St. Paul’s GreenHouse alumna Renishaki Kamal (BA ‘14) won $25,000 for her venture, Fidget, winning second prize at the Communitech Women Entrepreneurs Bootcamp pitch competition this month, while alumna Rachel Thompson (BSc ’15) received $2,500 for her venture, Marlena Books, from SoJo’s recent #SOCENT Idea Bootcamp.
Kamal’s venture develops tools for children with autism, but the businesses Kamal competed against were from a variety of sectors, including travel, construction, and financials. There were a total of eight contenders for the $100,000 prize money, chosen to compete from across the country – coming in second place was a significant accomplishment.
Kamal, second from right, with her 'cheque'
The SoJo Bootcamp had a total of $5,000 to award, and was a six-week training program for aspiring social entrepreneurs that used a blended learning approach, combining in-person programming with online learning. Thompson’s Marlena Books, which provides reading materials for adults with dementia, was one of two winners of the pitch competition – also a big achievement.
Thompson, second from the right, holds up her certificate
“We are very proud of both Renish and Rachel’s recent accomplishments as they pursue their social ventures full-time, said Tania Del Matto, Director of St. Paul’s GreenHouse. “To know that they got their initial start with GreenHouse is a source of inspiration for our current GreenHouse innovators.”