Niagara College’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team claimed the 2010 TD SIFE Entrepreneurship Challenge Regional Championship at the 2010 Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Central Canada Regional Exposition in Toronto on March 8.
The SIFE Niagara College team was represented by fourth-year Bachelor of Applied Business – International Commerce and Global Development student Kari Spry (Cobourg, ON), past President of SIFE Niagara, presenter and team leader on the presentation team; second-year Business Sales and Marketing students Yusuf Serag el-din (Sudbury, ON), Ethics Manager of SIFE Niagara and presenter; Tarig Serag el-din (Sudbury, ON), VP Marketing of SIFE Niagara and presenter; and third-year Business Administration – Marketing student Akwasi Nti Bonsu (Welland, ON), Program Manager of SIFE Niagara and technology operator. Business professor Robert Greene serves as SIFE Niagara College Faculty Advisor.
SIFE Niagara College also took second place in the HSBC SIFE Financial Education Challenge.
“We are very honoured and excited to have won this award,” said Spry. “It’s great to see all of our hard work recognized and it truly inspires us to continue to create a positive impact in our community.”
SIFE teams throughout Ontario and Quebec were judged by live panels of business professionals in their ability to provide guidance and mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the year, by working directly with local businesses to help improve operations, profitability and job creation. Teams were provided with the necessary tools and training by ACE to develop and implement their extensive projects.
SIFE Niagara College claimed first place in the 2010 TD SIFE Entrepreneurship Challenge with its dedication to underprivileged cooperatives in developing countries, aspiring student entrepreneurs and current business owners. All projects in operation are at no cost to the participants.
Through the Fair Trade Niagara project, SIFE Niagara College helps create economic opportunities for underprivileged cooperatives in developing countries, while creating international and local jobs. Currently, the team is working with three counties, South Africa, Argentina and Peru, creating 17 jobs and over $275,000 in economic opportunity.
The team’s Ready. Set. Succeed. project educates and assists entrepreneurs in the Niagara Region in creating a sustainable business through one-on-one mentorship. To date, this project has created 19 jobs and over $650,000 in economic opportunity.
As the 2010 ACE Central Canada Regional Champion, SIFE Niagara College will continue on to the National Competition of the SIFE TD Entrepreneurship Challenge in Calgary, Alberta, on May 11.
Founded in the mid-1980s, Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a national, charitable organization that is teaching and igniting young Canadians to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. ACE delivers a team-based program called Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and an individual-based program, the Student Entrepreneur National Competition. These programs provide university and college students access to real world experience, through the implementation of outreach projects and business ventures that complement in-class studies. Students involved in ACE make a meaningful contribution to their communities today, and discover their potential to achieve an even greater impact as the leaders of tomorrow. Last year, ACE students created 600 jobs, logged 260,000 volunteer hours, impacted 63,000 people, and generated over $40 million in economic activity. ACE is currently established on over 50 post-secondary campuses across Canada.
Niagara College is one of Ontario’s 24 publicly-funded Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. With 8,000 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, applied health and community safety, and the College is home to the globally-recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and Niagara College Teaching Winery. In 2008, Niagara College launched an unprecedented $90 million campus redevelopment project, which is scheduled for completion in 2011. For more information, visit www.NiagaraCollege.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Robert Greene
Professor, Business and Entrepreneurship
Niagara College
905-641-2252, ext. 4132
rgreene@niagaracollege.ca
Kari Spry
SIFE Niagara College
905-969-0342
karispry@hotmail.com
Posted by Niagara College Communications 