By Hana Schaeffer & Josie Hu | October 28, 2025
On October 2, Glendon GENIAL hosted its annual Student Entrepreneurship Competition, proudly sponsored by Desjardins. This event is part of the final phase of the Entrepreneurial Skills Passport (ESP) program, which helps students develop essential skills to identify, discover, and exploit business opportunities. The ESP is a 15-week bilingual program designed to prepare students at the early stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
Four students competed in the Student Entrepreneurship Competition. Diandra Tchoupou, founder of Zeafro Beauty Zone, won the first-place prize of $2,000 and the Public’s Choice Award of $500. Zeinab Ayad, founder of Embroidery Zeynab, earned the second-place prize of $1,500. Magali Assouman, founder of Assô Tomato Sauce, received the third-place prize of $1,000. Ghyslaine Tchoupou, founder of Kerry Cake Design, took home the fourth-place prize of $500.
The Glendon ENtrepreneuriat et Innovation A L’international (GENIAL) Initiative was launched in 2018 by Dr. Angelo Dossou-Yovo, Associate Professor in Management and Entrepreneurship. This initiative is comprised of 4 pillars: a bilingual extracurricular entrepreneurship program, experiential courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, a research program in innovation and entrepreneurship, and a student business incubator.
Glendon GENIAL is an initiative that aims to support and engage entrepreneurs in the Francophone and Francophile community within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
This year GENIAL had the pleasure of welcoming keynote speaker Alexandra Kapelos-Peters, Founder and CEO of cansulta and President of AKP Solutions. The following quote from her speech “resilience is the fuel, and vision is the compass” was a key motivator for students to continue pursuing their entrepreneurial passions.
Students also gained useful insights and feedback from a panel of judges made up of
Hermine Mbondo, Founder and President, B4brand, Joe Tamko, Founder and Strategic Branding and Communication Consultant of NGU, and Alexandra.
The learning achievements of students who completed the ESP program are evident in the testimonials below:
“What I appreciated the most was the amazing support from the mentors and the team. Their guidance helped me organize my ideas, improve my strategy, and present my project with confidence. The workshops and feedback sessions also helped me grow both personally and professionally. Thanks to this program, I now have a clear vision for the future of my business and feel more ready than ever to keep growing it in Canada. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and would recommend the ESP Program to any student who wants to bring their idea to life.”
- Zeinab Ayad, founder of Embroidery Zeynab
“Thanks to the ESP program, I was able to structure and refine my salon project dedicated to the curly and frizzy hair community, focusing on customer experience and value for money. I learned to better understand the needs of my target clientele, develop a clear value proposition, and consider concrete strategies to grow my business.”
- Diandra Tchoupou, founder of Zeafro Beauty Zone