Enactus Acadia Makes History on the National Stage
From transforming waste into climate solutions to reshaping youth mental health across the country, Enactus Acadia is proving that big change doesn鈥檛 require a big school鈥攋ust bold ideas and a team that believes in them.
This year, Enactus Acadia鈥攁 student-led social innovation club鈥攃aptured national attention at the 2025 Enactus Canada competitions. After a sweeping win at the Atlantic Regionals, the team advanced to the National Exposition in Calgary, where they competed against the country鈥檚 top student entrepreneurs and change-makers.
A Global Movement, Reignited at Acadia
Part of a global network spanning over 30 countries and 76 Canadian universities, Enactus empowers post-secondary students to use entrepreneurial action to build a more sustainable world. Acadia鈥檚 team, originally founded years ago, was reignited in 2022 under the leadership of Kirsten Lawrence (BBA 鈥�24), who rebuilt the group from the ground up after a pandemic hiatus. In just three years, Enactus Acadia has become one of the university鈥檚 most ambitious and impactful student organizations.
This year鈥檚 Enactus Acadia co-presidents Alex Dulay, Dawson McCulloch, and Rowan Norrad helped guide the team to unprecedented success, supported by a passionate group of students from across disciplines. Alex and Dawson are both third-year BBA students and Sobey Award winners. has been recognized for his recent participation at the CLIMAT summit in Norway.
At the 2025 Atlantic Regionals held in Halifax, the team secured first place in two national qualifying categories:
- Innovation & Impact Challenge 鈥� Biochar, led by Rowan Norrad (3rd year, Environmental Science), a sustainability-focused project converting organic waste into biochar, a carbon-sequestering material that boosts soil health and reduces emissions.
- Youth Empowerment Challenge 鈥� Resilient Youth, a mental health initiative led by first-year psychology student Sophia Rae, offering trauma-informed education and peer support for youth and educators. Sophia was recently named one of Atlantic Business Magazine鈥檚 Top 30 Under 30.
- They also took home 2nd place in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge 鈥� FoodSharing, a student-run program providing free community meals, improving food security, and reducing campus food waste.
National Recognition in Calgary
At the 2025 Enactus Canada National Exposition, held in Calgary in May, Enactus Acadia took their momentum to the national stage. The Resilient Youth project placed 2nd in the Youth Empowerment category, and the team advanced to the semi-final round in the Open Challenge, competing against Canada鈥檚 leading institutions.
Sophia Rae鈥檚 Resilient Youth initiative continues to gain traction, having already reached over 10,000 students and trained 141 educators in trauma-informed approaches. The project is now expanding nationally with support from new partners and launched its first conference this July, in collaboration with Yoga in Schools.
Meanwhile, Norrad鈥檚 Biochar project is piloting its first products locally and working with farmers and educators to demonstrate its potential in carbon capture and climate education.
A Team on the Rise
The 2024鈥�25 team included students from a variety of programs and years at Acadia who contributed across project teams, tech and presentation development, outreach, and competition prep. They were supported by Acadia鈥檚 Launchbox entrepreneurship hub, the Acadia Business School, and mentors like Kirsten Lawrence, Ashley Doyle (CPA, CA, MBA), and Dr. Kristin Williams.
鈥淭hese students represent the best of what Acadia has to offer,鈥� said Lawrence. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e creative, committed, and driven to lead change that matters.鈥�
Behind each of these initiatives is more than just vision鈥攊t鈥檚 infrastructure. Through the , student entrepreneurs at Acadia receive hands-on mentorship, funding, and the space to test bold ideas. This year, many Enactus projects got support through Launchbox鈥檚 Build a Business program and received critical support through the Launchbox Entrepreneur Awards, which recognize promising student ventures with financial backing, visibility, and mentorship. Several Enactus leaders鈥攊ncluding Sophia Rae, Rowan Norrad, Alex Dulay, and Dawson McCulloch 鈥攚ere recognized at the Launchbox Innovation Awards Banquet in March.
Looking Ahead
Whether addressing climate change, mental health, or food insecurity, the team continues to model what it means to lead with purpose鈥攁nd to build a better future, one idea at a time.
For more information or to get involved, visit or watch the team鈥檚 full presentations on .