Niagara College students and faculty at the Archangel Summit in Toronto.

On Saturday, September 9th, 20 individuals from Niagara College’s ncTakeOff network attended an annual gathering of mission-driven entrepreneurs, leaders, and professionals in downtown Toronto, called the Archangel Summit. The event featured several well-known motivational and entrepreneurial speakers, a pitch competition where one inspirational winner walked away with $50,000, and an energetic performance by social entrepreneur and Grammy nominee, Akon. 100% of the proceeds from the event were gifted forward to The Archangel Fund, which is used to provide micro-loans and donations to entrepreneurs and charities making the world a better place.

Here are some highlights of the day:

Artem Mekshun, 3rd year Bachelor of Business Admin: International Commerce and Global Development student, attended the Summit with his business partner and felt it was a great opportunity for them to spend a day together and discuss business plans. “We came up with a bunch of extraordinary ideas during the coffee breaks that we had,” said Artem. One of his favourite speakers was Nicole Arbour because she is a “great example of how people can rise to success from the very bottom of their lives.” Nicole Arbour is a popular Youtuber, actress, choreographer, comedian, dancer, musician, singer and writer.

Dami Mosaku-Johnson, recent grad from NC’s Computer Analyst program, was enlightened by FUBU founder, author, and Shark Tank venture capitalist, Daymond John. Dami said, “A couple things he said really stuck – one being the fact that you don't really need money to start your business and the fact that he used hip-hop as a way to culture hack and get his brand out there.”

Cameron MacDonald also liked Daymond John who recommended that education is the next emerging industry. Cameron said, “I have an idea I want to take to Dragons Den about education, so that’s exciting!” His favourite speaker, overall, was Simon Sinek who is an author, marketing consultant, and famous for inspiring others to do the things that inspire them.

Maddie Nelmes, 2nd year Business Sales and Marketing student, appreciated the talk by Lewis Howes. Lewis Howes is an entrepreneur, author, and former professional Arena League football player, who is most notably known for starting up the School of Greatness podcast. “His perspective on making sure you are healthy and taken care of so your business could be successful was the thing I took away the most,” said Maddie. “I gained tips and tricks on how to be a successful entrepreneur.”

Nicholas Conlon, 4th year Bachelor of Business Admin: International Commerce and Global Development student, also really enjoyed being able to network and speak to many different professionals. His most admired speaker was Dr. Shefali, a world-renowned author and conscious parenting expert who believes that the way to change the world is through parental evolution. “When she originally started speaking, I didn’t think her presentation pertained to me, but was I ever wrong,” said Nicholas. “She engaged the audience like no other, and truly gave an amazing presentation.”