Austin McNeil
Many college graduates leave either with hopes of getting a job or on a journey to gain experience. For Austin McNeil, his college experience ended with him being homeless and moving into a tent, just as he was at the beginning of starting his own business.
At 21, Austin had graduated from Durham College with a diploma in automotive mechanics; this would be his second college program after doing a one-year welding course at Sheridan College.
By this time, he had created his first product, the Emergency Services Bicycle Lighting System (ESBL), based on a need outlined by the Halton Police Department in Oakville. In a "Pitch to the Chief" competition in Cobourg, Ontario (where he was in school), Austin and his ESBL system caught the interest of the Cobourg Police, and they were ready to buy the system from him.
Austin McNeil
By this time, however, school was ending, and he no longer had a place to live in Durham. But his extracurricular obligations still needed him there, leading him to spend three weeks living in a tent, walking to campus each day where he built a custom e-trike.
His circumstances led his deal with the police department to fall through, which was hard for Austin, but his mind was now open to the value he had to offer.
Austin's journey was very challenging; he said that "after three weeks in a tent, my mental health was getting the better of me. I spent about a week in the hospital before I was able to secure a bed in a homeless shelter in the Halton region. It was here that I spent my next three months."
Austin is on the autism spectrum and is supported by the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Though this program has been beneficial, it's not a stable means to support his daily living.
For Austin, the Children's Aid Foundation of Halton (CAFH) and the Bridging the Gap program helped set him up for success. He went on to start his own technology company called Austin's Creations, where he showcases his inventions and provides his services.
To give you a sense of his creativity, when I met Austin at the CAFH's AGM and recognition event, he showed me a device he created for counting and tracking donations. Something that used to be done manually and would take hours can now be done in minutes.
"I've always been someone who knew the type of work they liked doing," Austin said.
"I've always been the curious type to understand how things work and how they can be improved or repaired. But I also have my own limitations that have, for the moment, kept me on ODSP," he continued.
"However, operating my own business lets me do things I enjoy doing and work around my limitations. It's the freedom of doing what suits me that's led me to want to turn what was once a hobby for me into a proper business."
"That's amazing, Austin," I said. "What would be your message to someone who's been down on their luck but has something in them telling them they were meant for more?"
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"Try to find opportunities to do things long-term so far, the best way I've found that works for me is surrounding myself with people that can help me when I need it, but I can also help them when they need it," Austin replied.
"The sense of community I tend to feel with the people I'm surrounded by makes everything that much better," he continued. "You just have to be willing to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak, to notice opportunities that may be around you without you initially realizing."
