Business student pitches smartphone app for parents of young children

In a college gymnasium filled with dozens of students pitching their business ideas, Leke Akinsanya approaches strangers to get their support for his group’s new product.

“Do you know where your children are right now? How do you keep track of them? Our product will provide complete peace of mind,” Akinsanya says.

Although it’s only at the idea stage, TrackMyKid promises to reduce stress levels for parents of children under 12 by providing the child with a GPS transponder that looks like a wristwatch and connects with the parents through a smartphone app.

At the touch of a button, parents can instantly know where their children are.

“Would you like to invest in our company?” Akinsanya asks.

Akinsanya succeeds in getting many visitors to invest thousands of dollars, in play money, in TrackMyKid. His group’s booth is one of dozens at Assiniboine Community College’s annual Showcase of Applied Research and Innovation.

The showcase was “a wonderful experience. It provided me with the opportunity to work with other students, who I didn’t know because we are from different study areas of the school. You have to pitch your idea to people who are walking around and see what they think and get instant feedback,” he says.

“It was more competitive, because you’re trying to catch everyone’s attention, to get the ‘cash’ equivalent from everyone. It gave room for innovation as well, in terms of people coming up with some good ideas -- something that is new or something that is not so common. It gets students thinking, aspiring to be entrepreneurs.”

The graduate from Assiniboine’s Business Administration program, with a specialization in accounting, already holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos in his home country of Nigeria.

Many of his professors had degrees from prestigious American universities such as Harvard and Berkeley.

But the real inspiration came from his father, who studied in England before Akinsanya was born.

He learned from his father that studying abroad “is a great way to see the world and get other perspectives.”

Akinsanya chose Assiniboine partly because tuition fees are relatively low compared to most other post-secondary institutions in Canada.

As a statistics buff, he was very interested in the college’s other numbers, including the finding that 94 per cent of Assiniboine grads find work in their chosen field.

Akinsanya also liked the fact that Brandon’s population is a fraction of the size of Lagos.

“It’s quieter. That provides the student with a better environment to study.”

Akinsanya held a part-time job at a clothing store while he was going to school. Now he is looking for a job in which he can apply the lessons he learned at Assiniboine, such as a business analyst or consultant.

“I would like anything that involves business and making money,” he said.

Faculty and staff are very supportive at Assiniboine.

“Everyone is quite helpful. All you need to do is ask and you’re provided with whatever help you require.”