At Enactus uOttawa, every day is seen as a new opportunity to act on the mission that always guides them: to create a better world through entrepreneurship. From project to project, each one more innovative than the last, the team has continued to accumulate achievements and stand out on a national and even international scale. These projects, led by student volunteers who share a passion for entrepreneurship, also have the same mission to benefit the community. One particular young project is Nupacko, providing the community with tasty “nutrient packs to go” designed and baked by the team to help them grow. 

What is Nupacko? 

Nupacko was born from a market observation: the lack of affordable, nutritious snacks. Fabiha Adiba, president of the Enactus uOttawa team, alongside her Innovation department, saw an opportunity to fill this gap and act in line with the organization's mission. Despite initial challenges, such as forming partnerships with organizations and refining the recipe to improve the cookies, processes that took time and effort, Nupacko has succeeded in positioning itself as the cookie company that addresses food insecurity in Canada, effectively filling nutritional gaps. Compared to traditional cookies, Nupacko cookies contain key nutrients many Canadians lack, including fibre, iron, potassium, calcium and protein. Nupacko's volunteer members choose these nutrients and cookie ingredients. Using something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet, a team member listed the various ingredients and their nutritional values for analysis. After much trial and error, the team selected the best combination of taste and nutritional value to the delight of its consumers. Moreover, Nupacko satisfies its customers by meeting specific dietary restrictions: completely vegan, nut-free and dairy-free cookies! (except for the chocolate chip variety). 

Made in a commercial kitchen through a partnership with Krackers Catering, the baking process is strict, ensuring every cookie meets the team's standards. In addition, members undergo training to ensure the consistency of each batch. Nupacko cookies are accessible to all, but the team's primary focus is on low-income communities that struggle to afford nutritious snacks, highlighting its social impact, which is also reflected in donations to charitable organizations. Recently, Nupacko donated over 1,000 cookies to Cornerstone Housing for Women, and overall, over 1,500 cookies were sold or donated, underscoring Nupacko's incredible impact on our communities. With hard work being one way they succeed in their mission, the team's goal is to increase that number from 1,500 cookies to 3,500 by the end of April. 

Meet the project manager: Rashaun Chohan

The Telfer Business Journal recently sat down with Nupacko project manager Rashaun Choan to discuss the team's future goals and how they will accomplish them. Rashaun Chohan, a finance student at the Telfer School of Management, first joined Enactus as coordinator of the Legacy project. Attracted by Nupacko's mission and innovative idea, he became its project manager in September 2024. Today, Nupacko is “like a baby” to him, and he enjoys every moment spent working on the project. Developing the project and having a kitchen thanks to Krackers Catering, a key partner, securing a partnership in Kenya, selling more and going out to vendors - these things move him and make him want to keep nurturing the project. Asked about his long-term vision for Nupacko, Rashaun expressed his desire to reach other regions, particularly those with low food security. He also hopes to be able to work with trusted distributors who are willing to commit to this path. 

To turn this vision into reality, the team is working hard to achieve three specific goals:

• Sending a thousand cookies to a partner school in Kenya by April.
• Finding a partner school in Guatemala and sending another thousand cookies by April.
• Hiring low-income communities for a more sustainable method of baking cookies and ensuring that Nupacko is also a source of employability. 

Regarding the taste, the team is constantly improving to provide us with delicious and nutritious cookies. Rashaun tells us that other flavours may be added as the seasons change, all for the well-being of our taste buds!

Even so, the road has been strewn with pitfalls. Reaching out to people, asking for partnerships and getting no response or, in the worst-case scenario, rejections can be disappointing. Also, getting up at 6 a.m. and cooking until late four days without a break requires much effort. However, Rashaun and his team have a fighter mentality that allows them to act upon their mission independently of the circumstances: “Don't stop trying, just keep on going.” 

Nupacko is an innovative project that provides tasty, nutritious cookies to the community, combating nutritional deficiencies in Canada. Rashaun is eager to hear from potential university students who are willing to get their hands dirty and help bake or sell these cookies. 

And, if all this has made your mouth water, feel free to visit the Nupacko website to get your nutrient pack to go!

References 

Enactus University of Ottawa. About us - Our projects. Our Projects — Enactus uOttawa

Nupacko. Home. Nupacko "nutrient-pack-to-go" | Nupacko