OBU Enactus Team Wins Regionals, Qualifies for Nationals in May

April 18, 2018

The Oklahoma Baptist University Enactus team was recently named a Regional Champion at the Enactus United States Dallas Regional Competition. The team will travel to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete as one of more than 100 regional champions from around the country at the Enactus United States National Exposition, May 20-22.

OBU’s Enactus (“Entrepreneurs, Action and Us”) group, a local chapter of the international Enactus organization, was formed to create sustainable economic assistance to those in need. Enactus is a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.

The OBU students presented a live, multi-media summary of the entrepreneurial-based projects they developed and implemented. They were judged by a panel of business leaders on how successful they were at using business concepts which empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and their communities.

“Competition encourages creativity, motivates excellence and rewards results,” says Alex Perwich, president of Enactus United States. “Enactus students are transforming lives and enabling real human progress through entrepreneurial action, while developing key business and leadership skills that will differentiate them from their peers.”

Under the leadership of Dr. David Houghton, dean of the Dickinson College of Business at OBU, and Dr. Craig Walker, Wheeler Professor of Economics, the team was able to collaborate with The Spero Project in Oklahoma City, The Community Market of Potawatomie County, The Gathering Place Coffee Co., and Northeast Oklahoma Hope Pregnancy Center in Pryor to expand their influence in their communities. This year’s projects included the development of a mobile market, social media education, a sanctioned 5K and Fun Run, and more.

Through their projects this year, the Enactus team was able to directly impact 6,000 individuals in various Oklahoma communities. Since last year, the team size has more than doubled with 31 current active members and more than 1,800 recorded service hours. Next year, their plans entail expanding their reach to work with Community Renewal and South Central Industries, both of Shawnee.

OBU Enactus credits their success to the cooperation of the organizations with which they partner, the hard work of its team members, the advice of their business advisory board, and the support of other OBU staff and community members. Ultimately, this team seeks to glorify God and improve the livelihood of members of their community in and through their actions.