All Episodes - Building Digital Community
In a world where we can't meet face to face, building a sense of community can be a challenge. Especially when you're starting a new job, or in my case an MBA program, and can't meet your peers in person. Building Digital Community is an interview-style podcast where each week I talk with one of my new peers and learn more about their story, with the goal of building genuine relationships and building a stronger community in a world where we are all going digital. Music from Bensound.com.
View Podcast Details60 Episodes
Episode 60: Andrew Dupuis
Welcoming my friend Andrew Dupuis to the podcast for the final interview of Building Digital Community! In the final week of his MBA, Andrew is excited to leverage his management experience at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and accelerate his career into the consulting industry. Andrew has a passion for triathlons and is always looking for people to run or cycle with! Message him on LinkedIn to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-dupuis/ The featured charity for this episode is Suns of Sphairee. Check them out here: https://ponacka.com/suns-of-sphairee/
Episode 59: Gurveer Dhanoa
Gurveer Dhanoa is finishing up his MBA journey at the DeGroote School of Business. He has a background as a process engineer as well as a passion for entrepreneurship, having started up multiple small businesses. He also has a passion for technology and will be starting with Deloitte as a consultant this fall. The featured charity for this episode is Khalsa Aid International. Check them out here: https://www.khalsaaid.org/
Episode 58: Lesleanne Blakeley
Lesleanne is a graduate from McMaster University's Life Sciences program (HBSc '10) and the DeGroote School of Business (MBA '13), and currently works in Operations on the Client Experience team at Wealthsimple. Since graduating from Mac, she has built a career working at technology startups in healthcare, enterprise software, and financial technology. From joining two early stage startups, to one of Silicon Valley's darling tech companies, to now joining one of Canada's leading fintech companies, Lesleanne has learned what it takes to leverage new-age technology to help solve some of today's toughest business problems. The featured charity for this episode is the Ronald McDonald House (Hamilton Location). Check them out here: https://www.rmhcsco.ca/
Episode 57: Jacob Lechowicz
On this episode we're welcoming Jacob Lechowicz. Jacob is an engineer turned MBA student who has found a passion for finance. He's currently completing his CFA designation, recently writing the level 2 exam. He is set to finish up his MBA this summer before heading out East with his fiancé. The featured charity for this episode is the Mississauga Food Bank. Check them out: https://www.themississaugafoodbank.org/
Episode 56: Justin Baker
Welcome to the podcast DeGroote alumnus, Justin Baker! Justin is a Hamilton native and loyal McMaster student, graduating from both the Kinesiology program and MBA program. He has 10+ years of experience in software sales, working for companies such as Salesforce, Perfecto and DocuSign. He is also the owner of two F45 training franchises in Downtown Hamilton and Alton Village. The featured charity for this episode is Empowerment Squared. Check out the great work they are doing here: https://empowermentsquared.org/
Episode 55: Stephanie Keen
Stephanie is an MBA candidate at the DeGroote School of Business. She has over four years of building business intelligence in diverse industries and has directed international strategic marketing programs from initial conceptualization to program launch and success. Through team leadership skills and fostering positive environments, she led multiple product launches, website developments, market opportunity investigations, and corporate communication strategies. This was key in building internationally recognized brands and a portfolio of revenue-driving services and products. Throughout her career, she has been led by her ambition to solve complex business challenges and create positive change, using a drive for extraordinary creativity, data driven solutions, brilliant collaboration, and transformative teamwork. She believes that success, in its highest form, is always mutual. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, cooking, and creating positive change through her consulting business. The featured charity for this episode is Roots to Harvest. Check them out here: http://www.rootstoharvest.org/
Episode 54: Chris Pimentel
We're back with a brand new season of Building Digital Community! To kick off season 4, we've got Chris Pimentel. Prior to starting the MBA program, Chris worked as a reporter for five years in Peterborough, Six Nations (First Nation Reserve), and Milton. He is a massive sports fan, including a Leafs, Colts, Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs), Raptors, and Mets fan. Also, pre-covid he spent about 7 years coaching football in Mississauga at the high school and rep level. The featured charity for this episode is the Terry Fox Foundation. Check the out here: https://terryfox.org/
Episode 53: Felipe Senisterra
Felipe Senisterra is a McMaster student to his core, graduating with a BA in Political Science and MBA with a double major in finance and strategic business valuations. During his time with DeGroote he held co-op roles with companies such as Ford and Eli Lilly before finding a passion for commercial real estate. Today Felipe is a mogul in the commercial real estate world having help roles with companies such as Cresa and currently with Colliers as a Commercial Real Estate Consultant. The features charities for this episode are Habitat for Humanity (https://habitat.ca/en) and Options for Homes (https://www.optionsforhomes.ca/). Reach out to Felipe at Felipe.Senisterra@colliers.com
Episode 52: Jordan Boyes
Jordan is a current MBA Co-op student at the DeGroote School of Business. Before entering the MBA program Jordan received his degree in Sport Management at Brock University in 2017. He worked in various roles before deciding that an MBA was the best course of action for his long-term career objectives. Having a passion for marketing, finance, and analytics, Jordan hopes to gain valuable knowledge throughout his MBA that will better equip him to invoke positive change in his future career endeavours. Outside of school Jordan is an avid sports fan, he loves both playing, and watching sports. One interesting fact about Jordan Is that he is a huge Marvel fan and has seen every movie more times than he can count. The featured charity for this episode is Carpenter Hospice: https://www.thecarpenterhospice.com/
Episode 51: Joel Fox
Joel graduated from DeGroote’s Co-op MBA in 2014. On the search for variety, his co-ops spanned the auto industry, ad agency world, and consulting. Upon graduating from DeGroote, he joined the Leadership Development Program at RBC, rotating through multiple roles in Personal & Commercial Banking over two years. From the LDP, Joel moved over to RBC’s Technology & Operations department where he held multiple roles in the Innovation space. This included leading tech talent programs and managing the banks tech ecosystem partnerships. In April 2021, Joel left the bank to move full-time onto his startup called Rise Market that he launched in 2020 with three business partners.
