Okanagan College takes home silver at business competition

Four Okanagan College students earned silver medals at one of B.C.’s most prestigious tourism case competitions in Victoria over the weekend.

The team, made up of Adrian Lemiski, Brooks Hewko, Merissa Hucul and Nick Gallant, earned a spot on the podium at The Winning Pitch competition with an Okanagan-inspired business idea.

Lots of support from @BCTourismConf delegates at The Winning Pitch! First up, Pioneer Adventure Co. @OkanaganCollege #BCTIC pic.twitter.com/O374X0VHfx

— go2HR (@go2HR) February 22, 2017

“We were thrilled that our idea resonated with the judges,” Hucul said. “The process of developing our pitch, refining it, and preparing for the competition involves months of hard work.”

“From start to finish it’s been an incredible learning experience, and it’s still going,” she continued.”

The four students are coached by Okanagan College School of Business professors, Blair Baldwin and Laura Thurneer.

The Winning Pitch challenges post-secondary students to propose concepts for new B.C. based ventures.

The Okanagan College team won silver for their proposal for “Pioneer Adventure Company,” which is a premium cycle tour based out of the South Okanagan.

Their idea will likely turn into more than just a silver medal as coach Baldwin was contacted by a potential investor shortly after the competition.

“These students put in an extraordinary effort, investing countless hours of their own time on top of their course loads to develop this pitch,” said Baldwin. “So it’s exciting, but not entirely surprising, that the business community is recognizing the value in what they are proposing.”

The team from Okanagan College was one of the three finalist that made it to the Victoria stage of the competition.

Royal Roads ended up on top of the podium, while BCIT won the bronze.