Award Winning Entrepreneur: Meet Trent Student Nolan Maguire
Trent Youth Entrepreneurship Society President takes home $500 at Annual PitchIt! Competition
Trent University students Nolan Maguire and Matt Lawrence took home the grand prize in the Trades and Retail category at the 2018 PitchIt! Competition for their business idea, Beer Relay – a craft beer subscription box service that delivers a selection of the freshest and best local craft beer to customers every month.
PitchIt!, an entrepreneurial competition hosted by FastStart Peterborough, allows students to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. The winning pair competed against 12 other student teams from post-secondary institutions in the region to take home the $500 prize to advance their innovative idea.
Mr. Maguire, a third-year business student says his experiences at Trent have transformed his interest in entrepreneurship into a deep passion. Studying entrepreneurship has provided him with a wide range of adaptable business skills and knowledge such as how to communicate, run a business effectively and evaluate a business environment.
“I think Trent’s business culture also put me in the right mindset for entrepreneurship. The tightknit culture is focused on thinking outside of the box which promotes innovation, and results in high performance,” explains Mr. Maguire.
Mr. Macquire is also president of the Trent Youth Entrepreneurship Society, a position that provides him the opportunity to network with other business focused student groups at Trent. These groups work together to collaborate on events, and as Mr. Maguire explained, “it’s so much fun to be a part of the network, I’ve met so many new people and have developed some great friendships.”