Okanagan College and University of British Columbia named the 2019 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge Regional Champions
(Calgary) March 4, 2019: Student teams at Okanagan College and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have been named the 2019 TD Entrepreneurship Challenge Regional Champions by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter TD Bank Group. Both teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 8, 2019 at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Vancouver.
The Enactus team at Okanagan College was recognized for developing a new solar-powered phone charging station, ReCharge, aimed at bringing attention to clean energy while enabling people to enjoy the outdoors while charging their electronic devices. In Vancouver, the team at the UBC created Ennovate, an entrepreneurship education program for high school students that involves education, competitions, and powerful networking opportunities with local social entrepreneurs and professionals.
“Entrepreneurship plays an essential role in the long-term economic success and sustainability of our country,” said Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. “This challenge helps us promote entrepreneurial growth across Canada and helps student entrepreneurs of tomorrow develop innovative ideas that benefit communities across the country.”
The Enactus Okanagan College team expects to have 20 units sold and in operation by end of year, and has leveraged the same solar technology for a new product aimed at providing clean drinking water to communities in Nigeria. Ennovate has directly impacted 200 students at 8 local schools this year.
“I’d like to congratulate this year’s champions of the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge,” says Valerie Picher, Assistant Vice President of Community Relations, TD Bank Group. “Through their ideas and ventures these champions can help address important social, economic and environmental issues being felt in communities across Canada. As part of TD’s corporate citizenship platform, The Ready Commitment, we are proud to support Enactus Canada which is helping to create a generation of business leaders who are passionate about building a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow.”
The TD Entrepreneurship Challenge is a national competition empowering post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach entrepreneurial skills to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Since 2007, 17,048 students have delivered over 2,191 entrepreneurship projects, exposing 114,899 people to entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
Student teams demonstrated the impact of their entrepreneurial projects to panels of business executives on March 1 in Calgary as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Western Canada.
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 3,498 post-secondary students led 275 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, positively impacting over 28,000 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. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
About TD Global Corporate Citizenship
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, The Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through The Ready Commitment TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/thereadycommitment
À propos de la responsabilité sociale à l’échelle mondiale de la TD
La TD est déterminée depuis longtemps à enrichir la vie de ses clients, de ses collègues et de ses collectivités. Dans le cadre de sa plateforme d’entreprise citoyenne, La promesse Prêts à agir, la TD vise un don aux collectivités d’un milliard de dollars canadiens (775 millions de dollars américains) au total d’ici 2030 dans quatre domaines essentiels pour ouvrir les portes à un avenir plus inclusif et durable : Sécurité financière, Planète dynamique, Collectivités inclusives et Meilleure santé. Par La promesse Prêts à agir, la TD aspire à relier ses activités, ses initiatives philanthropiques et son capital humain pour aider les gens à se sentir plus en confiance, pas seulement par rapport à leurs finances, mais aussi par rapport à leur capacité à atteindre leurs objectifs personnels dans un monde en évolution. Pour en savoir plus, visitez : www.td.com/lapromessepretsaagir
Media inquiries:
Heather Reinsborough
TD Bank Group
Heather.Reinsborough@td.com
416-413-3433