Enactus UFV reaches national semifinals

Enactus UFV team: (left to right) Sargun Gill, Ravjeet Dyal, Divjot Randhawa, Dr. Saeed Rahman, Ekkas Sandhu, Vaibhav Bector, Rebecca Whitmell

The UFV Enactus team, led by its faculty advisor Dr. Saeed Rahman and student president Michael Amirani, participated in the 2023 Enactus Canada National Exposition held May 1-3 in Montreal. The team showcased three of their ongoing projects through a 12-minute video presentation highlighting their accomplishments since the launch and over the past year. The projects included the Big Brain Literacy program, which covers financial literacy, Fraser Valley AgroConnect, and Oak & Earth, their social enterprise, all of which aim to make a positive impact on the community.

Enactus is a network of leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact. Their goal is to educate, inspire, and support young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship to solve the world’s biggest problems.

Competing against 44 other institutions, the UFV team earned a semi-finalist trophy, securing a place amongst the top 20 Enactus teams representing universities from across Canada.

The national expo was an opportunity for the students to enhance their presentation skills, learn about sustainable businesses run by other Enactus teams in the country, and connect with like-minded students and faculty members from all over Canada. The students found the experience to be memorable and inspiring. The team’s overall experience at the Expo will serve as a continued source of motivation for them to implement projects that will have a positive impact in their community.

“As the faculty advisor, I am immensely proud of the Enactus UFV team’s outstanding performance at the 2023 Enactus Canada National Exposition,” said Rahman. “Earning a semi-finalist trophy at the national level for the first time in our history showcases our unwavering commitment to creating sustainable solutions and making a positive impact in our community. It further reinforces the significance of Enactus UFV as a remarkable platform for our students to channel their passion for social entrepreneurship, sustainability and sustainable development goals.”

Standing: David Mburu, Ravjeet Dyal, Divjot Randhawa, Sargun Gill, Dr. Saeed Rahman, Rebecca Whitmell, Addy Schnider, Urvashi, Niranjana Geetha. Sitting: Ekkas Sandhu, Michael Amirani, Trisha Kumar, Vaibhav Bector.

Prior to competing at the nationals, the team reflected on why they were looking forward to the experience.

“It’s a celebration of our yearly achievements. All these Enactus teams we competed with, we were all there to celebrate our contributions to the bigger picture. We were excited to show what we have to offer, make friends, and network,” said Amirani.

His teammate and the 2021 Enactus president, Trisha Kumar, explained just how fierce the competition is.

“We’re a relatively new team: there are teams that have been running for 30 to 40 years, teams of 120 plus members. The teams we competed against at regionals had long-standing projects, so to win first place in the regional competition was super thrilling.”

Practising on campus: Left to right: Vaibhav Bector, Trisha Kumar, Niranjana Geetha, Ravjeet Dyal, Michael Amirani.

Dr. Rahman acknowledges the team’s accomplishments but knew the battle would be tough.

“We’re pushed ourselves 10 times more than for regionals. We’ve had such great support, trust, and contributions from the Faculty of Business and Computing. Our students can deliver, they can compete.”

To find out more about Enactus UFV and their community outreach projects, visit their website here.

You can also see their individual project pages to learn how they’re making a positive impact in the community:

The Big Brain Literacy Program: https://www.bigbrainliteracyprogram.com/

FraserValley AgroConnect: https://fraservalleyagroconnect.com/

Oak & Earth: https://oakandearth.square.site/