Students are enriched by an opportunity made possible by Dean's Excellence Fund

The RBS Dean’s Excellence Fund enabled students Léo Moreno and Salil Garud to travel to Mexico City last summer after Rutgers Enactus won second place for its hydroponic farming technique at the Enactus USA National Exposition. The trip offered them an opportunity to showcase their venture and to experience a new culture.

“During the summer, I had the privilege of traveling to Mexico City with my Enactus advisor and teammate to present our hydroponic farming venture at the Enactus Mexico National Competition. Being invited was both an honor and a unique opportunity to showcase our venture on an international stage. The experience was inspiring and eye-opening, allowing us to engage with students, professionals and entrepreneurs from across Mexico who share the same commitment to using business as a force for social good. Other student teams provided us with valuable feedback and broadened our perspective on how entrepreneurial innovation can address the challenges communities face globally. Beyond the competition, I also had the chance to visit the Museum of Anthropology and explore the city of Coyoacan with new friends from Mexico, making the trip even more meaningful. I am truly grateful to the Dean’s Excellence Fund for making this opportunity possible.”

-Léo Moreno, graduating senior, finance major

Member of Rutgers Enactus – 3 years

“Rutgers Enactus competed in a national competition in Missouri last year where we earned second place. As a result of that win, Enactus Mexico invited us to attend a competition in Mexico City last summer. The first day of the competition was electric. It was great to meet local teams from universities around Mexico City. The program started off with a performance by Manito, the guest speaker and founder of Manito Consulting Group. He was amazingly entertaining and really got the crowd going with his jokes and his energy. This was when I really experienced the language barrier and had to constantly depend on my teammate Léo to translate the Spanish. We pitched our Agoraponic Farms venture to a panel of judges who gave us insightful feedback that we’re actively trying to implement now. On the second day, the final teams presented. Their projects were some of the coolest student-led ventures. One of the projects involved using AI to transform two-dimensional medical images into 3-D imaging so doctors can more easily make diagnoses. Another involved turning harmful plastics into furniture like desks and chairs. In addition to the networking and advice we gained at the conference, we had a chance to explore Mexico City with friends we made during the event. We ate local street food like elote (Mexican street corn), and traditional dishes like Pozole. We tried avocado ice cream, saw musical performances and traditional Aztec dancers. I am super grateful to the Dean’s Excellence Fund for making this trip possible. I learned so much about entrepreneurship, sustainability, Mexican culture, and even a little bit of Spanish slang.”

-Salil Garud, sophomore, studying finance and computer science

Member of Rutgers Enactus – 2 years

Currently serving as finance lead for Agoraponic Farms