Redesigning fashion

I was approached by my fellow Scholars Academy member, Lujaina Eldelebshany, with an exciting opportunity: to participate in the Hult Prize. The challenge? Crafting a for-profit business venture focused on one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With a grand prize of $1 million at stake, the theme for this year's competition was "Redesigning Fashion."

Given my major in Mechanical Engineering and Business, this sparked my interest. I value innovation and sustainability and actively seek opportunities to apply my learnings to the real world.

Evenings were spent finalizing an idea and developing a business plan. Inspiration for the final idea struck in my 3D modelling class. We developed a process to extract polyethylene terephthalate from used clothing and convert it into 3D printer filament. We named the business FabricFusion. 

There are two ways participants can compete in the Hult Prize. The first is through a campus competition, and the second is through an open submission. The campus competition we originally intended to compete in was cancelled due to a lack of interest. Because we already had the idea developed, we decided to compete in the open bracket as a team. 

We filmed our pitch video, completed a one-page business description, and submitted a pitch deck to finalize our submission into the open bracket. I promptly shifted my focus. I found myself lost in the hustle and bustle of other projects and final exams, nearly forgetting about our submission to the Hult Prize. Nearly. 

I was halfway through teaching a piano lesson in April when I received two calls from Lujaina. I picked up the second. I was greeted with an enthusiastic, “Hi! We made it to the Global Summits. We’re going to Dubai in June!”  

I was ecstatic. Over 200,000 people competed from over 100 countries, and only 700 teams progressed to the Global Summits. I later discovered we were 1 of 3 Canadian teams to advance. 

Though we were unsuccessful in progressing past the Global Summits, the experience was incredibly impactful. At the Global Summits, the team made sure to connect with other competitors and teams. One key takeaway was that the quality of education at the University of Calgary is truly outstanding and competitive. The project-based, collaborative approaches may seem intense, but I realized that they are built to help us succeed in our post-graduation life. It is something I noticed lacking in the educational experience of other competitors. 

Participating in the Hult Prize allowed me to explore the intersection of engineering and business to new depths. Furthermore, it has deepened my passion for sustainability. Overall, the experience taught me to enjoy the process of starting something. It reinforced my prior belief in the value of agreeing to new experiences. However, and perhaps most importantly, it taught me the importance of a strong team. Having reliable, ambitious people you trust on your team makes overcoming challenges possible. 

A special thanks to Scholars Academy for connecting me with my amazing teammates and for opening the door for students to take on opportunities like this. Thank you to Lujaina Eldelebshany and Evan Bosdet, without whom I would not have a team.