CINCINNATI, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Enactus, an international nonprofit that brings together more than 66,000 student entrepreneurs to empower people in need, today announced Texas State University emerged as the champion at the Enactus United States National Exposition.

The Enactus U.S. National Exposition took place April 1-3 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event is a cross-generational leadership experience for student, academic and business leaders and includes a national competition, showcasing how Enactus students are transforming lives and enabling progress through entrepreneurial action. Teams from more than 200 colleges and universities across the United States presented the results of their community outreach programs to a judging panel of leading business executives for a chance to represent the United States in the prestigious Enactus World Cup.

After three days of activities progressing through the opening, quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds of competitions, Texas State University was named the 2014 United States National Champion. The Texas State Enactus team presented four projects including "Job Help," a program that provides job training modules and helped 200 people secure employment over the past year, and "Row," which offers affordable marketing services to small businesses that want to grow their online presence.

"The community outreach projects created by Enactus teams are not temporary solutions; they are sustainable programs that continue to help members of the surrounding community," said Alvin Rohrs, CEO of Enactus. "The success achieved by Texas State University is a strong testament to the ability of entrepreneurial action to enable real change and human progress throughout the world."

"Each year, the Enactus U.S. National Exposition provides opportunities for idea-sharing and collaboration amongst the nation's leading entrepreneurially-minded students," said Vicki West, academic advisor for the Texas State Enactus team. "We're thrilled to present the continued success of our projects and be a part of that collaboration on a global scale at the Enactus World Cup."

Finalists in the 2014 Enactus United States National Exposition included:

• 1^st Runner-Up: Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY
• 2^nd Runner-Up: Heritage University, Toppenish, WA
• 3^rd Runner-Up: Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Texas State University – San Marcos will join other national champions from across 36 countries for the 2014 Enactus World Cup in Beijing, China on October 22-24, 2014.

About Enactus
Enactus is an international nonprofit organization founded on the principle that entrepreneurial action can be a powerful driver of human progress. Guided by educators and supported by business leaders, teams of outstanding university students depart the classroom to create community development projects that empower people by putting their skills and talents at the center of improving their lives. Each year, a series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to showcase the impact of their outreach efforts, and to be evaluated by executives serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious Enactus World Cup. For more information, visit www.enactusunitedstates.org. 

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SOURCE Enactus