Linnea Penney and Brittany Marchbank were the first-place winners in the Nova Scotia Community College local campus’s annual Ideas Competition, a partnership with the Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations (CBDC), where students present a product or service, earning themselves a spot to compete against college and university students across the province.
“We’re very proud of ourselves, where we’ve come,” Marchbank said, with Penney adding, “Especially being women in a non-traditional trade that’s mostly men, and it’s great that we can show other females that not only can you do this program, you can win.”
Out of five presentations, their project – a gas jug with a fuel monitoring system built in – won the three judges over.
They suggest it would be best for anyone with a lawnmower, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, or other machinery that combines oil and gas.
Penney said she and Marchbank have both in the past incorrectly mixed oil and gas, causing their lawnmower to produce smoke.
Their gas jug would measure how many litres of gas are already in the jug, and would allow the user to select different ratios for two-stroke mixing oil and tell them how much oil to add on a display screen.
“There’s nothing ever made like it. It’s a simple solution for a very common problem,” Penney said.
The local competition, judged by principal Dave Freckelton, CBDC business analyst Shannon Bouchie, and Michelin Development president John Tully, featured four other ideas from second year students in the EET program, though it was open to all students.
Other ideas included a hot water efficiency system, which earned second place, a solar charger, a wireless g-force slap shot reader, which came in at third, and targeted ultrasonic pest control.
The grand prize locally is $1,000 and a spot in the provincial competition on Feb. 23, which offers a first place prize of $10,000 and business mentoring to bring it past the idea stage.
Penney, who is from Antigonish, and Marchbank of Tatamagouche believe theirs is a product that could be in high demand, and has a low cost.
Tully said their design was simple, but elegant.
Penney and Marchbank noted that the product would have to be approved by the CSA for safety reasons.
On Twitter: @NGNewsAmanda
Linnea Penney and Brittany Marchbank were the first-place winners in the Nova Scotia Community College local campus’s annual Ideas Competition, a partnership with the Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations (CBDC), where students present a product or service, earning themselves a spot to compete against college and university students across the province.
“We’re very proud of ourselves, where we’ve come,” Marchbank said, with Penney adding, “Especially being women in a non-traditional trade that’s mostly men, and it’s great that we can show other females that not only can you do this program, you can win.”
Out of five presentations, their project – a gas jug with a fuel monitoring system built in – won the three judges over.
They suggest it would be best for anyone with a lawnmower, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, or other machinery that combines oil and gas.
Penney said she and Marchbank have both in the past incorrectly mixed oil and gas, causing their lawnmower to produce smoke.
Their gas jug would measure how many litres of gas are already in the jug, and would allow the user to select different ratios for two-stroke mixing oil and tell them how much oil to add on a display screen.
“There’s nothing ever made like it. It’s a simple solution for a very common problem,” Penney said.
The local competition, judged by principal Dave Freckelton, CBDC business analyst Shannon Bouchie, and Michelin Development president John Tully, featured four other ideas from second year students in the EET program, though it was open to all students.
Other ideas included a hot water efficiency system, which earned second place, a solar charger, a wireless g-force slap shot reader, which came in at third, and targeted ultrasonic pest control.
The grand prize locally is $1,000 and a spot in the provincial competition on Feb. 23, which offers a first place prize of $10,000 and business mentoring to bring it past the idea stage.
Penney, who is from Antigonish, and Marchbank of Tatamagouche believe theirs is a product that could be in high demand, and has a low cost.
Tully said their design was simple, but elegant.
Penney and Marchbank noted that the product would have to be approved by the CSA for safety reasons.
On Twitter: @NGNewsAmanda
