- Contact Us
- Partners & Employers
- About
- Admissions
- Programs
- Student Experience
- Current Students
- Faculty & Research
- Alumni
- News & Events
- Faculty & Staff Portal
Competitions, Undergraduate Students, News, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Enactus SFU earns top honours at Western Canada Regional Exposition
Students from SFU’s Beedie School of Business are celebrating an exceptional showing at the Enactus Western Canada Regional Exposition, where Enactus SFU placed first overall among 18 universities. The result marks the team’s best competition performance in the past nine years and the second-best in its 32-year history.
The competition, held in Richmond this past weekend, brought together student teams from across Western Canada to present entrepreneurial projects designed to address social, environmental, and economic challenges. Enactus SFU achieved the highest number of placements across all challenge categories, earning two first-place and two second-place finishes across the four competition tiers.
“It’s been an incredible honour to witness the hard work of Enactus SFU come to life on stage and be recognized at this level,” said Cameron Miranda and Lauren Riestra, presidents of Enactus SFU, in a joint statement. “We’re immensely proud of every student who competed and contributed to this win. Three years ago, we began our Enactus journey as coordinators and even presented together at Regionals, so returning now as Presidents and bringing the trophy back home to SFU feels like a true full-circle moment.
“As we look ahead to Nationals, we’re excited for the opportunity to represent SFU on the national stage as we know the job isn’t finished yet.”
A collaborative, cross-campus effort
Enactus SFU is one of the largest teams in the country among the 77 post-secondary institutions that make up Enactus Canada. The student-led organization brings together 157 members from across SFU, including students from SFU Beedie, the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), School of Communication, School of Engineering Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, and Faculty of Science.
By combining expertise from different disciplines, the team develops innovative projects that tackle complex challenges while creating measurable impact.
The strong sense of community was evident at the regional competition, where approximately 100 members of the team travelled to Richmond to support their peers—the largest delegation at the event.
Award-winning projects
Entrepreneurship Challenge — 1st Place
Project: SKYES
SKYES equips youth in South and Southeast Asia with entrepreneurship education and mentorship, empowering them to build sustainable ventures and create economic opportunities in their local communities.
Presenters: Akshaj Shrestha, Francesca Yalung
Designer: Neal Sison
Coaches: David Guo, Brandon Xu, Eva Yeung
Community Empowerment Challenge — 1st Place
Project: Unify
Unify supports newcomers to Canada through a digital platform and community programming designed to help individuals navigate settlement resources, build connections, and integrate more confidently into Canadian society.
Presenters: Patty Rattanaleelart, Liam Santos
Designer: Ellie Kim
Coaches: Wayne Yan Muk, Rachel Vicencio
Environmental Sustainability Challenge — 2nd Place
Project: Nourish
Nourish upcycles imperfect fruit into nutritious snacks, including low-sugar gummies packed with protein and fibre. By transforming surplus produce into convenient snacks, the initiative helps reduce food waste while promoting healthier food options.
Presenters: Winnie Wang, Hussain Naqvi
Designer: Rebecca Yeung
Coaches: Sophia Nguyen, Harneet Gill
Innovation & Impact Challenge — 2nd Place
Project: Unify
Unify also secured second place in the Innovation & Impact Challenge, highlighting the project’s scalable approach to supporting newcomer integration and community connection.
Presenters: Joaquin Ofreneo, Michelle So
Designer: Michelle Lee
Coaches: Daniel Furlot, Tim MacDougall
Looking ahead to the national stage
At the Enactus Western Canada Regional Exposition, each challenge category includes two tiers, with the first-place winners advancing to the Enactus Canada National Exposition. Following their strong regional performance, Enactus SFU is now preparing to represent the university at the national competition in Montreal in early May.
The team is currently refining its presentations and projects as it prepares to compete against top student teams from across Canada.
In addition to competing within individual challenge categories, the Enactus Canada National Exposition will also feature an overall competition where one team represents their entire university on the national stage. The national champion advances to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup, competing against top student teams from around the world. This year, Enactus SFU presidents Cameron Miranda and Lauren Riestra will represent Simon Fraser University in the overall competition.
Leadership through entrepreneurial action
Enactus is an international non-profit organization that brings together students, academic institutions, and business leaders to create positive social, environmental, and economic impact through entrepreneurial action.
At its core, Enactus empowers students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world challenges. Student teams design and implement projects that support entrepreneurs, assist newcomers, promote sustainability, and improve well-being in communities around the world.
Through this work, students gain hands-on experience in leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving—while demonstrating how business can be a powerful force for good.