2025 Dare to Dream winners announced

Kingston, Ont. – Four early-stage business ventures have been awarded funding via Smith’s Dare to Dream program.

Students and recent alumni have received $15,000 as part of the annual initiative offered by the business school’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact (CEISI).

This year’s recipients all happen to hail from Smith’s Master of Management Innovation & Entrepreneurship program, a joint offering between Smith School of Business and Smith Engineering, specifically designed for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and innovators.

“MMIE stands out for its powerful blend of academics, real-world application, experiential learning and the building of entrepreneurial mindsets. The true strength of the program lies in its ability to turn bold ideas into real ventures,” says CEISI Associate Director JP Shearer.

This year’s recipients are:

• Técare Inc.: a venture that offers a retail experience designed specifically for Canadian women who want a simpler, more personalized approach to beauty and body care. Their mission is to empower you with expert service and straightforward solutions.
  Founder: Annette Leclair, MMIE’24
  Donor: CIBC

• Videntia Innovations: a platform offering real-time geopolitical alerts delivered via Slack, Teams and CRM, as well as AI curated and human verified scoring and forecasting. The platform aims to replace or complement in-house analysts, news feeds and high-cost consultancies.
  Founder: MMIE student who has chosen to remain anonymous
  Donors: Dany Battat, BCom’78, and the late Gia Steffensen, BCom’78

• She Left Home: a digital social network that is tailored for BIPOC women offering group trips that combine community and solo travel. The venture also offers connection and mentorship through educational resources to guide confident trip planning, as well as an AI-powered travel tool designed to meet the users specific needs.
  Founder: Ninoshka Pais, MMIE’25
  Donor: RLS Foundation

The Sinkinson Family Dare to Dream Award has been awarded to a wealth management company in its early stages, whose founders have chosen to remain anonymous.

In addition to the funds received to help scale their operations, recipients will also be provided with access to workspace, mentorship and coaching through CEISI, and access to connections within the invaluable Queen’s University network.

“Dare to Dream is a catalyst for entrepreneurial ambition at Smith. It provides early-stage founders with the financial support to take their first leap and the mentorship, resources and confidence to pursue ventures that create real value. It turns aspiration into action,” Shearer says.

About Dare to Dream

The Dare to Dream Program is designed to encourage and enable entrepreneurs to launch their new ventures. The program is specifically focused on providing critical resources to help Smith graduates turn their new venture business plans into reality. Each award provides up to a total of $15,000 over a three-month period, giving recipients the funding to pursue their ventures full time and realize their entrepreneurial dreams.