Abass (Business Administration, class of 2025) won $10,000 from Humber’s BMO Launch Me Entrepreneurship Program and Pitch Competition
A good business can grow into a great one, but it all starts with the seed of an innovative idea, paired with hard work. With a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) alum Gabe Abass (Business Administration, class of 2025) brought his business idea to life at U of GH.
During his Entrepreneurial Studies (BADM*3110) class at the University, he developed a business plan for his Refillable Fragrance Bracelet product and made his first prototype. This recently led him to winning $10,000 in funding from the 2025 BMO Launch Me Entrepreneurship Program and Pitch Competition at Humber Polytechnic.
“It was developed literally inside of a classroom because of a project. I would take it as a testament to how [the program] can get entrepreneurs up and running,” Abass said.
The Refillable Fragrance Bracelet is made up of a bottle worn on the wrist within a paracord bracelet. The scent comes out of an atomizer located on the top of the accessory, leaving the wearer smelling like the fragrance they’ve put inside the bottle. And the venture is growing; Abass said he’s currently developing “premium” versions of the product – a leather bracelet and a scrunchie.
During his time at U of GH, after his idea took shape during class, he entered the Longo Innovate & Create Entrepreneurship pitch competition, where he won $3,000 in funding to grow his business. This competition was held through the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship (Longo CfE), a service that offers an inclusive environment to expand the entrepreneurial potential of students at Guelph-Humber, as well as alumni, faculty, staff, and the community at large.
Craving the experience to practice his pitching skills and gain more funding for the Refillable Fragrance Bracelet – money that he planned to use to develop advertising, hire photographers to take product pictures, building a website, and more – he entered the 2025 BMO Launch Me Entrepreneurship Program and Pitch Competition. This was a five-week experience.
“I feel like the classes really helped me shape what I needed to do during my pitch,” he said. “You want to present something that's worth the $10,000.”
When pitching to the judges, he knew he had to express his ideas clearly and keep his audience engaged. This confident and bold version of Abass contrasts with how he approached presentations in high school, when he was “terrified” to speak in front of the class. Now, he has improved on making eye contact with his audience, versus reading off slides on a screen. Having these opportunities to sharpen his presentation skills gave him the courage to craft and deliver strong product pitches.
Through competitions at the Longo CfE, Abass has earned a total of about $13,000 in funding for his business – and he’s only just begun.
But the learning never ends. Being an entrepreneur means consistently learning about solving business problems and opening your mind to understand your customers, he explained.
A lesson that helped Abass find success that he’d like to share with other budding entrepreneurs is showing up to a pitch with “practical evidence” that your product is working, whether that’s through a survey, some sales, etc., because traction is key.
To learn more about the Business Administration program and the experiential learning opportunities it offers, click here.