T.A. Blakelock HS students attract investors with innovation designed to protect marine life
Left to right: Amrutha Kosuri, Veera Kalsi and Emmy Nah
Three Grade 11 students in the I-STEM program at T.A. Blakelock HS are earning widespread recognition for an innovative project designed to reduce accidental shark capture.
Emmy Nah, Amrutha Kosuri and Veera Kalsi created Bye-Catch, a fishing net designed with recycled materials that uses electromagnets and blue LEDs to deter sharks without affecting fish. What began as a Grade 9 innovation assignment has evolved into a fully developed entrepreneurial project that has attracted investor funding, pitch opportunities and strong interest from business and community leaders across Ontario.
The idea first took shape in Grade 9, when students were asked to develop a solution connected to one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“We landed on the issue of life underwater because it's something that's often overlooked,” Emmy said. “Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth, so it’s really important that we keep them healthy.”
A shared interest helped spark the direction of their work. “My friend Veera here loves sharks,” Emmy added with a laugh. “She even bought a shark onesie for this project.”
Their solution is designed to protect shark populations while also supporting fishing companies, which can lose revenue when sharks damage nets or take up space in them.
The project was a finalist in the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, where the students were able to network with industry mentors. After the competition, they updated their design by switching from nets made of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) to recycled nylon based on feedback they received regarding the cost and longevity of the original material. “We landed on recycled nylon because it’s recyclable and sustainable but still durable,” said Veera.
Following their pitch at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, the students were invited to present to the Angel One Investor Network and other local groups. The team has learned valuable lessons through these experiences. “After watching other people pitch to investors, we saw how it's really valuable to talk about profitability and the business side of things. That definitely helped make our pitches a lot stronger,” Amrutha said.
They have since raised about $5,500 to support the development of their prototype.
Receiving real financial backing for an innovation that “just started as a school project” has been especially encouraging for the team. “These people actually believe in us,” Emmy said.
The team has presented their work at several events across the province, including the Rotary District 7070 Conference in Orillia. “We presented our idea there and after that happened, a lot of people really liked our idea and they actually started raising money to help us continue,” Amrutha said. The conference attendees raised $4,650 to support the project.
All three students say the I-STEM program gave them the skills they needed to bring Bye-Catch to life, including research, design thinking, communication and entrepreneurship.
“I think the real beauty of the I-STEM program is being able to connect all these different subjects,” Emmy said. “integrating them together, then learning how to implement them into the real world.”
Amrutha said her experience in I-STEM has improved her confidence in speaking to people and presenting. “Presentations in school always stressed me out a lot, but now they just seem like something I can do easily because I've gotten so much exposure to presenting in front of large crowds and important investors.”
The students are grateful to their I-STEM teacher, Ainslie-Maria D’Alesio, for her ongoing support. “She's put so much of her free time into helping us. She came all the way to Orillia with us to that conference” said Amrutha. Emmy added: “On a Saturday at 5 a.m.”
With funding in place, the team hopes to secure intellectual property protection, build a prototype and test their design on the East Coast with the assistance of contacts they met through their recent networking efforts.
The students are looking forward to the insights they’ll receive by testing their prototype. “Once we can get that information, we can continue making improvements on our design,” Veera said. “And so that way it can actually be implemented to not only help fisheries, but also help marine life.”
As I-STEM ambassadors, the group often speaks to younger students about innovation and entrepreneurship. They each have some wisdom to share:
“Take every opportunity,” Veera said. “We didn't get this far with investors because we were sitting in a corner. We went out, we networked, we talked to people. Build your connections and you will get somewhere.”
“People want you to succeed,” Emmy said. “Your teachers want you to succeed. Investors want you to succeed. They're coming in hoping that everybody has all these amazing ideas. And I think by taking that approach, you're able to feel more confident in what you're doing.”
Amrutha believes persistence is key. “Keep going, even when you run into issues,” she said. “You just have to keep going and not give up on it.”
Emmy, Amrutha and Veera hope their journey inspires future I-STEM students to explore their ideas and pursue opportunities. “When I first came to Oakville a few years ago, I read an article in Oakville News about some teens who had come up with an innovation. I remember thinking, ‘That could never be me.’ So then actually seeing us in Oakville News was really amazing,” Amrutha said. “It was like a full-circle moment.”
