The Enactus Saint Mary’s team has captured the global championship at the 25th Enactus World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Their 12-minute presentation on two student-run social enterprises—Alaagi and Square Roots—outperformed finalists from Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Germany. This victory marks the first world title for Saint Mary’s University, which competed against 28 national champion teams from around the globe.
Twenty-one students and staff from the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre represented Team Canada. Co-Presidents Courtney Dingle and Sarah Wheeler, along with Gabe Martin BA’25, led the team through a year of groundbreaking work.
"The true win here isn't the trophy, it's the global proof that profit and purpose can coexist,” says Courtney Dingle. “We are constantly showing that our generation is ready to redefine what a successful business looks like. We're building enterprises that heal the planet."
Alaagi: Revolutionizing packaging with seaweed
Alaagi bio-plastic developed at Saint Mary’s
Alaagi is a revolutionary bio-plastic company aiming to disrupt the global packaging industry. The student-led venture has developed an eco-friendly and fully bio-degradable plastic wrap utilizing biopolymers sourced from seaweed.
Alaagi's innovation addresses the massive problem of single-use plastic pollution by offering a viable, compostable alternative. The team profiled Alaagi’s recent advancements to create an industry-standard film suitable for challenging applications like meat and seafood packaging. As part of the World Cup-winning presentation, the team highlighted the startup’s recent success at the Hult Prize Global Accelerator in London, UK. Alaagi was named one of the top 24 student start-ups in the world in the competition for $1 million in seed funding.
Square Roots: Turning food waste into access
Square Roots offers produce boxes to communities across Nova Scotia
Addressing dual problems of food waste and food insecurity, Square Roots purchases imperfect-looking surplus directly from local farmers and sells it at affordable prices to families in need, ensuring greater access to fresh, nutritious food for those facing economic hardship. Since its inception, the initiative has expanded across Nova Scotia and has diverted over a million pounds of food from landfills while empowering local community managers as entrepreneurs.
A win for sustainability, innovation, and Canada
"We are thrilled to celebrate the Enactus Saint Mary's team bringing home the World Cup to Canada!” said Catherine Fowler, President & CEO of Enactus Canada. “Square Roots is a leading example of how a social enterprise can grow and evolve, supporting sustainability in the community and beyond. We are also incredibly inspired by the team's innovation in single-use plastic alternatives with Alaagi™, showcasing the long-term impact of investing in early-stage projects. This win truly represents the strength of our teams and program in Canada, which we couldn't achieve without the incredible support of the faculty advisors, volunteers and donors."
This recognition, winning the Enactus World Cup, is a momentous achievement for Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia and Canada, showcasing student entrepreneurship, impact and innovation on the world stage.
Enactus Saint Mary’s represented Canada in the global competition
“This world championship is a powerful reminder of what our students are capable of achieving when creative minds come together to make great things happen,” says Michael Khan, Saint Mary’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “Their innovation, resilience and drive are changing communities here in Nova Scotia, while inspiring solutions for global challenges. The entire Saint Mary’s community are immensely proud of them.”
Saint Mary's commitment to entrepreneurship, championed by the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, drives this success. The university cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset, focused on problem-solving, resilience and creativity across all faculties, ensuring students like those behind Alaagi and Square Roots have the holistic support to achieve global impact.
"This global title is validation that our students aren't just learning about business, they are actively building world-class, scalable solutions for major global problems," says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre. "To see Alaagi, fresh off being named a Top 24 startup at the Hult Prize in London, combined with the proven impact of Square Roots, recognized at the international level, is a source of immense pride. These students are true change makers."