Cambrian College students place third in Central Ontario Entrepreneurship Challenge – March 11

SUDBURY – A team of international students from Cambrian College placed third in their league at the Enactus Central Canada Innovation and Impact Challenge, held last week in Mississauga.

Team Enactus Cambrian, powered by Manitoulin Transport, is made up of 23 students in total, and a team of six competed at the event. They are from Colombia, Ghana, Mexico, and Nepal and enrolled in various programs including Honours Bachelor of Business Administration, Business Analytics, Computer Programming – Internet of Things, Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Public Relations.

In the competition, students had to identify, create and deliver projects that addressed real-world problems. Teams were judged on how well they defined and researched the problem, their use of innovation and collaboration, the strength of their business model, and the impact their solution had on the problem.

The real-world problem addressed by Team Cambrian was how to connect newcomers and existing Northern Ontario residents with local businesses, attractions, and the community at large.

The team developed Passport to the North. Their idea included a social media contest to encourage youth to explore the north, advice from local businesspeople on how youth can be entrepreneurs, and an app promoting activities and businesses in the north.

For placing third, Team Cambrian, won a prize of $500.

“I am so proud of the Enactus student team,” says Jenna Guse, team coach and a professor and program coordinator for Cambrian’s Bachelor of Business Administration degree programs. “Our presenters Nicholas, Claudia, and Ines did a fantastic job presenting the Passport to the North project using their own personal stories. Manoj, Keshab, and Bernardo were responsible for the tech setup during the presentation, and everything went perfectly due to their practice and hard work. The judges commented that they were impressed with the team’s storytelling ability and passion to make a difference! I can’t wait to see the impact Enactus Cambrian makes in Northern Ontario as they continue to work on the Passport to the North project!”

It was the second time in a year that team member Nicholas Arkuh of Ghana has found himself on the podium at a high-level competition. Last November, Arkuh, who is enrolled in Cambrian’s Honours Bachelor of Business Administration program, placed third in Advanced Marketing Strategy at the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition.

“I’m so happy to have worked with this group of hard-working and creative friends,” says Arkuh. “We enjoyed every moment of our time here. This is a small team with big dreams!”

For team co-president Claudia Patricia Rodriguez Salas of Colombia, a student in Cambrian’s Public Relations program, the competition pushed her out of her comfort zone.

“There were moments when I felt nervous and doubted myself, but pushing past that fear was so worth it,” explains Rodriguez Salas. “I couldn’t be prouder of our team. We are students from all over the world, each bringing unique cultures, perspectives, and ideas. Our diversity didn’t just make our conversations richer; it made our teamwork unstoppable. What truly brought us together was a shared passion to have a positive impact in our new home, Canada. That’s what makes us change makers.”

Honours Bachelor of Business Administration and Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Management are part of Cambrian’s Douglas A. Smith Family School of Business. Learn more at www.cambriancollege.ca/business.

Business Analytics and Computer Programming – Internet of Things are two of the programs in Cambrian’s School of Information Technology. View the full list at www.cambriancollege.ca/IT.

Public Relations is one of the programs in Cambrian’s School of Creative Industries. Find out more at www.cambriancollege.ca/creative.

Photo: Team Enactus at Cambrian College, powered by Manitoulin Transport, placed third at the recent Enactus Central Canada Innovation and Impact Challenge in Mississauga. Members of the team include (left to right): Bernardo Montero Jimenez (Mexico), Ines Montero Jimenez (Mexico), Nicholas Arkuh (Ghana), Claudia Patricia Rodriguez Salas (Colombia), Keshab Kumar Pathak (Nepal), and Manoj Shrestha (Nepal).