New York City, New York, USA - SIFE students from 44 countries competed Thursday and Friday at the 2007 SIFE World Cup competition at the Hilton New York, New York City.  Approximately 2200 people from more than 50 countries attended the competition – with business executives, including some of the world’s top CEOs, judging the competition.  La Sierra University from the United States of America emerged as the 2007 SIFE World Cup Champion with Memorial University of Newfoundland from Canada named as first runner-up.  Other finalists were the University of Tirana from Albania and Obafemi Awolowo University from Nigeria.

SIFE is a global partnership between business and higher education that mobilizes university students to create economic opportunity for others while discovering their own potential.  SIFE students form teams on their university campuses and develop outreach projects that teach entrepreneurship, market economics, business ethics and finance in their communities.  At the 2007 SIFE World Cup, the top SIFE teams in the world presented the results of their outreach projects to determine which teams made the most impact on their communities. 

“This is a competition where the best business-minded students gather from around the world,” says Bruce Nasby, SIFE International executive vice president. “When we get them together amazing things happen. I can’t help but think that through the interactions that take place among these students at this event, connections are made that in some small way make the world a better place.”

The La Sierra SIFE team has partnered with a family service organization for the past eight years and has helped train more than 700 people on how to open a child care business in their home.  The team educated participants on financial literacy and operating a home-based business.  Already, 35% of the participants have opened their own business.