Students dipped brushes into paint made from discarded makeup as they tested pigments inside a lab at Humber Polytechnic, transforming what would have been waste into something usable.
For members of Enactus Humber, that process was more than an experiment. It was a step toward building a business with a purpose.
The student-led initiative, called ReShade, focused on turning expired cosmetics into artist-grade paint through a process of extraction, sanitization and reformulation. Developed in collaboration with Humber’s life sciences lab, the project aimed to reduce waste while creating a safe, high-quality product for art and community use.
Enactus is part of a global organization that uses business to spur social change and effect a positive environmental impact.
ReShade was one of several projects created by Enactus Humber, a student organization that developed social enterprises focused on sustainability, entrepreneurship and community impact.
Across campus, students in the program worked on initiatives designed to reduce waste, support underserved communities and promote environmentally responsible practices. Each project followed the same idea: using business strategies to address real-world problems.
Enactus Humber operated as part of a global network that connected students, academic institutions and business leaders. Projects were often guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a framework of 17 priorities addressing issues such as poverty, education, inequality and environmental sustainability.
At Humber, those global goals were applied locally.
“We built projects based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Aashna Manocha, co-president of ideation for Enactus Humber and a Bachelor of Commerce accounting student. “One of our projects focused on seniors, we went into long-term care homes because they rarely got visitors and tried to brighten their day.”
While some projects, like ReShade, focused on environmental sustainability, others addressed social challenges, reflecting the range of issues students aimed to solve.
“Our main goal was to make as much change in the world as we could,” Manocha said. “We did that through our projects.”
That mindset reflected a broader shift in how students viewed business.
“Students today are very interested in the social side of entrepreneurship, not just the capitalism side,” said Susan Kates, faculty advisor for Enactus Humber and a professor at Humber Polytechnic. “It’s not just about making money, it’s about improving lives and creating long-term change.”
Kates, who oversaw the program alongside Harpreet Sandhu, said the experience helped prepare students for careers beyond the classroom.
“What Enactus really did was allow students to develop their entrepreneurial, leadership, collaboration and problem-solving skills,” she said. “These are all things students need as they move into the business world.”
Still, turning ideas into viable businesses came with challenges.
“The biggest problem students faced wasn’t idea generation, it was the business model,” Kates said. “How are we actually going to make money? That’s the tough part.”
Students echoed those concerns.
“Funding was one of the biggest challenges because we were students,” Manocha said. “Another challenge was finding people who were just as passionate about the project.”
Even when ideas showed promise, scaling them remained difficult.
“An idea can just be an idea,” Kates said. “The challenge is how to take that idea, turn it into a business and grow it into something bigger.”
ReShade demonstrated how that process could evolve.
“It started as a small idea literally taking makeup and turning it into paint,” Kates said. “Then it grew as we tested it. We were able to do murals, and people started coming to us asking if we could do it for them.”
For students, that growth created both opportunity and experience.
“At regionals, we placed first representing Project ReShade,” said Emilie Kay, a first-year Bachelor of Commerce marketing student and presenter. “We turned makeup into paint.”
Kay said the experience went beyond competition.
“My favourite part was the people I worked with. The team was always there for each other,” she said. “I made a lot of friends through Enactus.”
She joined after seeing an opportunity outside the classroom.
“I got an email from my program coordinator saying they were looking for presenters,” she said. “I liked the idea of being on a big stage, so I auditioned.”
Her role later expanded into leadership and creative work.
“I developed skills that are relevant to my career, like public speaking and marketing,” she said.
For many students, that hands-on experience defined the program. Instead of learning theory alone, they applied it in real-world situations, adapting and refining their ideas along the way.
“Seeing the change we made it made everything worth it,” Manocha said.
As projects continued to develop, they reflected a growing interest in socially responsible entrepreneurship, connecting global goals with local action.
Inside the lab, students kept working, mixing pigments, testing formulas and refining their ideas, knowing success was never guaranteed.
These students weren’t just learning about business. They were learning how to use it to make a difference.
