CALGARY, ALBERTA (March 7, 2016) – Two student teams from Mount Royal University and the University of Saskatchewan have been named 2016 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge Regional Champions by this country’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and proud program supporter, TD Bank Group.
The TD Entrepreneurship Challenge is a national competition empowering post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach relevant entrepreneurship skills to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Since 2007, 11,127 students have exposed 59,086 people to entrepreneurship as a viable career path and have positively impacted 11,787 entrepreneurs.
“At TD, we know that entrepreneurship drives innovation,” says Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Group. “We are excited to support Enactus Canada’s TD Entrepreneurship Challenge to give post-secondary students the chance to develop their entrepreneurial skills and deliver projects that encourage the ongoing growth of successful Canadian entrepreneurs.”
Student teams from across Western Canada showcased their projects to panels of industry professionals on March 4 in Calgary. The champion Enactus student teams stood out to judges because they provided aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge and community connections to realize their passion.
The following are the winning projects that are using entrepreneurial action to transform lives:
Through Project Stoke, Enactus Mount Royal trained local craftsmen in Kenya to assemble efficient stoves that produce much less smoke, reducing respiratory illness, decreasing indoor air pollution and strengthening the local economy. This year, the project created two new business and impacted 925 people.
The Enactus team at the University of Saskatchewan provided startup and expansion capital to aboriginal youth ages 16 – 35 across Saskatchewan through the Aboriginal Youth Idea Challenge (AYIC). AYIC is a workshop series and business plan competition that created three new businesses and exposed 31 people to entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
“These teams are making a real difference in the lives of people in need through their entrepreneurship education projects,” says Nicole Almond, president of Enactus Canada. “They are a perfect example of how Enactus student leaders are transforming lives through entrepreneurial action.”
These teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 2-4 at the 2016 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Toronto, Ontario.
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ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country’s largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,650 entrepreneurial postsecondary students led 288 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast to coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
Media Inquiries:
Jody Lundrigan
Director of Communications
Enactus Canada
E: jody@enactus.ca
P:416.304.1566 ext.222
M: 416.346.0131