Dal students create financial app that puts empowerment first

A group of Dalhousie students finished runner-up at the regional round of a university entrepreneurship competition with their project EviaFi, a financial wellness app that targets students and young professionals. 

The app was presented in the Enactus Atlantic Regional Exposition’s Innovation and Impact Challenge at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel on Feb. 27, in downtown Halifax. 

“We’re always proud of our team,” said Kinan Almallah, owner/operator of EviaFi.

“It’s always nice to win awards because it validates the hard work that you put in.” 

Almallah, a finance student in Dalhousie’s commerce program, explained that EviaFi is a mobile app that creates a path for users to build financial confidence with four personalized benchmarks that are unlocked over time.  

The four stages are: understanding income and expense; managing debt; building a savings plan; and creating long-term goals. When users are ready for the next stage, the app connects them with relevant financial services and referrals. 

“Instead of overwhelming users with everything at once, EviaFi shows one clear next step,” said Almallah in an interview after the presentation. 

EviaFi was presented at the Enactus Atlantic Regional Exposition by a student team that included Almallah, alongside Michelle Saulnier, who is double-majoring in psychology and Law, Justice and Society, management major Zachary Chabursky and computer science majors Sarah Whyte and Jai Sachdeva. 

The group presented EviaFi to a panel of eight judges, outlining the concept and development of the app before answering questions at the end of the presentation. 

EviaFi placed second of six universities in the innovation and impact category. Saint Mary’s University finished first, with a bioplastic they have developed from seaweed and other marine resources called Alaagi. 

Enactus Dalhousie plans to send about nine students presenting two projects to the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Montreal from May 6-8, where they will present three projects, including EviaFi. EviaFi’s runner-up finish earned $1,000 in funding for the program that will help cover transportation and accommodation costs at nationals. 

According to the organization’s website, Enactus is a network of young leaders committed to using innovation and entrepreneurship to fuel positive social change through innovative projects presented at regional, national and global competitions. 

Law student Daniela Arreola Gala is co-president of Enactus Dalhousie and said it has been amazing to watch the growth of Enactus over the last several years. 

“Last year our team was only four people,” said Arreola Gala. “Now we have over 30 people who have joined Enactus because they were super interested in the projects, and they’re all super committed. We’re really proud of them.” 

Almallah said he came up with the idea to create EviaFi when he was working at a bank, speaking to clients daily and observed that people wanted support with their finances but were overwhelmed and did not know where to begin. 

Almallah explained that many banking and budgeting apps track what has already happened, but don’t explain any clear next steps for improvement. 

A 2024 survey by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada showed that people aged 18 to 34 were more likely to seek financial advice than those over 35, but did so by turning to informal sources like family, friends and social media rather than professional advisors. 

Almallah said that said there is only so much financial advisors can do, because they are not available 24-7. 

“We need to focus on habits and education and (EviaFi is) a financial assistant friend that can be with you throughout the way, the whole time,” said Almallah.  

Almallah said EviaFi is in the development process with plans for a soft launch to the first 100 users in June 2026.