Belleville, Ontario, October 3, 2017 – Loyalist College 2017 Entrepreneurial Studies – Business Launch (ESBL) graduate and 2016 Business graduate Brett Lyons is a top 10 finalist in Colleges Ontario’s William G. Davis Innovation Fund competition. Mr. Lyons is the co-founder of Your Mobility Innovations, a start-up company dedicated to helping individuals gain mobility and achieve independence through a ‘User to User Adjustable Grab Bar.’
The Fund pays tribute to the legacy of the Hon. William G. Davis, Minister of Education from 1962 to 1971 and a visionary who played a vital role in creating Ontario’s college system. Launched in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Ontario’s colleges, the Fund supports innovative thinking and initiatives from aspiring visionaries, artists, humanitarians or entrepreneurs who want to leverage their college education to start something amazing.
Through Your Mobility Innovations, Brett Lyons is designing and testing adjustable grab bars that allow those in wheelchairs, like himself, to adjust the height of the grip surface to meet their specific needs. The easy-to-use hand crank requires limited strength and dexterity. Project supporters include Queen’s Biomedical Innovation Team; Queen’s Business Law Clinic; Master of Engineering students; and PARTEQ Innovations. Your Mobility Innovations was presented at the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC) Regional Pitch Competition in March 2017 and received a $4,000 award.
The public is invited to vote for their favourite William G. Davis Innovation Fund finalist online until November 5 by visiting amazing50.ca/innovationfund. Voting results will be part of the criteria used by a panel of judges selected by Colleges Ontario to determine the final winners. The first-place winner will receive $15,000 to help fund the initiative. The second-place finalist will receive $5,000. Winners will be announced on November 10.
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About Loyalist
Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 65 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre, which is LEED® Silver certified, are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million annually – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses and Port Hope location, visit loyalistcollege.com.
Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director of Marketing, Communications & Recruitment
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, 613-969-1913 ext. 2536