MVNU Enactus advances to national competition
MVNU’s Enactus chapter was named regional champion at the annual competition last month.
A team of 12 students presented on Project Cacao-a-bunga, an initiative to provide valuable entrepreneurial skills to the residents in the Toledo District of Belize.
The team will advance to the National Enactus Exposition taking place May 21-23 in Kansas City, Missouri.
There, the team will present the project to a panel of top executives from companies like Hershey, Walmart and Sam’s Club. The CEOs and CFOs will evaluate the team’s vision, goals, and project accomplishments.
“They don’t want to see us stuck,” said project co-leader and MVNU’s Enactus’ Vice President of Finance Cameron Mast. “They want to see us moving forward, establishing our project and making a difference in the community.”
MVNU’s project seeks to solve real problems in Belize “using management and strategic planning skills,” Mast said.
Specifically, the Project Cacao-a-bunga partners with San Vicente R.C. School in Belize to teach students business-related skills.
Enactus students discovered the school in Belize was not taking advantage of revenue opportunities available on the cacao (the bean chocolate is made from) farm located on school property.
The project seeks to teach the students valuable entrepreneurial skills while generating revenue for the area in a tangible way.
“We don’t want to hold the hand of who we are helping out,” Mast said. “We want to get to a point where they can manage the project themselves with the proper training and resources.”
Enactus stands for entrepreneurial, action and us. Members strive to create and implement business strategies locally and globally. It is a student-led organization with faculty and local business advisers.
With over 30 students involved, MVNU’s Enactus has been mainly a business-focused organization. However, the team is seeking students of other disciplines to get involved.
“Enactus is a great way to express creativity,” said Mast. “You can leave your footprint while learning to manage a team and work alongside others.”
The team is seeking students with a background in marketing, design, communication, biology, chemistry, engineering and much more. All students are welcome to contribute their passions and knowledge to help further the various projects.