Discover how students are using uOttawa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to create their own jobs, gain skills and add a “wow” factor to their resumés.
Got an idea?
Check out Entrepreneurship Month, happening throughout November. It’s an ideal time to get inspired and see for yourself if you want to add entrepreneurship to your experiential learning journey. Our selection of stories about uOttawa student startups sheds light on what’s possible.
The cookie with a cause
Nupacko was born out of a simple observation: There aren’t many affordable, nutrient-rich snacks designed to tackle food insecurity on the market. Most products deliver a short-term sugar high.
The idea for an allergen-free, vegan cookie that can help disadvantaged people meet their daily nutritional needs was developed by uOttawa students involved with Enactus uOttawa, a club that strives to create a better world through entrepreneurship.
Besides the ingredients in the cookies themselves — including fresh kale, chia seeds and whole wheat — Nupacko’s secret recipe combines commitments to nutrition, social inclusion and the fight against food insecurity.
“Our mission is simple: create a nutrient-dense cookie that tastes great, remains affordable and strengthens the health of our local communities.”
Divika Solanki
— Second-year international management student, Nupacko project manager
Each single cookie sold for $2 funds another cookie for someone in need. More than 1,000 have been given to organizations like Cornerstone Housing for Women, and some were sent to a community in Kenya last year, Divika says. Each cookie provides up to seven grams of protein and 18% of daily dietary fibre needs.
Nupacko recently secured a $5,000 Youth Leadership for Change microgrant, awarded through a partnership with uOttawa and the University of Ottawa Students’ Union. The financial support will allow Nupacko to donate more cookies more often. Nupacko also got support from uOttawa’s Startup Garage TuneUp Circuit.
“We’re channelling every dollar into impact,” says Divika. This means buying ingredients, reaching out to new community partners, reducing the company’s ecological footprint and employing marginalized people at a reasonable salary.
“We’re rolling out professional, eco-friendly packaging that elevates our brand while reducing waste,” she adds.
Clearly, Nupacko is more than a chocolatey treat — it’s a little taste of solidarity. Students are showing that, through vision and creativity, we can achieve good health, sustainability and social justice, one cookie at a time.
Discover how you can benefit from uOttawa’s impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur? You’re in luck! November is Entrepreneurship Month. All students are welcome to attend a series of networking and startup career fair events designed to help you discover how to tap into the spirit of entrepreneurship. Find out more about Entrepreneurship Month events, including Entrepreneurship Week from November 17 to 23.
- Check out the Entrepreneurship Hub and discover how to improve your career-readiness by developing entrepreneurial skills, or how to start or grow your own business.
- Get to know all the eHub programs that help you develop and showcase your entrepreneurial skills. Some pay you a stipend ($325 to $825) when you complete them.
- Explore the Startup Garage, an accelerator program for uOttawa student entrepreneurs who want to start and grow their own businesses. Email Startupgarage@uOttawa.ca if you have any questions.
- Follow the eHub on Instagram (@ehub_uottawa), or check out the eHub on LinkedIn.
- Check programs and courses as well as other initiatives at the Faculty of Science, the Telfer School of Management and the Faculty of Engineering Centre for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Design (CEED).
P.S. Did you know that since 2010, more than 155 new businesses have been created thanks to uOttawa’s entrepreneurship initiatives? You could be the next big thing!
