</p> <p><img alt="photo of blind boy wearing a buzzclip on his shirt" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-09-buzzclip-boy-embed-sized.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 481px; margin: 10px; float: left;">Last December, Mali returned to the school, Janta Adarsh Andh Vidyala in New Delhi, to test the BuzzClip prototype.</p> <p>It was extremely rewarding to go back to the orphanage and see the reactions when we tested our early prototypes. The kids and older students were amazed that they could so easily find people, walls, tables, chairs and navigate around the building like they have never done before.&nbsp;</p> <p>There was a lot of emotion and excitement as well as many questions, the main one being:&nbsp;why didnt you bring this to us before?</p> <p>In addition to their work in India, Mali and Liu have been heavily involved in the local blind community. They regularly attend conferences as well as volunteer with organizations such as the Toronto Ice Owls, a hockey team for the visually impaired.</p> <p>To raise funds for the first production batch of the BuzzClip, iMerciv launched its first crowdfunding campaign this month. The company raised almost 25 per cent of its $50,000 goal after only one day and has continued on to raise more half the goal of their campaign, which ends on November 21.</p> <p>(<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-buzzclip-wearable-ultrasound-for-the-blind#/">Learn more about the crowdfunding campaign</a>.)</p> <p>Some of the perks available for supporters include obtaining a BuzzClip for themselves or providing one for a blind person&nbsp;in India.</p> <p>Our goal is to create a long-lasting impact for communities living with blindness or partial sight, empowering them to lead a confident and independent life, said Mali. With the support we receive through this campaign, we can make this goal a reality and change the lives of millions of people living with vision loss across the world.</p> <p><img alt="large group photo of kids at orphanage" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-09-blind-orphanage-sized-embed.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 241px; margin: 10px 30px;"></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-11-09-buzzclip-lead.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 10:56:55 +0000 sgupta 7425 at Solar-powered lamp from 勛圖惇蹋 to transform lives in Philippines /news/solar-powered-lamp-u-t-transform-lives-philippines <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Solar-powered lamp from 勛圖惇蹋 to transform lives in Philippines</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-11-05T01:52:50-05:00" title="Thursday, November 5, 2015 - 01:52" class="datetime">Thu, 11/05/2015 - 01:52</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(all photos by Neda Ghazi)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/terry-lavender" hreflang="en">Terry Lavender</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Terry Lavender</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/lighting" hreflang="en">Lighting</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/light" hreflang="en">Light</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/engineering" hreflang="en">Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/bbcie" hreflang="en">BBCIE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Cynthia Goh: A poor fisherman or farmer whos been working all day does not want to have to keep pumping a flashlight in order to light his house.</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Thanks to 勛圖惇蹋s <a href="http://www.impactcentre.ca/about-us">Impact Centre</a>, people in rural parts of the Philippines may soon get access to something that the western world takes for granted: being able to walk into a dark room, flick a switch and get instant light.</p> <p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Cynthia Goh</strong>, the Centres director, said rural areas of the Philippines, along with other regions of the global south, rarely have access to electricity.</p> <p>The Philippines are close to the equator, so it goes from very bright to very dark within a few minutes, Goh said.&nbsp;The sun goes down at 6 p.m. sharp and rises at 6 a.m. every day, which means for 12 whole hours, inhabitants are not able to study, do housework, or be productive.</p> <p>To celebrate the <a href="http://www.light2015.org/Home.html">2015 International Year of Light</a>, the Impact Centre part of <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">勛圖惇蹋's Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;set itself a goal to create a reliable, low-cost light that provides at least four hours of light a day.</p> <p>We want it to be bright enough and a good enough quality so that a child can read and a mother can cook, Goh said.</p> <p><img alt="photo of person turning on a light by pulling a string" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-03-light-impact-turn-on.jpg" style="width: 275px; height: 413px; margin: 10px; float: right;">The light also had to be easy to use, she said. Many lighting solutions designed for developing countries require winding up or pumping, or only provide inadequate, short-term light, she said.</p> <p>A poor fisherman or farmer whos been working all day does not want to have to keep pumping a flashlight in order to light his house. Just because people are poor, doesnt mean that they should be subject to inconveniences.