From Local Impact to Global Stage - TU Dublin Enactus Team Crowned Champions
TU Dublin proudly hosted a special celebration to mark an outstanding achievement, its Enactus team being crowned Enactus UK & Ireland Champions 2026.
This success secures the team the honour of representing both countries at the Enactus World Cup in São Paulo, Brazil, placing TU Dublin on the global stage among the leading student-led social entrepreneurship teams worldwide. Competing at the World Cup places the team within the top 1% of Enactus teams globally, highlighting the scale and significance of this accomplishment.
Enactus is one of the world’s largest student-led social entrepreneurship networks, with over 1,500 university teams across more than 30 countries. It brings students together to apply business and innovation skills to real-world challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, delivering tangible impact while developing responsible, future-focused leaders.
Led by Ethan Levins and Giada Franzolini, the TU Dublin team brought together students from business, sports coaching, engineering, forensic science, and computer science. Alongside Bohdan Yeriemenko, Samuel Oni, Marie Perla Biansumba, Frantisek Kadlec, Daniela Kubelniece, Teodor Stoyanov, and David Omozokpia, they combined creativity, empathy, and entrepreneurial thinking to deliver projects rooted in real community needs.
Their success reflects a powerful model of locally grounded action achieving global recognition, demonstrating how student-led innovation can create meaningful change while contributing to wider societal and environmental goals.
Projects Delivering Real Impact
The projects developed by the students focus on addressing real challenges within their communities, combining social and environmental impact with practical, sustainable solutions:
- S’port for Grief - a coaching education initiative that equips sports organisations to support young people through loss, creating safe spaces for healing, connection, and remembrance.
- BiaBox - a social enterprise reducing food waste by redistributing surplus food to communities through safe, transparent processes, supporting both communities and the environment.
Together, they highlight sustainability leadership in action, where entrepreneurial thinking and community engagement come together to deliver meaningful and lasting impact.
Student Leadership in Action
Ethan Levins, TU Dublin Enactus Chair, said:
"I believe it’s easy to focus on the negatives in today’s world, but Enactus has shown me how much positive impact students can create for each other and our communities. When more people take action to create change, no matter how small, the world starts to look like a very different place."
Giada Franzolini, TU Dublin Enactus Vice Chair, said:
"Enactus gave me a new perspective on what is possible. It gave me the space to turn ideas into action and opened my eyes to the fact that real social and environmental impact can start in our local communities. What motivates me is seeing the tangible difference our ventures make in people's lives. Knowing that building a business and creating meaningful change in the world aren't two separate things, they go hand in hand."
A Reflection of TU Dublin’s Values
TU Dublin President, Dr Deirdre Lillis, described the achievement as:
“more than a competition win, it is proof that when education, enterprise, and purpose come together, we can create meaningful change.”
She added:
“At TU Dublin, we are deeply committed to practice-based learning, and what we see in Enactus is exactly that, students applying their knowledge in real-world settings, working across disciplines, and developing solutions that matter.”
“We are equally committed to enterprise engagement and community impact. These projects show how our students engage meaningfully with partners, respond to real needs, and deliver outcomes that benefit society.”
“This is also a powerful example of knowledge in action, where ideas are translated into practical solutions that improve lives. It reflects our ambition to lead not only in teaching and research, but in making a tangible difference.”
Developing Sustainability-Focused Global Citizens
Vice President for Sustainability, Jennifer Boyer, said the projects embody TU Dublin’s commitment to developing graduates who are sustainability-focused global citizens, capable of navigating complexity, collaborating across disciplines, and leading with resilience and purpose.
“Together, the students highlight what sustainability leadership looks like in practice, thoughtful, entrepreneurial, and rooted in communities, creating positive change where it matters most.”
“They show how students can translate values into action, addressing real challenges while building the skills and mindset needed to shape a more sustainable and equitable future.”
The Power of Experience and Connection
Dr Lucia Walsh, Sustainability Education and Innovation Lead at TU Dublin, who has been mentoring the team together with Paul O’Reilly and Gavan Cleary from TU Dublin GROWTHhub, said:
“I’ve had the privilege of supporting Enactus here at TU Dublin for almost ten years, and in that time I’ve seen first-hand how students grow through this experience, their creativity, their entrepreneurial mindset, their curiosity, and their willingness to take on complex sustainability challenges in our local communities.”
“What stands out most, however, is something more fundamental. It’s the heart they bring to their work, the connections they build with each other and with communities, and the genuine care and effort they put into everything that they do. These are the qualities we need in our future leaders.”
A Community of Support
Christy O'Shea, Head of Student Life TU Dublin, who has supported the students alongside Claire Flannery, Student Volunteering Coordinator, said:
"It was fantastic to see the students involved in the TU Dublin Enactus Society being recognised for the incredible commitment, creativity and passion they have shown over a sustained period of time.”
“Initiatives such as S’port for Grief and BiaBox demonstrate the genuine societal impact that can be achieved when students come together outside of the classroom and apply their academic learning, personal experiences and shared values to real-world challenges. To now see these students progress to represent TU Dublin at the Enactus World Cup in Brazil is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the positive and lasting impact they are making within communities locally and internationally."
A Global Stage
Winning the Enactus UK & Ireland Championship places TU Dublin among the leading student teams globally, reflecting both the capability of its students and the relevance of their work in addressing real-world challenges.
According to Enactus UK & Ireland CEO Amy Brereton, participation in the Enactus World Cup is a major milestone.
“What an incredible opportunity for the students, and of course for TU Dublin, placing the university firmly on the map on a global stage as a leader in developing world-leading graduate attributes and skills through meaningful societal impact.”
Amy Brereton also described the Enactus World Cup as “the Olympics of doing good”, reflecting the scale, energy, and global collaboration involved.
The 2026 Enactus World Cup, taking place in São Paulo, Brazil from 16 – 19th November will bring together thousands of student entrepreneurs, educators, and business leaders from around the world to celebrate youth-led innovation and sustainable enterprise.
TU Dublin now looks ahead with pride as the team prepares to represent the university, and Ireland, on the global stage, building on the meaningful impact they are already delivering in their communities.