VIU students pitch their seaweed products on Dragons’ Den-style show

What: The Urchin Tank, hosted by VIU’s Centre for Seafood Innovation

When:  November 23, 2022, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Where: VIU’s Malaspina Theatre, Nanaimo campus

Nanaimo, BC: The Urchin Tank is a Dragons’ Den-style show where Vancouver Island University (VIU) microbiology and culinary arts students pitch their fermented seaweed products to a panel of judges. 

The judges will provide constructive feedback and can indicate their interest in taking the products to the next level – bringing the product to market. The panel of judges includes Majid Hajibeigy from Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds; Jordan White from Naas Foods Inc.; and Dafne Romero from North Pacific Kelp. 

The students will display their products and posters demonstrating their work in the theatre lobby prior to the Urchin Tank show. Samples of their creations will also be available for tasting.

The Urchin Tank is the culmination of the Seaweed Challenge, a semester-long project where about 30 microbiology and culinary arts students combined forces to develop fermented seaweed products. The goal was to create safe and tasty fermented products that might be suitable for commercialization.

The event is being hosted by VIU’s Centre for Seafood Innovation (CSI). The public is welcome to attend and tickets are by donation and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Proceeds will go towards funding more learning opportunities for students through CSI. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Students will showcase their products in the theatre lobby from 5:30 to 6:15 pm and the Urchin Tank show runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Rachel Stern, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University

C: 250.618.0373l E: Rachel.Stern@viu.ca | T: @VIUNews