Belmont’s Enactus Claims National Championship Title

Teams take first in Early Stage and second in Impact Stage at 2026 Enactus U.S. Expo

After competing in Denver, Colorado last month, Belmont returned home as national champions of the 2026 Enactus United States Expo — an annual three-day event that convenes students across the country to network, learn and present their student-led social enterprises. 

“It is rare that undergraduate students have the capacity to take what they’re learning in the classroom and truly consult with area business leaders on the conception, development and implementation of a social enterprise,” said faculty co-advisor Dr. John Gonas.  

Throughout the years, Belmont Enactus student teams have partnered with local nonprofits to build infrastructure and revenue streams that promote social impact, including partnerships with the Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, Dream Streets and dozens of other organizations.  

Belmont Enactus is student organization dedicated to assisting local non-profits in creating positive change in the community. At its core, Enactus offers students the opportunity to turn ideas into action and action into real-world impact. 

“I often get a front row seat watching them grow as humble, Christ-centered servant leaders,” Gonas said. “Given the right tools and opportunities, they simply flourish when guided on a multi-disciplinary exercise to serve those with whom they've built trusted relationships.” 

From Three Members to National Champions 

The recent victory is the first time in over a decade that Belmont Enactus has earned the national spotlight for its student-led work. In 2012, the club claimed the championship title at the Enactus World Cup, earning global recognition for its community outreach projects. Fast forward to 2024, and the group had dwindled to just three members, a reflection of the decline in membership and activity during the remote learning years of COVID. 

Belmont Enactus president Ava Muyner and vice presidents Lily Stockwell and Jack Perry have spearheaded the club’s resurgence on campus, in the community and on the competition stage. 

“We all really began to dedicate ourselves to Enactus because of the nature of the work itself,” Muyner said. “We all wanted to be deeply involved in our community and get the opportunity to apply the skills that we were learning in a way that was productive in creating social impact for the people around us.” 

At the U.S. Expo, Belmont took first place in the Early Stage competition for its Farm Store project and second place in the Impact Stage competition for Neighbor’s Harvest, a student-developed produce subscription model.  

Award-Winning Work, Real-World Impact

More than the public recognition, the students’ true achievement is best measured through the tremendous community impact they are making in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.  

Their outreach centers around collaborative, community-focused projects that avoid prescriptive models and prioritize community-first solutions. At the Expo, students presented two projects developed in partnership with Cult2vate, a local nonprofit dedicated to addressing food insecurity.  

“We use the business skills that we learn in the classroom — honestly, even beyond business skills,” Stockwell said. “We have a lot of business students, but Enactus also has students from all across the University bringing our unique skills together to do meaningful, comprehensive work for nonprofits.” 

Fueling Farmers, Feeding Communities

Their “early stage” project — a project that hasn’t launched — outlines a business plan for a self-sustaining farm store in Brentwood. Designed as a community hub, the store would offer affordable, locally sourced food while supporting sustainable agriculture and connecting neighbors. 

Operating as a for-profit social enterprise, the store would sustain itself through local product sales, with proceeds reinvested directly back into the nonprofit. By shortening supply chains and fostering strong community loyalty, the model would support more than 40 Tennessee vendors and farmers. 

A Community-Powered Solution to Food Insecurity

Cul2vate community farms grow more than 700,000 pounds of produce each year, originally aiming to maintain a 50/50 split between donated and sold goods. In practice, however, nearly 80% of that produce was being donated annually. Seeking a more sustainable balance, the organization partnered with Belmont Enactus to develop a community-driven solution: Neighbor’s Harvest.  

Through this initiative, students designed a produce subscription model for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, offering 20 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce per box. In addition to supplying direct donations to food-insecure communities across Middle Tennessee, the program allows community sponsors to purchase and donate boxes to families in need. 

In the 2025 pilot season, 201 produce boxes were sold and distributed, generating more than $10,000 in new revenue for Cul2vate and expanding access to healthy food. 

Strengthening Communities, Developing Students 

While Enactus creates meaningful change in the community, its impact on students is just as powerful. Students grow across every dimension, developing their personal, professional and social skills through ranging experiences and outreach.  

The extensive time spent developing projects, serving the community and preparing for competition creates a rich environment for building friendships.  

“I came for the interest in social entrepreneurship and I stayed for the relationships I made,” Stockwell said. “Jack and Ava are two of my best friends in the world, and I just got addicted to the wonderful impact, community and challenge of building something from nothing.” 

Students also form lasting relationships with partner organizations while they gain hands-on experience that brings their learning to life. 

“I learned much more about finance working on a project for the Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition than I have ever in the classroom,” Perry shared. "They were very transparent and we really got to see every piece of the organization. It's more than I would ever get to learn class. It’s real-world experience that you don't often get as a student.” 

More than a student organization, Enactus is a pathway for growth, opportunity and open doors. 

“All of us have received job offers from either for-profit or nonprofit companies around Nashville based on our Enactus work,” Muyner shared. “Additionally, we work a lot with nonprofits who are typically under-resourced, underfunded and understaffed. So, we are given an incredible amount of liberty in the program.” 

Taking the Momentum Global 

Belmont Enactus sent a small but competitive contingent to Colorado, going head-to-head with much larger teams with as many as 30 students. 

Freshmen Emily Baker and Eloise Dornfeld delivered the Early Stage presentation. Muyner and Stockwell were joined by senior Russ Schwartz, junior Gollo Chana and sophomore Luke Smith. While Perry was competing with Belmont’s track team at a meet that same weekend, he played a key role in preparing the group and supported them from afar. 

“There’s a type of confidence you gain when you’ve prepared so well,” he said. “I had a lot of confidence in our squad. Their preparation paid off in a big way, and I was proud to cheer them on from the background.” 

The U.S. Expo brought together some of the nation’s brightest student social entrepreneurs to pitch innovative solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges. After their national victory, the team now turns its focus to the global stage. 

Belmont Enactus will represent the United States at the 2026 Enactus World Cup in November in São Paulo, Brazil. The team hopes to bring as many members as possible, depending on the funding secured for travel.