Post-Secondary Students Across Canada Titled Regional Champions for Promoting Entrepreneurial Growth

(TORONTO, ON) March 15, 2022 – Students from Okanagan College developed Unusually Good Food Co. - An innovative solution that prevents apple spoilage and helps feed their local community.

Students at the British Columbia Institute of Technology have started Ra Solutions, and have engineered a solar dehydrator that reduces crop waste for farmers by dehydrating produce that would otherwise go to waste and helping them create a second revenue stream by selling it at local markets.

Enactus Lambton College created Project One Circle to address food security concerns in First Nations communities by implementing greenhouses, aquaponics facilities, and food forests.

Project FLY is a developmental workshop series started by students at the University of Ottawa that empowers aspiring youth entrepreneurs by teaching them valuable entrepreneurial skills.

The Enactus team from Wilfried Laurier University is using innovative techniques to create eco-friendly alternatives to traditional construction materials with EcoHomes.

Textbook Osmosis was created by students at Mount Allison University to address the issue of inaccessibility to educational resources for students and the rise in textbook waste going to landfills.

A group of students from Saint Mary’s University launched Square Roots to empower inspiring entrepreneurs by helping them plan and launch their very own businesses.

Thanks to these initiatives, Enactus Okanagan College, Enactus British Columbia Institute of Technology, Enactus Lambton College, Enactus University of Ottawa, Enactus Wilfrid Laurier University, Enactus Mount Allison University, and Enactus Saint Mary's University have been named 2022 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge Regional Champions. The teams were chosen by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter TD Bank Group.

“Now more than ever, Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses need our support,” said Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. “This is why we are so incredibly proud to see the positive change Enactus students are creating in communities through entrepreneurship.”

In addition to their core purpose of preventing apple spoilage, Enactus Okanagan College and their Unusually Good Food project has exposed 92 people to entrepreneurship. British Columbia Institute of Technology's Ra Solutions has helped 4 entrepreneurs create new revenue streams. Enactus Lambton College's Project One Circle has created new sources of revenue and sustainable food security for over 7,000 people. Project FLY from Enactus University of Ottawa has exposed over 500 people to entrepreneurship and created 11 new jobs. Enactus Wilfried Laurier University's EcoHomes initiative has the potential to upcycle over 195 thousand tonnes of plastic waste. Textbook Osmosis from Enactus Mount Allison University has created 6 jobs in their community. Square Roots from Enactus Saint Mary's University has started 4 businesses in their community this year.

In addition to the above-mentioned Regional Champions, Enactus Okanagan has also been named the Pitch Competition Champion for their Indigenous Art non-fungible token (NFT) idea after competing in a national live pitch competition.

"Congratulations to this year's regional champions of the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge and the Pitch Competition Champion," says Amy Hanen, Associate Vice President, Social Impact (Canada), TD Bank Group. "We're thrilled to continue supporting Enactus Canada through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank's global corporate citizenship platform. Together, we believe that entrepreneurial action from some of the country's brightest minds can truly help shape positive social and economic change in Canada for years to come."

Enactus Okanagan College, Enactus British Columbia Institute of Technology, Enactus Lambton College, Enactus University of Ottawa, Enactus Wilfrid Laurier University, Enactus Mount Allison University, and Enactus Saint Mary's University will now move on to the national level of competition taking place virtually in May 2022.

The TD Entrepreneurship Challenge is a national competition empowering post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach entrepreneurial skills to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Since 2007, 21,699 students have delivered over 2,500 entrepreneurship projects whilst directly impacting 23,734 entrepreneurs. The TD Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition was launched last year in an effort to encourage the generation of new project ideas.

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, a national charity and the country’s largest post-secondary experiential learning platform, is shaping entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social, and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 3,000 post-secondary students led 232 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 21,000 lives.

As a global network of 35 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.