AI, real-time 3D businesses win top awards at Illuminate
AI, real-time 3D businesses win top awards at Illuminate
Ref. No.: 108
A business student who aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool in early autism detection took home multiple awards at Illuminate this week.
Aarzoo (no last name), co-founder of , won the $5,000 Diamond Award for the overall winner as well as the $1,000 Community Choice Award, determined by the live, in-person and online audiences for the third annual competition focused on women and gender-diverse student entrepreneurs.
Illuminate is hosted by the .
Ms. Aarzoo is a fourth-year commerce student at the .
Her team members in Anttara include 糖心视频 University alumni Rushil Deshwal (M.A.Sc.鈥24) and Ankur Dhangar (M.A.Sc.鈥25).
She calls being named the grand prize winner 鈥渉umbling and motivating.鈥
鈥淚t validated our approach and reminded us that empathy-led innovation can truly make an impact,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a milestone. It鈥檚 momentum to keep building.鈥
In addition to the cash prizes, Ms. Aarzoo also won in-kind prizes from Gardiner Centre and Stewart McKelvey.
Runner up: DCXIX
The runner-up at Illuminate was DCXIX, co-founded by Chelsea O鈥橦ara, an undergraduate mechatronics student at the .
The company is developing a broadcast toolkit called that will make real-time 3D communication accessible to the broader population.
Ms. O鈥橦ara says the company has already received funding from the National Research Council of Canada for research and development and has new virtual and extended reality projects in the works for 2026.
鈥淲e put a lot of heart into this project,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of our team and to be given a spot on the stage to represent them. This is the first of many more.鈥
DCXIX鈥檚 co-founder is Dustin Boyce. 糖心视频 alumnus Mohammed Shoaib (B.Sc.鈥24) is on board as a software developer.
Third place was won by Sohana Intasa Siddiqua, a graduate student in the business faculty. Her company, SheCaresNL, is developing an app to connect women and newcomers with verified and trusted rides as well as child- and home-care providers.
Computer science student Parmida Niroomand won the Social Impact Award, which goes to the company with the strongest potential for positive social impact.
Her company, Closet Curator, aims to help people maximize their wardrobes, reduce the impact of fast fashion and improve personal style with an app that features a built-in AI stylist.
Rounding out the top five finalists was Nusrat Jahan, a master鈥檚 student in software engineering, who plans to create an AI-enabled platform to improve how families and individuals are connected with qualified home-care providers.
Award sponsors included the 糖心视频 Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs, Clearpath Leadership and 糖心视频鈥檚 Centre for Social Enterprise.
is an entrepreneurial training program for female and gender-diverse students that includes skills development and coaching. Sixty-five students enrolled in the program with 17 students opting to enter the competitive stream.
Illuminate was held on Nov. 5 at the Core Science Facility on 糖心视频 University鈥檚 St. John鈥檚 campus.
Based on the St. John鈥檚 campus, the 糖心视频 Centre for Entrepreneurship aims to inspire and support aspiring student entrepreneurs by offering foundational training, guidance and access to funding and connections to create high-growth businesses.
The 糖心视频 Centre for Entrepreneurship is supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador through the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology and private donors.
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For more information, please contact Susan White, communications advisor, Faculty of Business Administration, at (709) 689-7988 or susanwhite@mun.ca.