Chasing the Entrepreneurial Green
Opportunities to test the waters of entrepreneurship set Trent students on the path to business success
For Business students Shane Willis and Tanner Morrow, collaboration and innovation is allowing them to take an edge on their competition. That edge is competitive, green and growing right here in Trent’s backyard.
Eco Care, an innovative landscaping company will be coming to market in spring 2020, fresh off some success as a finalist in the Cubs Lair entrepreneurial competition. Both students had been operating separate businesses, one in Peterborough, the other in Toronto, when they put their heads together to an innovative partnership.
“We saw that [landscaping] is a heavy polluting industry that needs to be innovated and changed due to how large of a scale property maintenance is,” explains Trent student entrepreneur Shane Willis. “One gas lawn mower running for one hour is the same as driving a new car for 550 kilometres! We are ready to revolutionize an industry which has not been touched yet. A cleaner tomorrow starts today.”
Students finding support from the local business community
Cubs Lair is an annual event for young entrepreneurs in the Peterborough area hosted by the Innovation Cluster and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. This event sees a variety of entrepreneurs including those from Trent University and Fleming College, pitch their business idea for prizes, as well as the invaluable connection to a robust local business community.
Mr. Willis and Mr. Morrow are in good company at the University with an upcoming merger on the horizon for the Trent Business Students Association (TBSA) and the Trent Youth Entrepreneurship Society (TYES).
“I hope that the merger between will close the gap between those in other disciplines with great ideas and entrepreneurial-minded people. I believe this could be a great formula for success at Trent,” explains Andrew Pham, president of the TBSA.
“The School of Business is growing and it was time for the two organizations to come together,” notes current TYES president Lucas Graham. “Our organizations are coming together as a place where students can add a practical aspect to what we are learning in the classroom, we offer an opportunity to test out skills and we provide speakers and knowledge for Business students.”
As for Eco Care, the venture and the Trent experience have set Mr. Morrow and Mr. Willis on a green path to success in entrepreneurial pursuits. “We have been able to make lots of connections in Peterborough which has given us opportunities for learning.”