Jay Shah is taking over the business world one cup of coffee at a time, and it all started at Lakeland College. His unique flavours left quite an impression that Startup Lloydminster has chosen to invest in.

“Our instructors told us that we have to make ourselves unique,” Shah explains. “I had the idea to make a coffee business selling coffee flavours no one had ever tried, like blueberry, cookies and cream, caramel crunch.”

Shah, a second-year business administration accounting major from India, titled his business Nooks&Books Café. He got to work creating and taste-testing different flavours for his coffee, sharing them with friends, instructors and the community. He took their feedback, refined his process, and pitched his business at Lakeland's Finding the U in Business event in 2022.

After the event, Shah kept up with the project, providing coffee to different events, making contacts, and expanding his network. In December 2022, he got his big break - an opportunity to pitch his business at Startup Lloydminster's Titus Tools Gamechanger Pitch Event.

“Jay was absolutely amazing and we are so excited about his entrepreneurial spirit,” says Matt Peck, regional innovation network coordinator for Startup Lloydminster. “Our executive director Wendy Plandowski was a judge at Lakeland's 2022 Finding the U in Business pitch event. We wanted to find out if Jay was still pursuing his coffee business and give him the opportunity to have another go at a pitch in front of an audience. I was impressed with the lengths he has gone to pursue his goal of opening a coffee shop, so we decided this opportunity would be perfect to help support him on his journey.”

Shah and two other local entrepreneurs pitched their business ideas at the Gamechanger event, competing for a $500 prize, with a twist. After their pitches, all three of them were awarded $500, as well as a $2,500 investment in their businesses and $1,000 of Startup Lloydminster Coaching and Services.

“It went very well,” says Shah, who is already working with Startup Lloydminster on finding the best use for the financial investment. “I distributed a lot of blueberry flavoured coffee and got many positive reviews. A lot of people said if they do an event like that, they'll call me to provide the coffee.”

Shah says he appreciates the opportunity to expand his business and for the support he has received from the community and his instructors at Lakeland.

From helping him practice and perfect his pitch, to acting as guinea pigs for his newest coffee flavours, “My classmates and instructors have supported me in every possible way they could,” Shah says.

Photos: Top-Jay Shah with coffee at Lakeland's Lloydminster campus. Bottom-Jay Shah pitches his idea at the Gamechanger event.