Enactus Guelph Recognized Among Top Student Sustainability Teams in the World
Enactus Guelph was recently recognized as the North American winner of the 2026 PRME Students Sustainability Awards, placing the team among the top eight student sustainability initiatives worldwide. The recognition highlights the organization’s growing impact on advancing sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and innovation both locally and internationally.
Within LANG, Enactus Guelph is a student-led organization dedicated to developing entrepreneurial projects that address real-world challenges while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and community partnerships, the team continues to demonstrate Business As a Force for Good ®.
This international placement reflects the success of several student-led ventures developed throughout the year.
Brewed Beauty transforms upcycled coffee grounds into sustainable personal care products.
ReduX repurposes surplus food waste into animal feed to support local farmers and reduce waste.
SeQUESTer (developed in partnership with iGEM Guelph) uses engineered yeast to detect and remove lead contaminants from water systems.
The team’s InvestEd initiative also received recognition for its efforts to improve financial literacy among students.
The award follows one of the most successful competitive seasons in Enactus Guelph’s recent history. At the Enactus Canada Central Regional Exposition held in March in Toronto, the team competed in four competitions and earned three regional championships, the strongest overall performance by any team in Canada at the event.
Brewed Beauty captured first place in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge with its innovative coffee-based body scrubs. ReduX earned first place in the Desjardins Community Empowerment Challenge for its work supporting farmers and food service providers through food waste upcycling. seQUESTer secured first place in the Innovation & Impact Challenge for its iGEM-inspired lead filtration system designed for water treatment applications. InvestEd also earned an honourable mention in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge for its work improving financial literacy and accessibility for students.
Following their regional success, Enactus Guelph travelled to Montreal this May to compete at the Enactus Canada National Exposition alongside regional champions and top student entrepreneurial teams from across the country.
At Nationals, the team delivered a series of focused five-minute pitches showcasing Brewed Beauty, ReduX, and seQUESTer. Team members described the experience as an important opportunity to learn what differentiates strong regional competitors from national champions.
The competition also included the prestigious Enactus Team Competition, where institutions competed for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup in Brazil. These 12-minute presentations required teams to demonstrate the collective impact, scalability, and measurable outcomes of all projects completed throughout the year.
Enactus Guelph advanced to the semi-finals and presented twice at the national level out of 49 post-secondary institutions across Canada, a significant accomplishment in one of the competition’s most competitive categories.
“Seeing Enactus Guelph recognized for both our regional and national wins is incredibly rewarding,” said co-president Daniel Grygorachyk. “These achievements represent months of hard work, collaboration, and passion from every member of the team. What makes me most proud is not just the awards themselves, but the meaningful impact our projects created within the community and the way our team continued to push each other to grow throughout the year.”
Kiyan Ladhani, co-president, shared the pride. “From winning three national Impact Challenges to growing our projects, partnerships, and community impact, this was a huge step forward for Enactus Guelph and a year that set a strong foundation for the future.”
Beyond the results themselves, team members emphasized the importance of the people and experiences that shaped the season. Enactus Guelph students contributed throughout the competition process, whether through presenting, managing technical operations, or supporting the team behind the scenes. Their professionalism, resilience, and collaboration were evident throughout the exposition.
Members also noted how strongly the spirit of “Business as a Force for Good ®” resonated within the team, a value deeply embedded within LANG. Among more than 500 conference participants, Enactus Guelph stood out not only for the quality of its ventures, but also for its energy, collegiality, and team spirit.
The organization also extended special thanks to faculty advisor Dr. Ruben Burga, LANG Assistant Professor in Management and the John F. Wood Centre for their continued mentorship and support throughout the season.
“This recognition reflects the passion and commitment of our students and community,” Dr. Burga shared. “We are leaving Nationals more motivated than ever for what’s ahead.”
Looking ahead, Enactus Guelph plans to continue expanding its impact through new sustainability-focused ventures, deeper community partnerships, and ongoing collaborations with organizations such as iGEM Guelph. As the team builds toward the future, members remain committed to advancing the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and creating meaningful, measurable change through social entrepreneurship.
To learn more about Enactus Guelph and their award-winning work, visit www.enactusguelph.com
