"The vision for GreenHouse was to have a kind of complimentary piece for Waterloo’s Velocity that focuses on innovation aimed at social or environmental progress," said Ric k Myers, principal at United College. " GreenHouse ’ s Social Innovators in Training program has provided enriched hands-on education, social entr epreneurshi p and design thinking to more than 1 , 000 students , and has assiste d’in the development of more than 12 5 student-run vent ures. That’s an awful lot of positive impact both for students involved and for society as a whole. "
From a mobile triaging system for livestock farmers in Uganda to an AI technology platform providing soft skills development , G reenHouse nounced th e four winning teams who received between $1, 5 00 to $3,000 in funding to support their social impact ideas.
While on a summer fellowship with Engineers Without Borders in Uganda, Waterloo student Gabriel Jabile , discovered that 73 per cent of Ugandan households rely on livestock as their livelihoods. However, only half of these farmers have access to veterinary services, leading to significant livestock health issues and financial losses.
Enyana Health aims to address these challenges with Amatuungo - a bile triaging system that offers automated agricultural advice in local languages. This technology, accessible via any mobile phone, helps farmers troubleshoot simple problems independently or connects them to vets for more complex issues.
" My team and I wanted to move beyond just the numbers and really understand the farmers’ struggles," Jabile said, a biomedical engineer ing student. " Amatuungo Aid aims to bridge this information gap and improve farmers’ access to expert guidance."
a Health’s Amatuungo Aid is currently deployed in one community in Uganda with the initiative plans to expand to include pigs, poultry and rabbits by December. With the Social Impact Fund, t’he team will be focused on u sing the grant towards product development, user acquisition and forming partnerships to scale their impact across Uganda.
Kai Yang , co-founder of Impactfy , is transforming the volunteer experience by using AI to connect individuals with global volunteer opportunities that align with their interests, skills and values. The platform aims to make volunteering more accessible and impactful, addressing growing demand for skilled volunteers.
"There’s a large young population eager to volunteer, but the current systems aren’t just meeting their needs right now," Yang said during their pre-recorded pitch presentation. " W e want to solve this challenge with Impactfy by building a more efficient and motivat environments."
Nuhu Abdulmalik , a Faculty of Arts student, is passionate about creating opportunities for African youth to connect globally and engage in meaningful dialogue through Mamo Connect. His project focuses on "virtual exchange," a technology-driven solution that enables young people from underserved regions in Africa to engage in discussions on topics like peace, education and mentorship.
"My goal is to offer young Africans the opportunity to network, learn , and build peace through virtual exchange," said Abdulmalik. " By incorporating peace education into these exchanges, we can create a network of peace ambassadors who are equipped to spread positive change in their communities."
With more than five years of experience and more than 1,000 hours facilitat virtual exchanges, Abdulmalik aims to reach 100 young people in the first six months his program. Through international partner ships , Abdulmalik hopes to empower African youth to be come leaders of peace in their communities.
Co-founded by Faculty of Science students, Bilal Khawaja and Ayra Ali, Hunarsa revolutionizing soft skills development with an affordable , accessible educational platform designed to empower underserved communities across Sout h Asia.
" In 2022 , 50.3 per cent of young graduates in India were considered employable and underscores the need for targeted interventions, " Khawaja explained.
Hunarsa’s AI-driven technology offers personalized learning , mental health re sources, career mapping tools and empathy modules. T he AI provides tailored advice to help users build confidence and skills for job interviews and career success.
Khwaja and Ali expanding their team to support platform development, outreach and pilot initiatives , while refining their product with input from industry experts, schools and local NGOs.
F our students each received $250 as part of the new Changemaker Awards, celebrating these students for their personal growth and contributions as changemaker leaders with the GreenHouse community.
- Community builder - Maria Karanicolas , Masters in Environment and Business
- Inclusive designer - Zelda Brown , Department of Geography and Environmental Management
- T ech for good innovator - Shezan Mahmud , Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Global changemaker - Nuhu Abdulmalik , Masters Peace and Conflict Studies
United College’s incubators recognized for Indigenous and social entrepreneurship Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship award
T t’he Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship presented United College with the inaugural a ward for " " . The award recognize s C ollege’s support Indigenous and social entrepreneurs through FlintHub GreenHouse incubators.
"Receiving this award is a huge honour and re-energizes our continued work to foster a social impact community where ideas flourish and inclusive ventures thrive," said Tania Del Matto, director of GreenHouse. "This recognition celebrates the collective spirit of innovation, resilience and commitment that defines GreenHouse FlintHub , and it strengthens our dedication to real-world impact through strong community partnerships and collaborative efforts."
For 1 1 years, GreenHouse has supported students and community members who want to create environmental or social change, with their early-stage business venture ideas. FlintHub provides Indigenous students with a space to explore their entrepreneurial journey and develop ideas that strengthen Indigenous economies.
Through initiatives such as FlintHub GreenHouse , Waterloo students from diverse backgrounds and programs are encouraged to transform their ideas for social or environmental change into business ventures with both local and global impact.
Interested in making social or environmental change ’ Learn more about the GreenHouse Social Impact Showcase that is held each term and get started on your venture idea today by visiting the United College website.
