The Smart Tenant team, is the latest group of students to be awarded the Board of Governors’ Student Changemaker Award.  

Smart Tenant is the cumulative work of five Algonquin College students — Evan Liko, Kseniia Chornokondratenko, Son Tran, Tibet Akyurekli and Minh Hoang Tran — that connects tenants with other tenants in their area to help them stay up to date on current events and foster a sense of community. The mobile application was developed for use by local property management group, Smart Living Properties.  

The team was recognized at the June 5 Board of Governors meeting for their exemplary efforts in developing a viable mobile application that offers a seamless and intuitive experience for renters. Through their exceptional work, the project grew from an in-class research project to a potential long-term partnership with a leading Canadian rental company.  

The team's impeccable communication skills helped them win back-to-back recognition at the College's RE/ACTION Showcase, making them the first project in the College's history to do so. The team’s lead, Evan Liko, also received an honourable mention from Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) for the 2022 Canada Co-op Student of the Year Award.  

The Smart Tenant app provides an opportunity for Smart Living Properties to support community engagement and relationship building for their tenants. The app aims to differentiate the business and provide economic benefits by connecting tenants with each other and the community around them. By fostering a sense of community and belonging, the app will enhance the overall renting experience and help renters feel more at home. 

The team's excellent work resulted in a polished and professional app that exceeded expectations and delivered new innovations, showcasing their dedication to their craft and their likelihood of future success. 

Congratulations, Smart Tenant team!  

About the Student Changemaker Award  

The Student Changemaker Award is a way for the Board of Governors to formally recognize remarkable student success or project. The term Changemaker was coined by the social entrepreneurship organization Ashoka, and means one who desires change in the world, and by gathering knowledge and resources makes that change happen. At Algonquin College, our Changemakers – our students – are our most important facilitators of change. In beautiful synergy, through applied learning and research, students can change hearts, minds, communities, countries and the world, as they themselves are changing. In the spirit of change, the Algonquin College Board of Governors’ Changemaker Award recognizes student success in the bold pursuit of a better future.