A U of G student-led team of entrepreneurs placed in the top 10 among 58 post-secondary institutions across Canada in the 2015 Enactus Canada Student Entrepreneur National Competition. The team was also named the National Rookie Champion, an honour that goes to the start-up team whose project helps empower people in their community.

With the support of U of G’s Centre for Business and Student Enterprise (CBaSE), the team pitched their business ideas to a panel of more than 70 judges at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from May 11 to 13.

The three U of G student projects that represented Enactus Guelph were:

Lucky Iron Fish: a fish-shaped piece of iron placed into boiling water used for cooking helps prevent anemia in people living in developing countries by providing about 75 per cent of the human body’s daily iron requirements.

Desi Hangover: an artisan shoe company helps preserve the traditional art of shoemaking in India as well as improve the lives of those living in poverty by employing local workers and providing educational programs for their children.

Garden2Table: teaches local schoolchildren where their food comes from and how it grows by bringing them to the on-campus garden run by the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF). After visiting the garden, students learn how to cook healthy meals in a fun interactive cooking lesson.

Enactus Canada is an international non-profit organization that promotes student leadership development through entrepreneurship.