Canada’s Search for Student Entrepreneurs Begins

TORONTO: If you are a full-time college or university student in Canada and run your own business (or know someone who is), now’s the time to submit your nomination for the Enactus Student Entrepreneur National Competition, proudly presented by HSBC Bank Canada.

Twelve finalists will pitch their businesses to a panel of executives and compete for $10,000. The Student Entrepreneur National Runner-Up will receive $4,000, and the Second Runner-Up will receive a $2,000.

“This is an incredible opportunity for student entrepreneurs to gain exposure for their businesses,” says Nicole Almond, president of Enactus Canada. “Entrepreneurs are the foundation of this country and we are proud to support young, hardworking students who are creating new jobs and working together to advance the Canadian economy.”

The Student Entrepreneur National Competition helps young business leaders network with like-minded students, showcase their venture to top executives and entrepreneurs, and accelerate the growth of their businesses.

Past winners include Ross Arsenault of Ashored Innovations, a business dedicated to developing sustainability-enabling technologies for the commercial fishing industry, Amr Abdelgawad, COO of a health tech startup, and Alex MacLean, founder of EastCoast Lifestyle, a notorious clothing brand worn by celebrities such as Sidney Crosby and Ed Sheeran.

Last year, Blair Forrest of AMZ Prep Canada and full-time student at Wilfrid Laurier University was named 2020 Student Entrepreneur National Champion. AMZ Prep Canada helps businesses sell their products on Amazon’s marketplace.

Nominations due November 16, 2020 at enactus.ca/nominate-a-student-entrepreneur.

To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

Be a full-time student at a Canadian university or college for the current academic year
Be a founder and have at least 25% ownership of the company with no other individual or group with greater ownership
Have not been a previous National Champion of this competition or competed in the final round of competition last year.

Enactus Canada 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 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 275 community outreach projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 39,000 lives. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.