Lethbridge College students pitch to Luco Farms in annual Tecconnect Challenge

There was a tasty twist to the Tecconnect Challenge this year as Lethbridge College students brainstormed initiatives to help a local mustard producer grow his business.

Now in its seventh year, the collaborative event groups students in the college’s Multimedia Production (MMP) and Digital Communications and Media (DCM) programs. The six teams of students were tasked with creating solutions to the pain points of an entrepreneur in the Tecconnect environment.

This year’s entrepreneur was Luco Farms, a familyowned business that produces fresh, stoneground artisan mustards free of artificial colourings and preservatives. Owner, Robert Luco spoke to students prior to the competition. He shared his desire to grow the business into several key market areas and some of the barriers Luco Farms has faced. Students were directed to work within the branding of the company to create strategy and assets to engage the new markets.

“This collaborative design thinking assignment is what our industries are all about,” says Tanya Weder, Multimedia Production instructor. “We believe this challenge gives students a unique look at what they’ll face once they’re out in the workplace.”

Groups spent an intense five hours building media and finalizing their distribution strategies and pitches. Then, they presented to Luco and a panel of judges, including marketers and entrepreneurs, who provided feedback.

The winning team of students Rochelle Sciortino, Denise Serrano, Mario Cabradilla, Zach Richard, Lance Anderson-Palvialok and Rhett Ripplinger created a social media calendar, provided example social media posts like fun facts, giveaways and recipes, and suggested Luco Farms partner with a local gift basket business.

“The moment right before presenting, we were all panicking,” says Serrano. “But thinking about all the effort we put into our plans and designs, that scary feeling turned into ‘we got this!’ ”

Luco also shared he would be using some of the ideas from the Tecconnect Challenge in his business growth plan for the coming year and potentially beyond.

Learn more about the Multimedia Production and Digital Communications and Media programs on the Lethbridge College website.

The Tecconnect centre for entrepreneurship and innovation is a vibrant place for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses within a supportive and innovative environment. It’s a space and community that encourages the development of new ideas that transform industries and shape the future.