VIU grad pitches business idea to ‘dragons’

When Alex Casewa was completing a business degree at Vancouver Island University, he never imagined that one day he’d appear on national TV pitching a business idea to five multi-millionaires.

That’s what happened when Casewa appeared on the popular CBC series Dragon’s Den last week, his moment in the spotlight to secure an investment for his business.

Although Casewa walked away empty-handed, he’s thrilled to have gained national exposure for his company Earthen. According to this budding entrepreneur, “It’s all great publicity.”

Casewa imports and sells environmentally friendly dinner ware made from fallen palm leaves from India. The Earthen product line consists of dinner plates and bowls of various sizes, 100 percent organic and bio-degradable.

“The product is strong, sturdy and almost looks and feels like wood," he explained. "But nothing is cut down to make it. The bowls and plates can be used for hot and cold food. It is freezer proof and safe to use in a microwave."

Casewa hatched his business idea while studying Business Administration at VIU in 2007. “I don’t think I could have done this without the support of my teachers,” said Casewa who completed double majors in marketing and management. “During my coursework, I put a lot of thought into how to market and sell this product.”

The original idea was born out of a sustainable development project in instructor Don Miskiman’s class in 2005. Casewa saw the product online, ordered product samples and used them during a class presentation. 

“It suddenly hit me that this could be an excellent product to import, market and sell in Canada,” he said. “Sustainable business is the future.”

He drafted a business plan with support and encouragement from his instructors, and focused all his assignments around the project for two years.

Casewa started selling the Earthen product line at festivals in Victoria after graduating, using his Victoria apartment as a make-shift warehouse. He convinced several stores, including Thriftys to carry the product, then auditioned for Dragon’s Den.

“I auditioned last February, and I was invited to tape the show last May,” he said. “I was hoping for a $150,000 investment, but the dragons didn’t bite. They asked some tough questions. While they loved the product, they thought my business was too small. My sales numbers (about $20,000 to date) weren’t big enough. This was still great exposure because more than a million viewers watch the show weekly,” said Casewa. “I have no regrets. Hopefully the exposure will translate into more awareness in the marketplace.”

Casewa has returned to VIU several times to share his evolving business expertise with other entrepreneurship students in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. “I talk about the realities of business, and how life works outside of textbooks,” he said. “Students are interested to hear how similar and different the real world of business is compared to a theoretical business world. Things don’t normally go according to your business plan. It’s a living document that needs constant fine-tuning.”

So far, Casewa's business venture is going well. “The response has been great. People love the concept. I’ve now got over 100 stores selling the product on the mainland and in Victoria. Hopefully, with the recent exposure on Dragon’s Den, interest will continue to grow.”

To find out more about VIU’s BBA program and other courses offered in the Business faculty, visit the website at http://viu.ca/business. To find out about Earthen, visit www.earthentrading.ca.