UNH Today

The University of New Hampshire at Manchester Enactus team was recently awarded a $2,100 grant from the Sam’s Club Step Up for Small Business Project Partnership. UNH Manchester's Enactus team was one of 57 in the country to receive the grant, which is awarded to teams that offer borrower education and one-on-one mentoring to small businesses.

Enactus advisor Dr. Kelly Kilcrease, associate professor of business, said the grant will help the team to better bolster the success of local companies.

“To acquire this grant is significant as it allows us to directly impact organizations who, with our guidance, will be able to implement the money toward profit-making opportunities," Kilcrease said.

The Enactus team will use the grant to provide three local businesses with additional resources to help establish themselves in the area. The team plans to empower the three business owners to sustain their businesses through advertising and product development.

Enactus member Molly Bowles, a senior in the business program, said she's learned a lot working with the three local entrepreneurs, all of whom are women.

"Working with our Enactus team this year to empower local female entrepreneurs has been really inspiring to me. I've learned so much, which I know I will take with me after I graduate," Bowles said. "These women are doing so much, and I am proud to be a part of their success.”

The Enactus team earned the grant through their dedication to the Step Up mission, providing education and resources to empower local businesses throughout the year. In November, they hosted a small businesses loan seminar that brought local experts to campus to educate small businesses about the process of researching and acquiring a loan. Following the success of the seminar, the team provided several mentoring and training sessions to local businesses.

Driven by impactful initiatives like these, the UNH Manchester team will continue to uphold the Enactus mission to create a better world through entrepreneurial action.

Learn more about Enactus, and keep up with the latest news from the UNH Manchester team by liking them on Facebook.