At the 2025 National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, innovation met inspiration in the pitch delivered by Maya Kara, a Grade 6 student whose creation—Smart Stove—captivated both the judges and the community. Representing SLI The Sidney Ledson School, Maya not only emerged as the Grade 5/6 category winner but also took home the coveted Community Choice Award, earning the highest number of votes across all grade divisions.
Her invention, Smart Stove, is more than just a product—it’s a personal mission. Maya’s pitch stood out for its clarity, emotional resonance, and technical insight. Designed to detect and prevent kitchen fires, Smart Stove uses an AI-powered heat sensor to identify abnormal temperature spikes, alert users via a smartphone app, and, if necessary, automatically extinguish the flames using potassium acetate spray. It even contacts emergency services when needed. These features come together to create a powerful tool for home safety—especially important to Maya, whose own family has experienced the devastating effects of a household fire.
“Entrepreneurship was a whole new experience,” Maya reflected. “Every year, I make a pitch that relates to somebody else, but this year, I had the intriguing opportunity to make an innovative product that actually related to me—that could’ve saved my home from a similar situation.”
Her thoughtful design and compelling delivery struck a chord with the panel of experienced judges, including serial entrepreneur Christina Mattina, and business mentor Karen Lau, who praised the product's real-world applicability and market potential.
What set Maya apart wasn’t just her innovative approach—it was her deep sense of purpose. Throughout her presentation, Maya emphasized how Smart Stove could extend beyond individual households to become a scalable solution for landlords, elderly populations, and parents with young children. Her proposed business model projected over $4.6 million in revenue in the first year, underpinned by a well-researched go-to-market strategy involving retail partnerships, insurance collaboration, and app-based services.
One judge noted how Maya's level of detail and strategic foresight rivaled that of seasoned entrepreneurs: from app integration to affordability, Maya had anticipated user concerns and addressed them with thoughtful solutions.
Maya’s reflection on the experience illustrates her passion not just for entrepreneurship, but for impact:
“As I learned more about how I could develop my product, and what important factors many similar devices to mine lack, I began realizing more and more how useful this product actually was—in real-life scenarios, and even mine. The opportunity to save thousands of people and their homes every year... that was the most special part for me.”
This year's competition featured dozens of talented youth from across Canada, each bringing their unique ideas—from eco-conscious smoothies and personalized digital agendas to coding platforms and interactive toys. But Maya’s Smart Stove resonated at every level—innovation, practicality, empathy, and social responsibility.
As the Community Choice Award winner, Maya received an outpouring of support from attendees and viewers who saw in her not just a budding entrepreneur, but a young visionary solving problems that matter.
Maya’s work stands as a strong example of how thoughtful design and personal insight can lead to real-world solutions—even at the student level.
Winner Magazine is proud to spotlight Maya in this year’s Brilliant Youth Edition, as her work exemplifies creativity, impact, and resilience.