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Impact Centre's lighting solution is a&nbsp;great example of the kind of social entrepreneurship that flourishes at 勛圖惇蹋,&nbsp;said <strong>Karen Sievewright</strong>, director of 勛圖惇蹋's <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a>.</p> <p>The breadth and depth of research coupled with a wide range of support at the university allows our entrepreneurs to bring better, smarter and more sustainable lighting to the world.&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/social-entrepreneurship-explained">Read more about social entrepreneurship</a></h2> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/lighting">Read more about lighting innovations from 勛圖惇蹋</a></h2> <p>Goh and her Impact Centre colleagues unveiled their solution at an <a href="http://www.impactcentre.ca/light2015">International Year of Light symposium on Oct.&nbsp;29 at 勛圖惇蹋</a>: a ceiling-mounted solar-powered lamp that incorporates 16 LEDs and provides 500 lumens of light for four hours, or dimmer light for a longer period of time.</p> <p>The lamp, which can be turned on just by touching a cord, was developed over the summer by a team of Impact Centre engineers. It is expected to cost about $24, which can be paid by instalments. The lithium ion battery will last about a year and will cost about $12.</p> <p>The actual lamps will be assembled, distributed and sold by small businesses in the Philippines. Four lamps will be installed as a pilot test in December 2015.</p> <p>Well get feedback from them and then scale up to 200 in January next year, Goh explained. &nbsp;Wed like to check out whether the business model weve come up with actually works. We want to show that we can have something of good quality and still bring it out to the market at a price that people find accessible.</p> <p>Eventually wed like a sustainable model that can be deployed or adapted elsewhere in the world, she said.</p> <h2><a href="http://www.impactcentre.ca/light2015">Read more about the International Year of Light</a></h2> <p><img alt="photo of overhead light not turned on" src="/sites/default/files/2015-11-03-light-off.jpg" style="width: 625px; height: 417px; margin: 10px 25px;"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-11-03-light-impact.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 05 Nov 2015 06:52:50 +0000 sgupta 7406 at The science of social impact: 勛圖惇蹋 startup, Pueblo Science, earns official charitable status /news/science-social-impact-u-t-startup-pueblo-science-earns-official-charitable-status <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The science of social impact: 勛圖惇蹋 startup, Pueblo Science, earns official charitable status </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-03-06T04:28:32-05:00" title="Friday, March 6, 2015 - 04:28" class="datetime">Fri, 03/06/2015 - 04:28</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo courtesy Pueblo Science)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/scott-mcauley" hreflang="en">Scott McAuley</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Scott McAuley and Brianna Goldberg</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Science literacy startup celebrates five years with food science gala on March 19</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>From the streets of Toronto to the classrooms of the Southeast Asia, <strong>Mayrose Salvador</strong>s startup Pueblo Science puts knowledge in the hands of those who need it most: kids.</em></p> <div><em>The startup works in Canada and abroad to inspire and develop young scientists through interactive workshops, camps and events such as&nbsp;<a href="http://puebloscience.org/events/science-on-ice/">Science on Ice,</a>&nbsp;where experiments take place during university hockey half-time breaks.&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://puebloscience.org/">(Read more about Pueblo Science)</a></em></div> <p><em>It all began five years ago when&nbsp;Salvador <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/changing-way-kids-and-teachers-think-about-science">co-founded Pueblo Science</a> with Professor <strong>Cynthia Goh</strong>. The startup developed through the&nbsp;Impact Centre, one of 勛圖惇蹋s entrepreneurship hubs now accepting applications for its summer program. <a href="http://www.impactcentre.utoronto.ca/">(Read more about the Impact Centre)</a></em></p> <p><em><a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">(Read more about entrepreneurship support&nbsp;at the University of Toronto)</a></em></p> <div><em>The venture received official charitable status this year, which the Pueblo Science team&nbsp;will celebrate with a gala on March 19. The event is themed around the Science of Food and Salvador says its set to feature molecular gastronomy sampling, a mixology show, science tricks and live performances. <a href="http://puebloscience.org/events/gala2015/">(Read more about the gala)</a></em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><em>Below, Salvador reflects&nbsp;on her experience&nbsp;bringing science to society through a&nbsp;socially-driven startup:</em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>How has Pueblo Science grown since you started out?</strong><br> Its been an amazing journey. When we first began our work in 2011, we only had a handful of members and five brave volunteers signed up to train 100 teachers in the Philippines. Now we have over 250 volunteers in Canada and overseas, and our team of 20 instructors is gearing up to train 1,000 teachers in the Philippines and Thailand this spring.