Business team makes its mark at Canadian finals

They didn’t win, but second place was considered a huge accomplishment for a group of business students from Okanagan College.

The college’s Enactus team came in second out of 70 college and university teams at the Enactus Canada Nationals last week in Montreal, after showcasing their business venture, the Unusally Good Food Company.

Since winning last year’s National title and placing in the top four teams in the world, the Unusually Good Food Company has expanded across Western Canada and its product is now available in 19 cities across the country. The social enterprise rescues apples that don’t fit appearance standards and turns them into apple chips and other products to combat food insecurity and food waste. This year it also expanded to include unusual cherries and grapes, and produces candles out of pomace, the waste left behind after fruit has been juiced.

The local group was also honoured with several team and individual awards.

President MacKenna Lenarcic, who has now completed her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the School of Business at OC, was named the HSBC Women Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year, receiving a $5,000 award to go towards her educational and leadership journey. The award is designed to recognize, celebrate and honour female university and college students who exemplify success and inspire their peers, community and country through entrepreneurial leadership.

“I am so grateful to have had the chance to work alongside such an amazing group of students, faculty, and community members who empower us to achieve our goals. Receiving this award is not just an individual recognition, but a testament to the incredible team efforts of Okanagan College,” Lenarcic remarked.

MacKenna Lenarcic was named the HSBC Women Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year (submitted photo)

Other student awards at the Nationals were given to Mandi Kohout, who received the John Dobson Bursary of $2,500 and Annika Kirk, who was awarded the Whitney Barham Social Justice Bursary of $2,500.

Peter Boyd of Peter’s Your Independent Grocer, was named Team Advisor of the Year, awarded to the business advisor that did the most outstanding job of assisting an Enactus team. Peter’s Your Independent Grocer was one of the first retailers to support the Unusually Good Food Company.

“I am incredibly humbled with being recognized as National Team Advisor for Enactus, but what I am most excited about is the brilliant young minds and the knowledge that they are the next generation of business leaders,” Boyd said.

Enactus OC, with 46 students across all OC campuses, also received the Enactus Canada Brand Champion Award at the Nationals, given to the team that has done an outstanding job increasing its profile through innovative marketing and media executions.

“On behalf of Okanagan College, I would like to congratulate MacKenna and the entire Enactus OC team as well as our community supporters and our faculty for their outstanding commitment in building the Unusually Good Food Company,” William Gillett, Dean of the School of Business, stated. “This social enterprise is not only providing our students with a tremendous education, but it truly is helping to fight food insecurity and food waste.”