Lakehead U's Shad Students Win Major Award

(Thunder Bay - November 1, 2005) The Shad Valley Team Lakehead 2005 won the best Business Plan award at the RBC Shad Cup Competition.

The RBC/Shad Entrepreneurship Cup is a team-based entrepreneurship competition designed to showcase entrepreneurship, science, and technology in a format for young adults. Teams of Shad students (high school level) who have won Shad regional entrepreneurship competitions, are invited to fine-tune their prototypes and business plans with the help of mentors from both business and technological fields.

Students have five weeks following the completion of the Shad Valley program to upgrade their prototypes using their mentors, fellow Shads, Shad alumni, and any entrepreneurial contacts. Using their original ideas, students develop and submit working prototypes, complete business plans, prepare a marketing/promotional piece and design websites for their creations.

The Lakehead Shads created Validus Enterprises. Their website, www.validusenterprises.com, states: "Validus Enterprises was founded to address and capitalize on the need for common cold remedies. Existing products pose inconveniences to the consumers because they have to be taken internally or applied directly to the skin. The Evaroma is a thin pad that is inserted between the pillow and the pillow case. It contains a gel that consists of all-natural essential oils encased in permeable plastic. Essential oil vapours diffuse through the pillow case and are inhaled by the consumer. This promotes nasal decongestion, allowing the customer to enjoy a deep, relaxed sleep."

"We are very proud of our Shads," says Sultan Siddiqui, Lakehead's Shad Valley Program Director and Engineering Faculty member. "The students showed innovation, dedication, and a level of professionalism that proves they will go far in their careers and in life."

The Lakehead Shad's also came in third in the best overall category. This year's Shad theme was Health & Wellness. All projects were judged in prototype design and construction; business plan creation; application of scientific principles; marketing plan and promotional materials; and website creation. There were 11 universities taking part in Shad Valley 2005.

For more information, contact Dr. Siddiqui on his cell phone at 252-2162.

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Media Contact: Marla Tomlinson, Office of Communications, 807-343-8177 or 807-472-9113.