Enactus SFU teams demonstrate innovation and impact at Canada Western Regional Exposition

Enactus SFU teams showcased their impact at the Enactus Canada Western Regional Exposition, a competition where teams present the results of applied community impact projects and business ventures to a judging panel. This year’s exposition took place March 14-15 in Calgary with 15 additional post-secondary institutions competing.

As a global network of chapters in 33 countries, Enactus provides an experiential learning opportunity for young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship to solve the world’s most pressing problems.

Enactus SFU members and faculty work in partnership with industry professionals and community leaders to create projects that address challenges locally and globally. This year, 90 SFU students dedicated more than 10,000 hours to address social, economic, and environmental issues.

The chapter’s five community impact projects tackled issues ranging from food waste and the lack of comprehensive education in Nepal, to homelessness and social isolation in seniors, bee pollination, and water advisories in Canadian Indigenous communities.

Over the past five years, Enactus SFU members have given over 73,000 hours to improving the lives of more than 6,600 individuals. These applied projects in local and global communities relate directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reflect SFU’s commitment to advancing these goals.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Enactus SFU focused on specific SDGs, namely #1 (No Poverty), #3 (Good Health and Well-Being), #4 (Quality Education), #6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), #10 (Reduced Inequalities), #11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and #13 (Climate Action).

“Combine engaged students and opportunities to be community activators, and what you will find is that they ‘Dare to Do’,” says Sam Thiara, faculty advisor and SFU Beedie lecturer. “Over the years, Enactus SFU has created programs that have supported various groups nationally and internationally. This year, our students have embraced a 3E approach: Explore challenges; Experience the learning required to discover solutions; Embrace the work to get things done. Our team will not be bystanders in life.”

Enactus SFU members started the project ideation process in July 2023 and conducted need assessments to identify relevant community issues. The five project teams then planned and executed their social initiatives, driven by the support of a leadership team. The exposition was the culmination of their efforts, presenting their learnings and impact.

“Competing at Enactus Regionals 2024 has been the highlight of my time at SFU,” says Christine Hu, student member. “It’s been an incredible journey cultivating a deeper bond with my team, while showcasing the relentless dedication towards our projects.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together – placing for all competed projects is just the cherry on top! This experience has shown me that when you combine hard work with genuine enjoyment, magic happens.”

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Enactus Canada Western Regional Exposition Results

Innovation and Impact Challenge – 1st Place
Project: Aqua Analyzer, a water quality tester addressing long-term water advisories across Canada.
Presenters: Justin Brower, Savar Gupta
Designer: Jenna Emperador
Coaches: Amber Sun, Devan Parmar
Project Manager: Claudia Arana Leon

Entrepreneurship Challenge – 2nd Place
Project: Himalayan SKYES addresses the lack of comprehensive business education in Nepal.
Presenters: Cameron Miranda, Lauren Riestra
Designer: Stephanie Ma
Coaches: Elena Pantazopoulos, Dan Seo
Project Manager: Eva Chan

Environmental Sustainability Challenge – 2nd Place
Projects: BeeKind Co., a social enterprise encouraging circularity through bee pollination and
Second Savour, addressing food waste.
Presenters: Christine Hu, David Guo, Cedric Tanafranca
Designer: Celine August
Coaches: Emily Kim, Henry Nguyen
Project Manager, BeeKind Co.: Brandon Xu
Project Manager, Second Savour: Colin Jeon

Youth Empowerment Challenge
Project: Himalayan SKYES
Presenters: Eva Chan, Ethan Chan
Designer: Ana Lizarraga
Coaches: Rachel Vicencio, Wayne Yan Muk

In addition to the projects presented at Canada Western Regional Exposition, Enactus SFU initiated Kindred Knots to provide essential clothing articles to those who are unhoused and to combat social isolation for elders through interactive knitting/sewing sessions. Kindred Knots was supported by project manager Willis Leung.

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