(MONTREAL, QC) May 2, 2023 – MacKenna Lenarcic, student at the Okanagan College, was named 2023 HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leader by Canada’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and long-time program partner, HSBC Bank Canada.
MacKenna is an extraordinary and passionate individual who has gone above and beyond through her collaborative and inclusive leadership style. She inspires those around her every day and took the initiative to create new collaborations with other Enactus teams within Canada and internationally. Beyond her involvement within Enactus, she developed and implemented a peer mentorship program for her institution’s School of Business, which helped to connect new business students with experienced student mentors. And as one of her fellow Enactus team members stated, “she does all of this with a gentle ferocity that leaves no student behind.”
The HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership award is designed to recognize, celebrate and honour female university and college students who exemplify success and inspire their peers, community and country through entrepreneurial leadership. The program has been running for more than 10 years and has engaged hundreds of women leaders across the country. The award announcement took place at the 2023 Enactus Canada National Exposition today.
“We are so proud to recognize and reward Canada’s next-gen female leaders through our partnership with Enactus,” says Caroline Tose, Chief Operation Office, HSBC Bank Canada. “Congratulations to all the nominees and the 2023 HSBC Woman Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year, MacKenna – you are an inspiration to young women everywhere!”
In addition to receiving the national award, MacKenna, was also awarded a $5,000 bursary to support her educational and entrepreneurial leadership journey.
The top 50 award applicants were also invited to participate in the HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum held as part of the 2023 Enactus Canada National Exposition. The forum inspires open dialogue, builds leadership aptitude and establishes connections amongst generations of top entrepreneurial women leaders.
The following nine students were also recipients of the HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Award and will receive a $2,500 bursary:
- Kirsten Lawrence, Acadia University
- Zaira Gala Borj, Nova Scotia Community College – Ivany
- Madison Mack, Dalhousie University
- Kayla Arthur, SAIT
- Lydia Lee, Saint Mary’s University
- Morgan Gordon, Lakehead University
- Freshta Khidri, NAIT
- Anjana Balachandran, University of Ottawa
- Gabrielle Plourde, HEC Montreal
The Enactus Canada National Exposition is an annual three-day event that unites hundreds of delegates including the country’s brightest university and college students, academic professionals and top Canadian CEOs to enable progress by supporting entrepreneurial action through competition, recognition and education.
For more information about the event, competition updates, and results, visit enactus.ca/events/national-exposition.
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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 188 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 30,000 lives.
As a global network of 33 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
ABOUT HSBC BANK CANADA:
HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in the country. We help companies and individuals across Canada to do business and manage their finances here and internationally through four businesses: Commercial Banking, Wealth and Personal Banking, Global Banking, and Markets and Securities Services.
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC Bank Canada, is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 62 countries and territories. With assets of US$2,990bn at 31 March 2023, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations.
For more information visit www.hsbc.ca or follow us on Twitter: @HSBC_CA or Facebook: @HSBCCanada
Media Inquiries:
Tyler Maddigan
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Enactus Canada
tyler@enactus.ca | 709.725.8931