Captions on this video are YouTube's automatic ones and have not been corrected. The full written version is below, so nothing here depends on the video.
Aisha's Final Assignment Process
When I got to the final assignment, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had put so much work into my project — a Somali language and culture program for second-generation Somali-Canadian youth in Ottawa — and now it was time to bring it all together.
Here is how I worked through each part.
Part 1: Revising My Lean Canvas
I went back to my Lean Canvas and realized there were a few sections I had not thought through carefully enough. The biggest gap was my revenue streams — I had originally written "donations and community events" but I had never been specific about how much I would need or where exactly that money would come from.
I also revisited my customer segments. I had been thinking mostly about students aged 13–18. But when I talked to a few community members, I realized that parents were just as important — they are the ones who would enrol their kids and spread the word. So I added parents of Somali-Canadian youth as a secondary customer segment.
For impact measurement, I added three metrics I would track:
- Number of students enrolled each semester
- Average self-reported confidence in speaking Somali (measured by a simple survey before and after)
- Percentage of students who continue after their first semester
Refining my canvas made my whole project feel more solid. I could see where the gaps were — and filling them in made the project feel more real.
Part 2: Writing My Business Plan
Writing the one-page business plan was challenging at first because I kept wanting to write more. But forcing myself to stay concise was actually helpful — it made me prioritize what really matters.
For my financial projections, I kept them realistic:
- Start-up costs: ~$5,000 (rent for a small community space for one month, basic materials, printing)
- Monthly operating costs: ~$1,000 (space rental, instructor stipend, materials)
- Funding sources: youth grants from the City of Ottawa, small registration fees on a sliding scale (no one turned away for inability to pay), community fundraising events
I was proud of how I handled the ethical section. I wrote that my program would never turn away a student because of their family's ability to pay — and that all teaching would respect and honour Somali cultural traditions, not just the language.
Part 3: Recording My Pitch Video
Recording the video was the scariest part. I practised my pitch at least six times before I recorded it. The first two tries were terrible — I spoke too fast and forgot what I was going to say halfway through.
By the fourth practice, I had found my rhythm. I spoke directly to the camera and imagined I was talking to a small committee of community leaders who genuinely cared about Somali youth in Ottawa. That mindset helped me speak from the heart instead of reciting memorized lines.
My pitch opening: "My name is Aisha. I am 14 years old, and I am Somali-Canadian. Growing up, I watched my cousins lose their Somali language because there was nowhere to learn it and practise it. I want to build a place where that does not have to happen to any more kids like us."
After that opening, I felt calm — because I was telling a story I genuinely cared about.
Next: See Aisha's full business plan and pitch script.