Former St. F.X. students A.J. MacQuarrie and Christina Wilson made an appearance on the hit CBC show the Dragons’ Den Jan. 18, pitching MacQuarrie’s Urban Vendor concept. They were unsuccessful in securing investment money but both agreed it was a great experience. (Submitted photo)

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It may not have resulted in a big investment, but former St. F.X. students A.J. MacQuarrie and Christina Wilson said they were very happy to have gone through the Dragons’ Den experience.
The two expressed the sentiment as they chatted, via Skype, with students and professors who gathered at a Schwartz School of Business classroom for the Jan. 18 broadcast of the popular CBC program.
The actually taping of the program took place last April and both MacQuarrie and Wilson were sworn to secrecy regarding whether their pitch was successful in securing investment money for the Urban Vendor (a vending machine promoting healthy, convenient snacks).
The duo’s segment only took up about five minutes of actual air time but MacQuarrie, in a phone interview with the Casket Monday, said their on-stage presentation was closer to 25 minutes.
“Or so it seemed,” MacQuarrie said. “But, to be honest with you, I haven’t seen the show yet. I’m in Boston (his hometown) right now so I can’t get a copy of it but, from what I’ve heard, it seemed like we were attacked by Kevin (O’Leary, considered the show’s toughest critic) a lot more. It seemed like he was getting at us a lot but it didn’t seem like that much on set. It was definitely more spread out and, just the way they edited it, it was different. That’s entertainment for you.”
MacQuarrie also heard about how their segment finished on positive statements by panelist such as Arlene Dickinson.
“I’m glad they kept those in there,” he said. “Because it could go either way. They could make us look like idiots, being attacked and attacked, but I’m glad they kept the good comments in there.”
MacQuarrie also noted the constructive criticism he appreciated from the panelists. He talked about one suggesting the Urban Vendor needed more of a unique identity.
“I see the point they made by saying, ‘any other business can do the exact same thing,’” MacQuarrie, who came up with Urban Vendor concept in August of 2009, said. “They can come in at any time so I’ve definitely been thinking of ways to stand out, be a purple cow in the industry and do things differently.
“It could be our attention to detail and how we do things differently that could make us stand out. And sure, it could be replicated and duplicated, but it wouldn’t be as authentic as the Urban Vendor’s way.”
For now, MacQuarrie is revaluating his business while fielding calls and offers that have come in following his appearance on the show.
Wilson, an Oakville, Ont. native, has stayed in the Toronto area and has begun working on new projects and ventures.
MacQuarrie reflected back on what he called a “crazy experience” starting with the drive to Toronto for the taping of the show.
“It was, basically, the worst week possible because it was during finals and we both had a final the morning we drove,” he said, noting the day also included a meeting with a potential client in Halifax and errands such as picking up his suit, cleaning up the machine and visiting the storage unit to fill it with snacks.
“It was like midnight when we were finally on the road and we drove from Halifax to Toronto, non-stop, without sleeping. We were just taking turns driving.”
As for his time at St. F.X. and in Antigonish, the political science student said he was grateful for all the resources available, such as St. F.X. Enterprise Development Centre (XEDC) and the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC).
MacQuarrie added that the biggest thing to him was that there were so many opportunities around the campus a student could take advantage of.
“Being house president at MacIsaac and working at organizing things (in that role) and socializing through Theatre Antigonish,” he said. “I was very active with Theatre Antigonish and I loved that organization.
“Those two things definitely helped me out and just getting to know people on campus. I would say, X in general, is just a very friendly atmosphere. That always helps,” he said.