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This year, we celebrate our fifth anniversary. We are now a registered charity. Our training programs have expanded not only within the Philippines but also to countries like Bolivia, India&nbsp;and Thailand. In the Philippines, our programs have become very popular with teachers and are now supported by the federal Department of Education and the Department of Science and Technology. In Ontario, we have developed multiple partnerships with universities, community centers, libraries, and various other organizations to deliver monthly programs for students, parents&nbsp;and the general public.</div> <div><br> <strong>What are you most proud of in the work and projects Pueblo Science has achieved?</strong><br> I am very proud of the impact we are making in childrens lives in Canada and internationally. The very positive feedback from the teachers, the laughter and enlightenment that we see in students faces after they attend our programs makes our members and volunteers incredibly proud to do this work.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Some of these experiences are actually revealing a whole new set of possibilities to some children, and that can have a fundamental impact on how they see the world around them and what they pursue as a career in the future. Giving kids the long-lasting desire to be curious about the everyday and training educators how to create simple activities for their own classroom, that is very gratifying.</div> <div><br> <strong>Whats surprised you on your journey developing Pueblo Science?</strong><br> I knew when we started that I would have to learn many things to direct a charitable organization. But after five years, I am still amazed at how much more work is needed behind-the-scenes, beyond delivering our programs to kids and teachers. At the same time, I am also humbled by the generosity of the many people who have helped us over the years. They are very much willing to put in expertise, hours, and resources to help us along the way and I am so grateful to all of them for their unconditional support.</div> <div><br> <strong>How did 勛圖惇蹋 help you in developing your startup?</strong><br> The <a href="http://www.impactcentre.utoronto.ca/">Impact Centre</a> at 勛圖惇蹋 gave me the foundational knowledge to start Pueblo through their entrepreneurship training programs and, to this day, their staff is still essential to our existence. The Impact Centre is our main source of advice, connections&nbsp;and much-needed resources when needed.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>We also recruit many of our talented volunteers from 勛圖惇蹋. Many departments have supported us by allowing us to use space for our activities. Our <em>Science on Ice</em> program with the 勛圖惇蹋 Varsity arena helped us connect with other Ontario universities. Collectively, these collaborations benefit over 10,000 kids every year in the province.<br> <br> <strong>What are your hopes for Pueblo Science in the next while?</strong><br> We hope to build our donor base and raise sufficient funds to deliver our programs this year as we envisioned it. An important part of this fundraising effort is our upcoming gala on March 19 (<a href="http://puebloscience.org/events/gala2015" target="_blank">http://puebloscience.org/events/gala2015</a>). This is a program that will definitely stimulate all five senses!<br> <br> In the next few years, we would like to expand our programs to other countries that need our help. For this to happen, we need to attract volunteers and directors with the right skills to help or guide us in making the organization efficient and sustainable and support us in our vision to bring that "science spark" to places that need it most.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-03-05-puebloscience.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 06 Mar 2015 09:28:32 +0000 sgupta 6851 at Designing cleaner, safer ways to cook in South India /news/designing-cleaner-safer-ways-cook-south-india <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Designing cleaner, safer ways to cook in South India </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-07-10T08:16:20-04:00" title="Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 08:16" class="datetime">Thu, 07/10/2014 - 08:16</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A stove tester at the Pratki lab (photo courtesy Pratki Design)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jessica-lewis" hreflang="en">Jessica Lewis</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Jessica Lewis</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Social Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/india" hreflang="en">India</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/environment" hreflang="en">Environment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">勛圖惇蹋 students and faculty work together to reduce fuel consumption, indoor air pollution</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>How do you design a stove that is cleaner and more energy-efficient than an open fire or rudimentary appliance, but inexpensive enough that even those with low incomes can use it?</p> <p>How do you convince people who have been using a particular kind of stove or cooking practice for generations to adopt something new?</p> <p>Thats what a team of students and professors from across the University of Toronto went to South India to discover.