Nine teams made up completely or partially of HEC Montréal students or graduates walked off with one or more prizes at the awards ceremony for the 2005 Centre d'entrepreneurship HEC-Poly-U de M Contest, on November 24, at HEC Montréal.
The contest, held in association with a number of public- and private-sector organizations, is intended to encourage students or young graduates from the three institutions to carry out business plans, and acts as a real springboard for their companies. This year, the Centre and its partners awarded $75,000 to 14 businesses.
Since the first edition of the contest was held in 1997, 46 winning firms have included HEC Montréal students. These teams have come away with prizes worth $237,000.
The following are the winning companies in 2005 run partially or completely by HEC Montréal students or graduates.
Bois Rond Rustik Log Homes
Nicolas Bergeron, holding a Certificate in entrepreneurship and a HEC Montréal student (BBA).
This construction company makes pre-fabricated log homes.
Prizes:
$3,000 from Bell Canada
$2,000 from Canada Economic Development
$1,000 from BMO
$1,000 from HEC Montréal
$500 from the Centre d’entrepreneurship HEC-Poly-U de M
Optipak Pharma
Patrice Simard, Université de Montréal graduate (BSc in pharmacy and MSc in pharmaceutical practice in a health institution) and HEC Montréal graduate (MBA), Richard Sefler, Polytechnique Montréal graduate (BSc in industrial engineering) and HEC Montréal student (MBA), and Alexandre Paré, Concordia University graduate (BSc in computer science) and HEC Montréal graduate (MBA).
Their company offers technical pill-organizer filling services, to optimize operational systems in the pharmaceutical industry.
Prizes:
$2,500 from the Friends of Polytechnique
$2,000 from Bell Canada
$500 from Univalor
Enervision
Jude Baillargeon, Jocelyn Brière, Eskandar Eghtedari and Michel Olivier, HEC Montréal students (Certificate in business management), Sylvio Brière, HEC Montréal graduate (BBA), and Thierry Patenaude-Turcotte, HEC Montréal student (BMgmt).
This firm offers expertise in turn-key conversion of heating systems to vegetable oil.
Prizes:
$2,500 from Odotech
$1,500 from Canada Economic Development
$1,000 from Friends of Polytechnique
Axe Système
Geneviève Morin, Université de Montréal graduate (BSc and Certificate in health and social services management) and HEC Montréal graduate (Certificate in information technology), and Jean-François Cloutier , Université Laval graduate (BSc in computer engineering).
Their firm designs turn-key integrated intelligent management systems for the Quebec healthcare sector.
Prizes:
$2,500 from Bell Canada
$2,000 from Canada Economic Development
Peinture Avantage
Louis Lachapelle, HEC Montréal student (BBA).
This company offers specialized services for diagnosing problems with indoor and outdoor painted surfaces.
Prizes:
$2,000 from Bell Canada
$1,000 from BMO
K.C. Entertainment
Karine Chapdelaine, McGill University graduate (BMus) and HEC Montréal student (Graduate Diploma in management of cultural organizations).
Her company offers professional musicians of any style for home or corporate events.
Prizes:
$2,000 from Bell Canada
$1,000 from Canada Economic Development
Butler’s Club
Jean-Hughes Coudry, HEC Montréal student (BBA).
This company offers personalized high-end personal assistant services for business executives and young professionals.
Prize:
$3,000 from the Fondation du maire de Montréal pour la jeunesse
Les branches décoratives Inc.
Philippe Degeorges, a graduate of the Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Lille (university degree in technology), and HEC Montréal student (Certificate in business management).
His firm makes a variety of decorative items from grey birch, a species unique to the Laurentian forest.
Prizes:
$1,500 from Bell Canada
$1,000 from Canada Economic Development
Tchoukball
Nicolas Brisebois, Université de Montréal graduate (BEd in teaching of physical educational and health), and Marianne Melanson, Université de Montréal graduate (BSc in physiotherapy) and HEC Montréal graduate (Graduate Diploma in management).
This firm created a regional tchoukball league structure for elementary and secondary schools in Quebec, and sells equipment for playing this sport. Tchoukball, invented in 1971 by sports doctor Hermann Brandt, is a team sport combining Basque pelote with handball. Above all, it is a non-violent sport that teaches players educational values aside from the purely sports aspects.
Prize:
$2,000 from Canada Economic Development
