Brigham Young University-Hawaii Crowned Enactus United States National Champion in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The student team from Brigham Young University-Hawaii in Laie, HI, earned $10,000 in prize money and was named the 2018 Enactus United States National Champion Tuesday night at the Enactus United States National Exposition presented by Hallmark Cards, Inc., at the Kansas City Convention Center, Kansas City, MO.
www.enactusunitedstates.org
Hundreds of senior executives from America's most well-known companies, including Hallmark Cards, Inc., BIC Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Schwan's Food Company, Unilever, Walmart Inc. and KPMG LLP networked with over 1,000 college and university students and judged the entrepreneurial projects created and implemented by Enactus teams from 87 colleges and universities that each won regional competitions around the country.
Brigham Young University-Hawaii's RiceUp project bridges the economic gap between Filipino farmers and their markets. The project, which benefits farmers and consumers, utilizes innovative technology to simplify food supply logistics, equips farmers with enhanced skills through education, and develops sustainable community models through agri-preneurship. It has resulted in 10 new business ventures and 14 jobs, generating $105,000 in cost savings to date.
The team will represent the United States alongside 35 other countries at the 2018 Enactus World Cup, October 9-11 in San Jose, California.
"On behalf of Hallmark, I want to congratulate every student who participated," says Dave Hall, President, Hallmark Cards, Inc. "Year after year, we continue to be impressed with the level of talent and innovation showcased during the Enactus competition, and this year is no exception. Every team should be proud of what they have accomplished and feel good knowing that, when they put their ideas to the test, they have the ability to create a better, more sustainable world."
National competition began on Monday, May 21 with teams delivering live, multi-media presentations describing their project outcomes to panels of senior business leaders, specifically on how the team created sustainable impact economically, socially or environmentally by using entrepreneurial action. When they were not competing, Enactus students interviewed for jobs and internships at the Career Fair where recruiters vied aggressively to attract this exceptional talent and, in many cases, offered jobs on the spot.
"I am always humbled and inspired by the work done by our Enactus teams," says Alex Perwich, President, Enactus United States. "The excitement of picking the US National Championship team will soon pass, but the impact of the work Enactus teams do every day across this country and the world will endure and create lasting change. I leave Kansas City with a renewed faith in our collective future. Congratulations to our National Champions, Brigham Young University-Hawaii; I wish you continued success at the Enactus World Cup competition in San Jose, CA."
The other teams placing in the top four were:
2nd: Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
3rd: Coker College, Hartsville, SC
4th: City University of Seattle, Seattle, WA
About Enactus
At Enactus, we believe investing in students who take entrepreneurial action for others creates a better world for us all. Enactus develops college students into leaders who use business to solve community challenges, creating sustainable improvements in the lives of the people their projects serve, and in turn, the lives of the students themselves. As the largest experiential learning platform in the world devoted to social entrepreneurial action, Enactus has more than 72,000 student participants on over 1,700 campuses in 36 countries. For more information, contact Enactus World Headquarters at 417-575-3556 or www.enactusunitedstates.org.
*Enactus United States National Expo photos, video & interviews available
Contact:
Ellen Langas, NouSoma Communications, Inc.
Office 610-658-5889, [email protected]
Rachel Mobley, Enactus United States
417-575-3556, [email protected]
SOURCE Enactus
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