From transforming waste into climate solutions to reshaping youth mental health across the country, Enactus Acadia is proving that big change doesn’t require a big school—just bold ideas and a team that believes in them. 

This year, Enactus Acadia—a student-led social innovation club—captured 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’s 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’s team, originally founded years ago, was reignited in 2022 under the leadership of Kirsten Lawrence (BBA ’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’s most ambitious and impactful student organizations. 

This year’s 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. Rowan 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 – 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 – 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’s Top 30 Under 30. 

• They also took home 2nd place in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability Challenge – 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’s leading institutions. 

Sophia Rae’s 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’s 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 2024–25 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’s Launchbox entrepreneurship hub, the Acadia Business School, and mentors like Kirsten Lawrence, Ashley Doyle (CPA, CA, MBA), and Dr. Kristin Williams. 

“These students represent the best of what Acadia has to offer,” said Lawrence. “They’re creative, committed, and driven to lead change that matters.” 

Behind each of these initiatives is more than just vision—it’s infrastructure. Through the Launchbox, 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’s 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—including Sophia Rae, Rowan Norrad, Alex Dulay, and Dawson McCulloch —were 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—and to build a better future, one idea at a time. 

For more information or to get involved, visit acadia.ca/enactus or watch the team’s full presentations on YouTube.