The concept for the students’ innovative and unique business, jusTech, was originally conceived as part of a Hackathon competition last March and was already in development when the competition was announced by the Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, in collaboration with Harley Finkelstein, on June 16.
JusTech, is a privacy breach tool. The online workflow automates the data breach reporting process, for small businesses. In the event of a data breach, by answering a series of questions on the jusTech site, business owners will be provided with multiple auto-generated documents: a completed Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) breach reporting form, client notification, internal communication letter, a how-to-guide for breach reporting, and sample cyber policies. The process is easy to use and saves money, and stress and is completely free for small business.
The team had already developed their business plan, web platform, and marketing materials. They believed their business would be a great fit for the challenge, a sentiment that was reinforced when they read through competition criteria: “the fact that we could tailor our pitch to the competition in an open-ended way gave us creative freedom” say the winners.
The team aims to “offer a different take on entrepreneurship; one that prioritizes impact over profit.” This was just the type of critical entrepreneurial mindset that the competition called for.
When asked about winning the cash prize, the three students expressed renewed confidence in their vision and motivation to keep working for Canadian small businesses. “We have worked hard to create a tool that addresses a significant issue faced by many Canadian small businesses…. Access to Justice is not just a buzz word to us, it is what drives us, [it’s] why we invest so much of our time into this issue. “
JusTech was founded remotely, during the pandemic, with members in Ottawa, Toronto and New York. The team has yet to hold an in-person meeting, but they are working towards a public launch of their full website, which houses privacy breach and policy workflows, videos, courses, and much more. This prize will help finance the addition of cybersecurity courses and additional features. The launch is scheduled for October 1.
Ayushi Dave graduated from Carleton University with an Honours BA in Law and Legal studies. During her undergrad studies, she was the Vice-president of Scholars at Risk, an NGO that advocates for freedom of speech and the release of scholars prosecuted for their work. Dave is a member of a team of Tech Fellows for the Common Law Section.
Ritesh Kotak is a tech entrepreneur who left a career in policing to pursue his MBA, then went on to do his Juris Doctor. Kotak is a Tech Fellow for the Common Law Section, where he works with staff to digitize all aspects of the faculty.
Ryan Mosoff completed his BA and MA in Philosophy at Wilfred Laurier University and McMaster University, respectively. He has worked as a Research Officer for the Institute on Ethics and Policy for Innovation, at McMaster University and is currently also a Tech Fellowfor the Common Law Section.