Éric Nelson says there’s something in the air these days at uOttawa regarding entrepreneurship.
“You see it in the numbers, but also the attitude of students towards entrepreneurship,” explains the Telfer School of Management Professor. “We’re seeing a change in how students view their professional future. There’s a growing understanding that the job market isn’t the way it used to be, and students are very attuned to this.”
That’s one reason why uOttawa’s Desjardins Elevator Pitch Competition has seen more uptake among students across a variety of departments—from business, to law, engineering, and the social sciences—each year of its five-year history.
The competition, which assembled uOttawa’s sharpest young entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a distinguished panel of judges, including uOttawa staff, Telfer alumnus, and Desjardins representatives, was held this past Nov. 12.
A ‘core event’ on the Telfer School’s calendar

Nelson says participation in this year’s competition among students grew nearly 30 percent year-over-year, reflecting the wide variety of experience among applying students and the overall maturity of their businesses.
“Teams applying for the Traction category have usually gone through at least one or two other pitch competitions,” he says. “Those in the Validation category have generally had contact with the market or clientele in some way, or might just be at the prototype phase. And those in the Idea category might not have previous experience.”
The competition features three entry categories: Idea, Validation, and Traction, with three finalists emerging in each category. There’s also a People’s Choice prize awarded to a fourth company. Entrants for each level are at different levels of business maturity:
- The Idea category (first place: A Postnatal Retreat) is for new, relatively raw ideas that need to be developed.
- The Validation category (first place: Green Veil Packaging, formerly Ecolantern) is for ideas that have been developed that need product and customer validation.
- The Traction category (first place: Steampunk Education) is for companies who already have a solid foot in the market or are ready for launch, and need some extra funding.
- The People’s Choice category (winner: Fastfind.ai), voted on by competition attendees.
Ali Maleki, a PhD candidate at uOttawa and the brains behind Green Veil Packaging—the Validation category winner, and a developer of eco-friendly and antimicrobial packaging to keep food fresh—says one of the biggest benefits was the advice and encouragement he received.
“It was like an ignition for the company,” says Maleki, who was initially going to wait to finish his schooling before getting serious with the company until judges and others advised him to jump on his idea right away.
“After hearing my idea, they really encouraged me to get more serious and move beyond the initial stages. I received support, mentorship, and encouragement from people that guided me in the right direction. And now I would say we’re on the right path.”
Green Veil Packaging is now in the process of obtaining regulatory approval from Health Canada.
Nelson says most entrants are technology-related businesses. Businesses in the Idea category generally require operating money to run initial market studies or customer validation activities, while Validation businesses often need regulatory and legal advice. Traction companies generally need a cash infusion to help with product launches and marketing campaigns.
Growing uOttawa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
The Desjardins Elevator Pitch Competition is a significant part of Entrepreneurship Month at uOttawa and the school’s overall entrepreneurial ecosystem, which aims to foster collaboration among different faculties and promote an entrepreneurial mindset among students.
Coordinated primarily by uOttawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub (eHub), the university’s focus on developing entrepreneurial skills among students features several other programs and competitions, including:
- Simon Nehme Summer Entrepreneurship School
- MakerLaunch Startup Accelerator
- Startup Garage
- Match-Up
- Engineering Pitch Competition
- The Entrepreneurs’ Club
- Ideas Lab
- Solutions Lab
Maleki says the eHub has proven invaluable to him and other students who need advice, other resources, or plain old inspiration from entrepreneurs uOttawa regularly makes available to speak to students.
It’s all part of uOttawa’s focus on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among students. Such a mindset enables students to identify opportunities when others see obstacles while encouraging initiative, persistence, and flexibility—all critical for success in today’s competitive landscape.
A helping hand for entrepreneurs
The competition is primarily sponsored by Desjardins, a cooperative financial group with deep roots in the Canadian entrepreneurial community. In addition to running a business incubator and accelerator, the organization focuses on giving its 400,000 business members support that goes beyond traditional financing, like mentoring and legal services. They also maintain partnerships and sponsor pitch competitions at other institutions, including the University of Toronto.
“We want to reach entrepreneurs at every stage of their evolution. It’s essential to support young people with big ideas throughout their entrepreneurial journey. uOttawa is providing an important platform here because they’re fostering new ideas—and encouraging concepts that already have traction in the market. Support for the Canadian entrepreneurial community doesn’t stop at funding. Collectively, we need to create an ecosystem that incorporates financial advice, mentorship and the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next,” said Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins.
The cooperative funds upwards of $20,000 in total prizes for competition winners, including $1,000 for first place in the Idea category, $3,000 for the Validation category, and three prizes for the Traction category (from $10,000 for first place to $1,000 for third place). The Peoples’ Choice winner receives $2,000.
All of the winners also receive professional guidance and advice courtesy of in-kind sponsorships from local businesses and other competition stakeholders.