News Article

College of the North Atlantic (CNA) alumnus Alex Hennifent has been recognized as one of 10 regional winners in The Globe and Mail’s national Small Business Challenge contest – beating out more than 3,400 entrants.
 
His business, VOLTFUSE, is a successful Newfoundland-based headwear and clothing brand he started when he was just 14-years-old as a way to promote local snowboarding in his hometown of Grand Falls-Windsor.
 
After graduating from CNA’s two-year Business Administration (Marketing) program earlier this year, Alex took advantage of the college’s transfer agreement with Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus and enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program.
 
The 20-year-old is no stranger to the award scene in 2016, first winning a second place prize (valued at $15,000) from the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, Atlantic Canada Qualifiers in January. The very next month, he was back in Halifax to showcase his business achievements at the Enactus Atlantic Canada Regionals as one of four Student Entrepreneur Provincial Champions in Atlantic Canada.
 
This latest win from The Globe and Mail came as a bit of a surprise to Alex, as he had forgotten that he entered the contest seven months ago.
 
“It caught me off guard when I initially received the phone call,” Hennifent said. “I was told by my parents that The Globe and Mail called… I completely forgot that I applied for it. It was last March that I submitted for it and I really had no expectations of what would come from it. I just filled out the application form and the report that was required, sent it in and just forgot about it. Here it is, a half-year later and I just got the news, so it kind of took me by surprise but it’s definitely an awesome recognition that I’m proud of.”
 
His latest prize is $1,500 worth of Telus services or devices.
 
“I not sure yet what I’ll use it for. I was speaking to their sales department and they were giving me some ideas of some potential things that would intertwine and benefit myself and VOLTFUSE. I’m going to have a chat with them in the coming weeks to see what we work out that can best let me take advantage of this prize.”
 
And while the reward is a great one, he says the extra exposure he’s receiving for VOLTFUSE is worth so much more.
 
“The most significant thing from this would be the publicity and attention that it’s drawing from The Globe and Mail.”
 
For more information about Hennifent’s business, VOLTFUSE, visit www.voltfuse.com. And to learn more about CNA’s Business Administration programs, visit www.cna.nl.ca