茄子直播

Startups focused on wellness, education take home top prizes at 茄子直播 Pride Pitch event

Kyle Wang and Zi Yang
PhD candidates Kyle Wang聽(left) and聽Zi Yang (right) co-founded Archipelago Genomics, which uses genetic information to design customized wellness programs for clients (photos courtesy of Kyle Wang and Zi Yang)

Startups focused on delivering innovations in achieving wellness and education design and delivery scored top prizes at the University of Toronto鈥檚 recent .

Organized by 茄子直播 Mississauga鈥檚 ICUBE social entrepreneurship hub, the second annual business pitch event on June 16 and provided an opportunity for 2SLGBTQ+ students and recent alumni from all three 茄子直播 campuses to showcase their startup ventures to a panel of judges.

The grand prize of $3,000 went to Archipelago Genomics, a service that helps users leverage their unique genetic makeup to live a more healthful lifestyle. Co-founders Kyle Wang and Zi Yang, both PhD candidates in molecular genetics, launched the company after they spotted an untapped opportunity to use genetic science to help people optimize their fitness, nutrition and skincare routines.

鈥淲e understood that genetics goes beyond just health care 鈥 it impacts us in our everyday life: the way we eat, exercise, take care of our skin,鈥 says Wang, a former personal trainer. 鈥淲e want to enable people to act on their genetic information in a professionally guided, science-based way.鈥

Using a DNA-testing kit, users submit a saliva sample and receive a free genetic report revealing various pertinent data points. These include one鈥檚 propensity for muscle-building and fat-burning, insulin resistance, risk of sustaining and recovering from an injury, food sensitivities, collagen production and vulnerability to sunburns.

Archipelago customers are also given the option to purchase one of several 鈥渂lueprints,鈥 which include two- to 12-week genetically customized training programs supported by one of Archipelago鈥檚 vetted fitness trainers or health coach partners. Whether the goal is to gain muscle, lose fat, build mobility or endurance, rehabilitate an injury or get back into shape after giving birth, the founders say the service caters to a wide range of lifestyle and fitness objectives and circumstances.

Wang and Yang developed their business model with the support of 茄子直播鈥檚 Health Innovation Hub, or H2i, . Wang says the Pride Pitch event further validated their current beta version of Archipelago and provided the startup with added momentum to officially launch by year鈥檚 end.

鈥淧ride Pitch affirms that the LGBTQ community can innovate, start successful businesses and lead by example, so it was significant for us to experience and to discover the ideas coming out of the community,鈥 Wang says. 鈥淭he feedback was priceless and has helped us evolve the business more strategically.鈥

A graduate from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Maya Saggar launched an educational consulting business after realizing teachers needed help shifting their work online during the pandemic (photo courtesy of Maya Saggar)

Maya Saggar鈥檚 focus, meanwhile, is in the connected spheres of teaching, program creation and curriculum development. Her business 鈥 Maya Saggar Consulting 鈥 won the second-place prize of $2,000 and the People鈥檚 Choice Award.

A 2020 master of education graduate from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Saggar has worked in various teaching and curriculum design roles since 2015 and has fresh ideas for helping educators and entrepreneurs create thoughtfully designed learning experiences. She says her professional insights partly stem from the five years she spent as a self-employed dance instructor 鈥 and, later, business owner 鈥 working with K-8 schools in Mississauga.

鈥淚 found that I loved developing the programs, the planning and organizing the resources 鈥 that all got me excited,鈥 Saggar recalls. 鈥淭hen I transitioned it into a business and hired others to teach the classes, and was able to expand to different schools.鈥

She says her current entrepreneurial endeavour was sparked by the pandemic after teacher friends sought her help when they were forced to make the shift online. She realized the market was ripe for independent educational consultants who could work with individual instructors, schools and small businesses. She says presenting at Pride Pitch confirmed her insight: 鈥淭he feedback was that I鈥檓 in the right space at the right time, and there is a need for this service.鈥

After building up a client base over several months and fine-tuning her approach, Saggar formally launched her business in March. She developed a website and Instagram channel, and has recruited eight co-op students to help her grow the business. Along the way, she received guidance from ICUBE training sessions and mentors.

鈥淭his work is a creative outlet for me,鈥 says Saggar, who is currently pursuing her PhD in education. 鈥淚 love the designing and the planning. I get to work in my zone of genius, and pass things off to instructors and let them carry out their genius.鈥

UTM