Business Administration student involved in everything from local CafeWars to outwitting tigers in rural India

Second year Business Administration student Ranbir Sangha is enjoying the diversity of a Humber education.

As a member of ENACTUS, a student-driven entrepreneurial club at the Longo Faculty of Business, Ranbir has gained valuable experience learning how to promote events, as well as being part of them. CafeWars, an inaugural event organized by ENACTUS, saw 23 students working in a team competition using simulation software to start-up a cafe business. At the end of the competition, students were surveyed and results tabulated towards finding ways to promote this competition between colleges and high schools.“This experience is helping me develop the skills and knowledge I need to not only work with a start-up, but to manage my own.”

Asked about other experiences students can gain from joining ENACTUS, Ranbir immediately responds: “Tiger Honey”. This pilot project has been developed to reduce tiger-related deaths in rural India. Honey is the main source of revenue for villagers who trek into the jungle to forage for it — and encounter tigers. The risk of death is high. Humber students are piloting a project in which they will research manmade bee hives that would allow villagers to harvest honey without risking their lives in the jungle, in a sustainable way that does not destroy the hives. Says Ranbir, “This project is very exciting to the students as it involves a real-life situation and all of the practical aspects of everything we have learned in class, from research to project implementation to sustainability.”

“I have learned so much about start-up enterprises, from keeping track of revenue and expenses, to running a functioning business to all aspects of marketing. I have a really good perspective and look forward to working for a start-up in the future, or managing my own.”