(TORONTO) 25 May 2020 – Sierra Scott, student at St. Clair College, was named the 2020 HSBC Woman Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year by Canada’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and long-time program partner, HSBC Bank Canada.
Sierra Scott’s entrepreneurial journey started when she launched her first Enactus project, InterAct, an initiative that provides access to employment and financial literacy opportunities to almost 650 students a year. Looking to broaden her leadership skills, Sierra also worked with a non-profit in Indonesia where she helped better the lives of 20,000 youth and personally mentored 20 entrepreneurs to help them start their own ventures.
The HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Award is designed to recognize, celebrate and honour women university and college students who exemplify success and inspire their peers, community and country through entrepreneurial leadership. The program has been running for ten years and has engaged hundreds of women leaders across the country. The award announcement took place at the 2020 Virtual Enactus Canada National Exposition.
“Congratulations to Sierra Scott, whose achievements offer a glimpse of what’s to come from the next generation of strong women leaders in Canada,” says Kim Hallwood, Head of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Bank Canada. “Supporting Sierra and others like her is part of our commitment to help communities develop the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the global economy.
In recognition of the national award, Sierra Scott and the Enactus team at St. Clair College will receive a $2,500 bursary and a $5,000 project grant to be used in the development and delivery of an initiative focused on the advancement of women in their community.
The top 50 award applicants were invited to participate in the HSBC Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum held as part of the 2020 Virtual Enactus Canada National Exposition. This forum inspires open dialogue, builds leadership aptitude and establishes connections amongst generations of top entrepreneurial women leaders.
The following five students were also named as finalists for the award, receiving a $1,000 bursary and $2,500 project grant:
- Courtney Rowsell from Memorial University of Newfoundland helped her team launch HeartStarter, an automated external defibrillator locating mobile app that aims to increase the chance of survival for cardiac arrest victims.
- Phoebe Mariankis from the University of Alberta started her own sole proprietorship, Blossoms & Bubbles, which unites community members through floral arrangement workshops.
- Jana Ham from the University of Regina launched Sask Masks in 10 days by recruiting a team to make face masks to help combat COVID-19, while also donating over $1,500 to local charities.
- Ashnaf Tazrian Zara from Seneca College was tasked with the job of rebuilding her Enactus team and helped them successfully launch two new projects under her leadership: R3, a program that provides homeless individuals a job to sort recycling for income and Aspire, an entrepreneurial crash course for students to help them start their own businesses.
- Abbey Bibbings from Wilfrid Laurier University – Waterloo helped pivot two of Enactus Laurier’s legacy projects, including Pollination, to which she added a component focused on educating youth, helping the formerly struggling team earn their first regional championship titles in over a decade.
The Enactus Canada National Exposition unites 1,500 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 competition updates, visit enactus.ca. All event results will also be published on 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 3,400 post-secondary students led 267 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 50,000 lives.
As a global network of 37 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 internationally through three global business lines: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Wealth and Personal Banking. The HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services groups with assets of US$2,918bn at 31 March 2020. Linked by advanced technology, the HSBC Group serves customers worldwide across 64 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Media Inquiries:
Jennifer Falzon
Vice President, Programs & Marketing
Enactus Canada
jen@enactus.ca | 416.304.1566 x222 | 416.315.2099