Student-led companies offering solutions to health-care problems topped the ninth annual Mel Woodward Cup last night.

 

Kierep Enterprise, founded by Samuel Adeniyi, won the top prize of $25,000 for his job search app that helps assess certifications for personal care workers and speed up the hiring process for care agencies.

 

The Mel Woodward Cup is a startup pitch competition for Memorial University students.

 

It was created through a 2017 donation to the Faculty of Business Administration from the family of the late Dr. Mel Woodward, founder of the Woodward Group of Companies. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency also provides support for the competition.

 

Mr. Adeniyi is an international student from Nigeria in his final semester of the Master of Environmental Science (Co-operative Education) Program at Memorial University.

 

He was inspired to create Kierep after working as a personal care worker and hearing from clients about the importance of the work. He recognized a need for greater efficiency in hiring processes so clients can get the help they need more quickly.

 

He says he will use his winnings to leverage other funding sources to support planned expansion to Halifax, Toronto and eventually the U.S.

 

“I’m grateful to the Mel Woodward family for their generous support,” he said. “It greatly helps students on their entrepreneurial journey.”

 

NutraForge, a nutrition intelligence and optimization platform for health practitioners and their clients, is the $15,000 runner-up.  

 

It’s co-founded by Garreth Kippenhuck, a PhD student in the Faculty of Medicine, and Jager Cooper, a master’s student in computer science in the Faculty of Science.

 

Mr. Kippenhuck is from Charlottetown, Labrador, and Mr. Cooper is from Hodge’s Cove, N.L.

 

They were inspired to create the company after it took Mr. Kippenhuck more than a year to determine an appropriate diet to manage his Crohn’s disease.

 

NutraForge was created in January 2024 and launched in app stores last week. The company is already generating revenue.

 

“We’re incredibly thankful to be the runner-up,” said Mr. Kippenhuck. “We gain far more insight beyond what the money can provide. The feedback alone is paramount to future business directives.”

 

The top two teams also receive a variety of in-kind prizes from Altitude Media, Atlantic IP Advantage, Gardiner Centre, Genesis, KPMG, Perfect Day and techNL.

 

The other companies making the top five finalists are listed below.

 

• Myovine uses sensors and an app to track muscle activation remotely, improving physiotherapy compliance through data-driven progress tracking and feedback (CEO Anna Behm and developers Prince Authoy Singha, Jubaira Abedin Ayeshe and Alan Kochukalam George, all Memorial engineering students)
• Notable is an AI agent that records, summarizes and extracts action items from meetings, helping teams and professionals stay organized and execute tasks (CEO Lumi Oyelowo, a Memorial business student; co-founder Samuel Ayomide Adeoye, Memorial a computer science graduate; and chief marketer Chidinma Okpalaeke, a Memorial political science student)
• Storelx Inc. is an online marketplace that connects people with extra space to those who need storage space (co-founder/CEO Selim Fahmy, a Memorial business student, and co-founder/CTO Nour ElDeen Fahmy, a Memorial science student)

 

 

 

Two additional awards valued at $2,500 each were also presented.

 

Myovine won the Fry Family Foundation Entrepreneurship Award for Women or Non-binary Leadership.

 

BracedMind Wellness took home the Fry Family Foundation Entrepreneurship Award for an Early-stage Idea. The semi-finalist company founded by Oyedolapo Oyesiji, a graduate student at the Marine Institute, offers an AI-powered journal that transforms digital distractions into self-growth.

 

The competition received 47 applicants from 30 companies, of which 33 per cent were female students.

 

Eight faculties across three campuses were represented.

 

“Diversity in entrepreneurship is an important priority for the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship, and we’re very pleased to see the impact our strategies and collaborations have had on the students we serve,” said Amy Burridge, the centre’s interim director.

 

“The Mel Woodward Cup is a springboard for all of the companies who applied, and we’re thrilled to be in our ninth year and getting stronger and more impactful every year.”

 

The Mel Woodward Cup was held on March 19 at the Emera Innovation Exchange, Signal Hill Campus.

 

The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship, based at the St. John’s campus, aims to inspire and support aspiring entrepreneurs at Memorial by offering foundational training, guidance and access to funding and connections to create high-growth businesses.

It’s supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador through the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, and private donors.

-30-

For more information, please contact Susan White, communications advisor, Faculty of Business Administration, at (709) 689-7988 or susanwhite@mun.ca.