Students Rajveer Kaur and Mackenzie Walters join their winning team as they present their Honey & Thyme Healing balm product during a recent innovation challenge, using honey harvested from Medicine Hat College study conducted at the Centre for Innovation over the summer.--HANDOUT PHOTO
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On Wednesday the News told the story of a Master Beekeeper who has worked with honeybees for more than 30 years, reimagining the design of hives in an effort to increase yields by improving the conditions for bees.
Sheldon Hill collaborated with students at the Medicine Hat College Centre for Innovation to expand his research, which found early success improving the brood of bee colonies and the production of honey.
That same honey was recently used by business and continuing studies students as they tackled their first assignment of the year, to brand the honey and promote it to judges at the Entrepreneurial Experience, an annual student competition to develop entrepreneurial skills in students.
Students were divided into 18 teams and had to think of creative ways to promote the honey to the judges.
Students Rajveer Kaur and Mackenzie Walters were part of a winning team as they presented their Honey & Thyme Healing balm product, a natural replacement for topical antibiotics.
“All of (the ingredients we used) are naturally antibacterial and anti-microbial, and then we used olive oil to act as an emollient so that everything mixed well, and it leaves your skin very soft,” said Walters, who researched the use of honey and tea tree oil to ensure a skin-safe product.
The student competition also provided an opportunity to learn how to effectively advertise products, ensuring clear communication in business pitches.
“For my personality, I am a leader and I want to start a new business in the future,” said Kaur. “It was really helpful for me to learn how to work with a team.”
Student Brianna Meyer’s team came up with the second-place idea, natural candy, called Bee Natural Candies. Meyer created fall-inspired candies with apple cider and pumpkin spice.
“It was fresh, unpasteurized honey, so it had all the properties and the benefits of honey,” said Meyer. “It was kind of fun because creativity was allowed and you didn’t really need to stay in too much of a box.”
The annual student competition is part of the MGMT 270 course, in which students take part in hands-on activities and competitions throughout the semester to develop entrepreneurial skills.