</p> <p>According to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, nearly three billion people are using solid fuels for cooking, says the teams lead, <strong>Mimi Liu</strong>. Exposure to smoke from traditional cooking practices causes four million premature deaths per year, and women and children are the most affected. Household fuel combustion also contributes to climate change, poor households often spend a significant portion of their income on cooking fuel, and women and girls can spend many hours collecting fuel and cooking.</p> <p>Prakti Design, an award-winning social enterprise based in South India, is trying to do something about it. Theyve developed a line of household and institutional clean cook stoves that lessen fuel consumption by up to 80 per cent, reduce indoor air pollution by up to 100 per cent and cut down cooking time by up to 70 per cent compared to traditional three-stone fires by using biomass fuels from wood, charcoal and briquettes.</p> <p>Reducing emissions in the home can improve respiratory health outcomes, especially for young children, says <strong>Hayden Rodenkirchen</strong>, an international relations student. For families or institutions that have to buy wood, the fuel-efficiency of these stoves can save them money over time. For those who have to gather wood, the fuel-efficiency means fewer trips into the woods and lighter loads to carry.</p> <p>Prakti invited 勛圖惇蹋s Global Innovation Group a network of professors interested in poverty and innovation in developing countries to help research and address challenges related to clean cook stove technology, distribution and adoption. <strong>Joseph Wong</strong>, political science professor, Canada Research Chair in Health and Development and Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation, curated the 勛圖惇蹋 researcher team, which included <strong>Stanley Zlotkin</strong>, a nutritional sciences and pediatrics professor and chief of Global Child Health at Sick Kids Hospital; <strong>Yu-Ling Cheng</strong>, a chemical engineering professor; and<strong> Poornima Vinoo</strong>, a research assistant at the Rotman School of Management.</p> <p>The trip and student research team were brought together by Liu, an undergraduate student in economics and peace, conflict and justice. Liu first encountered Prakti last year during a study abroad exchange when she worked on partnerships and fundraising for the social enterprise. In addition to Liu and Rodenkirchen, the student team included <strong>Kay Dyson Tam</strong> of psychology and peace, conflict and justice; <strong>Seemi Qaiser </strong>of global health studies and <strong>Tameka Deare</strong> of the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/2014-07-09-india-team.jpg" style="width: 620px; height: 340px; margin: 10px;"></p> <p>For months before the trip to India, the student team gathered secondary research, conducted phone interviews with experts, wrote briefings and made presentations on clean cook stove technologies, distribution models, adoption patterns and impacts. The group then travelled to Chennai, Puducherry, and Auroville in South India for about a week in March 2014. While there, the students conducted interviews with diverse stakeholders including users, designers, manufacturers, distributors, funders and researchers.</p> <p>One memorable series of interviews involved speaking with women in their homes in villages near Puducherry. One of the students asked about the womens experiences with wood collection, a task that occupies many women in rural areas of India for many hours a week.</p> <p>They all erupted and started shouting, says Rodenkirchen. All that our translator could say was they really, really hate it!</p> <p>Women also recommended larger openings in the stoves, so they wouldnt have to chop wood into such small pieces, says Liu. Clean cook stoves need to be designed iteratively with more input from end-users and sustained testing in homes.</p> <p>The group found that clean cook stoves have the greatest potential to provide cleaner cooking solutions for households in low-to-mid-range incomes. Their findings are published on the <a href="http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ai/feature/university-of-toronto-research-delegation-travels-to-south-india-to-explore-clean-cook-stove-design-marketing-and-adoption/">Asian Institute website</a>.</p> <p>Wong is thrilled to have been able to give the students a global experience.</p> <p>The students are able to recognize that they can, in fact, make a difference, he says. There are careers to be made out of social innovations like this.</p> <p>Qaiser agrees. I wanted a chance to apply my skills and learn to evaluate a health intervention in a real-world context and I got to do just that. It was incredible.</p> <p>The students research was supported by the Deans International Initiatives Fund in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science a new A&amp;S program in which undergraduate students apply for funding for innovative international experience as well as the Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs and the Centre for Global Engineering.</p> <p><em>Jessica Lewis is a writer with the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science at the University of Toronto.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-07-09-cook-stoves.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 10 Jul 2014 12:16:20 +0000 sgupta 6345 at