Concordia entrepreneurs are taking the startup world by storm

Limosa Inc.

Hamid Hamidi, PhD 20, is the founder of Limosa Inc., a group consisting of experts in aircraft structural design, structural analyses, aerodynamics, propulsion systems, flight control and avionics. Their goal is to develop a functioning, unique electric vertical and conventional takeoff and landing (eVTOL+eCOTL) aircraft.

While pursuing his PhD in Concordia’s Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Hamidi worked on the application of composite structures in helicopters. The project allowed him to get involved in the production of aerospace products by working in large helicopter and airplane manufacturers in Montreal.

When creating Limosa, Hamidi saw an opportunity to translate innovations in electric automobiles to air travel.

“There were a few different gaps we wanted to address when we were thinking of Limosa,” he says. “One of them is climate change. Ground vehicles are becoming electrified, so the same thing will happen with air vehicles.”

Limosa’s seven-seater aircraft, LimoConnect, is designed to help solve some of the most pressing issues in 21st-century transportation, to be used for private or commercial purposes, emergency response and cargo transport. The goal, Hamidi says, is to provide a more reliable, efficient and quick alternative for daily transportation.

“These kinds of vehicles are going to eventually replace helicopters in the next decade or two,” he adds. “They are 100 times less noisy and can work more effectively in urban areas.”

The LimoConnect aircraft is expected to be certified by mid-2029.

Lunas Consulting

When Robyn Orsini, BA 18, founded Lunas Consulting, a firm consultancy focused on sales development and revenue growth, she wanted to provide support to startups.

After graduating from Concordia, Orsini joined the non-profit sector for startups in Montreal and fell in love with helping them grow. Her own enterprise began as she garnered more and more clients as a consultant.

“I kept on getting referrals and people working for me,” Orsini says. “So, I eventually had to open up my own company.”

Lunas guides startups by helping them attain predictable, recurring revenue through sales consulting, team training and outbound sales. As CEO, Orsini enforces a different business model that leverages data and sales outreach to achieve success. That winning approach is generating fast-paced change for the company.

“The biggest challenge right now is that we are growing quite fast,” she says. “It’s difficult to continuously hire to meet the demand while working with new clients.”

Orsini credits her studies in psychology at Concordia with both preparing her for her demanding schedule and building the interpersonal skills related to owning a business.

“I never realized I was going to start a company, but completing the program taught me a lot about connecting with people,” she says. “My degree really helped me when I started to work in the sales industry when it came to being personable. It just made me better at my job overall.”

Primal Soles

With a mission to reduce non-recyclable landfill waste by one million pairs of insoles each year, David Even, BComm 14, founded PRIMAL Soles. “In terms of sustainability, we’re really at the forefront of where the industry is going,” says the John Molson School of Business graduate.

The company prides itself in being the maker of the “world’s first closed-loop 100 per cent recyclable shoe insoles made from natural Mediterranean cork and recyclable memory foam,” says Even, adding that PRIMAL Soles is unique in the production of its soles.

Together with a team of experts, the company designed soles to provide maximum comfort with a minimal ecological footprint. The natural cork is sourced from family farms throughout Portugal and processed at Amorim Cork Composites, the largest and most sustainable supplier of cork in the world.

“We take full responsibility for the entire product life-cycle”, says Even. “There are no other companies in our industry that do what we do. We want to set the precedent, not just for our industry, but for all producers worldwide: take responsibility for what you produce.”

Prior to founding PRIMAL Soles, Even was “a newbie” in the industry. He had to overcome challenges from sourcing suppliers, understanding the business and creating the ultimate insole shape, to setting up a website, mastering marketing and even starting a crowdfunding campaign.

“That was all part of the fun,” he says.

Even says his education — majoring in management — helped him become disciplined, dedicated and, above all, curious.

“My studies really helped me to open up my mind for what’s out there in the world. It shaped me into who I am today and where I want to be tomorrow.”

Exclusive only for Concordia students, faculty and alumni:

Enter code CONCORDIA20 for a one-time 20 per cent discount on a pair of PRIMAL Soles (quantities limited, free carbon neutral shipping, valid until end of 2022).