Rosty SorokaWhen the student team at BRNT Designs were creating their own bong, they wanted to make something people would want to display in their home. They realized they had succeeded when one of the team member’s parents used it as a flower vase.
“When people come to your house, they don’t see (our product) as a bong, they see it as kind of a home piece,” said Rahman Amlani, a third-year business student at the University of Alberta who also works as the chief finance officer at BRNT Designs.
BRNT Designs is a marijuana accessories company created by current U of A students. Simon Grigenas, a fourth-year business student, wanted to make a more durable bong than the conventional ones made of glass. Grigenas, a medical marijuana patient, broke his own bong after knocking it off a table and wanted to address that design flaw. With third-year engineering student Andrew Feltham and with help from the Alberta School of Business, the team created the Hexagon, a ceramic and glass bong that Grigenas calls durable and aesthetically appealing.
With the Hexagon’s vase-like design, the team at BRNT wanted to avoid the stigma associated with cannabis use with an unconventional appearance; Grigenas wanted to have something he wouldn’t have to hide from houseguests.
Bong prices can vary depending on the quality, with low-quality pieces ranging from $50 to $100, and higher-quality glass bongs going from $200 to $500. With its $170 price tag, Grigenas said the Hexagon is targeted as a premium accessory.
Grigenas and the rest of the BRNT team first came together in July 2017 to start the company and developed the first prototypes of the Hexagon in August of that year.
To raise funds for the project, the group started a 30-day crowdfunding campaign in November. While they had a target of $20,000, the company exceeded their goal at nearly $24,000.
Amlani said the company didn’t have any doubts about meeting its crowdfunding goal, but they knew there were going to be speed bumps. One such hurdle was finding a company that would help them process credit card payments due to the risks of selling drug paraphernalia. While Grigenas and the others did find a company that specialized in online cannabis sales in a Calgary-based firm named Merrco, the hindrance caused the group to push back their crowdfunding launch by three weeks.
The team also received help from Kyle Murray, the vice-dean of the School of Business, who encouraged them to take the crowdfunding route instead of sharing the company with investors. They also got advice from Noreen Hoskins, the director of eHUB UAlberta, a group that helps student entrepreneurs bring their projects to fruition.
Amlani said the help they’ve received speaks to the university’s willingness to help students succeed with their own endeavors. He also said the amount of attention BRNT has received is due to the appeal of the company as a student business.
“We really pride ourselves in being a student start-up,” Amlani said. “I think seeing students do so well is always a good story.”
Moving ahead, Feltham said they have few other products planned for the future, including rolling trays, ashtrays and pipes. Both he and Grigenas said they plan on sticking with BRNT after they graduate.
“Starting (BRNT) up, the goal was to enter that entrepreneurship space coming right out of school,” Grigenas said. “It’s definitely beneficial to be able to put various skills to use … and learn different aspects of the business.”