Episode 50: Andriana Lukich
Andriana Lukich is the Director, Digital Solutions at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. She holds a HBSc Kinesiology and an MBA from McMaster University, a PMP certification and is Prosci Change Management certified. Throughout her decade of healthcare experience, she has held multiple roles all focused on leading change initiatives and supporting staff through transformational projects. The digital projects she has championed include enabling virtual care between patients and providers; rapidly developing a COVID-19 screening tool for staff, patients and visitors; creating a city-wide patient self-scheduling tool to support booking of COVID-19 tests; and supporting the implementation of COVID-19 Assessment Centres. Andriana's commitment to digital transformation has attracted support and spurred innovation across Canada. The featured charity for this episode is the YWCA Hamilton. Check them out here: https://www.ywcahamilton.org/womens-housing-services/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=YWCA-Hamilton-YWCA-Hamilton
Episode 49: Mariel Bulcan-Gnirss
Mariel Bulcan-Gnirss is a current MBA co-op student at DeGroote School of Business. After completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, she decided to pivot into business. Prior to starting the MBA, she gained experience in the insurance industry but missed incorporating her interest of science and technology into her career. Mariel’s passion for merging her love of science in business led her to the DeGroote MBA program. Beyond her professional interests, Mariel enjoys hiking with her dog along the Bruce trail and staying involved in her communities through volunteering. The featured charity for this episode is the ALS Clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Check them out here: https://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=bsp-als
Episode 48: Anu Singh
On this episode of the podcast we're welcoming DeGroote MBA Alumni, Anu Singh! Anu graduated from the DeGroote MBA program in 2013. She went into the program with a focus on the healthcare industry, however through her years in the MBA she found a passion for consulting and hasn't looked back since. Since finishing the MBA she has had various roles in the world of consulting with companies such as Telus, KPMG, IBM and has recently started a new role as a Principal at Pariveda Solutions. Welcome to the podcast Anu!
Episode 47: Bhavika Sachdev
On this episode of the podcast we have Bhavika Sachdev, the happy energetic and sometime confused DeGroote MBA student. She loves to talk, eat, and crack lame jokes. Along with a Bachelor’s of Commerce , she has a CPA designation and decided to join DeGroote to pivot from audit to other areas in financial services industry. With a “forever student” attitude , she loves to learn new things from people. Through her curiosity towards analytics, she aims to build a career intertwining finance with analytics . She is passionate about community building and has worked for the NGO “Rhythm of Life” in India. All in all, she a happy-go-lucky girl, very approachable and always keen to chat. The featured charity for this episode is Rhythm of Life. Check them out here: https://therhythmoflife.org/
Episode 46: Mark Sabotig
Season 3 kicks off with Mark Sabotig! Mark is an MBA student at the DeGroote School of Business. He likes to describe himself as a huge Formula1 fan who can be seen cheering on the Scuderia Ferrari racing team during race weekends. His favourite pastime during the pandemic has definitely been tennis - a sport that he can see himself taking more seriously in the future. He enjoys learning about a variety of topics, including health and longevity, athletic performance, functional movement, and food science. His most recent interests come from discovering what we can implement in our day to day lives that will allow us to live a more optimal and enjoyable life. Welcome to the podcast Mark! The featured charity for this episode is the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Check them out here: https://www.heartandstroke.ca
Episode 45: Chirag Sheth
Well it looks like your host is in the hot seat this time! Check out the latest episode of Building Digital Community with special guest hosts Victoria Mazzarolo, Justin Lee, Michael Bethune and Aafreen Muzaffar, as they turn the tables on your host Chirag Sheth and ask him some heavy hitting questions. --- Chirag Sheth is currently an MBA student at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster, and a graduate from the Science and Business program at the University of Waterloo. Prior to starting his MBA, Chirag worked in the tech industry for two and half years as well as in residence life for one year. Most recently, he worked with Microsoft as a Business and Sales Manager for the Consumer team, primarily working on the Xbox side of the business. Chirag is passionate about diversity and inclusion, specifically around the worlds of accessibility and inclusive education, and has the goal of harnessing the power of technology to make a more inclusive world for everyone. Outside of school and work, Chirag is a huge Toronto Raptors fan, the coolest thing he owns being a signed Kyle Lowry jersey. He also loves rock climbing, hiking, gaming, beating Michael and Justin in fantasy basketball, and of course, hosting his own podcast.
Episode 44: Nav Nanwa
Nav Nanwa is a proud DeGroote alumni of both the Undergraduate (B.Com Honours 2010) and MBA (2013) programs. He currently serves as an Associate Producer and Business Columnist at CBC Toronto for the current affairs radio show 'Here and Now'. Before that, he was living the life of a brand marketer, bringing strategy to life and finding innovative ways to connect with audiences across various touch-points and platforms. With ten years of experience - he's launched award-winning products, driven communication strategies from creation to execution, and has been able to activate partnership-marketing programs by connecting brands to sports properties. He's held marketing roles at Maple Leaf Foods, MarsWrigley, and most recently Loblaw as the Brand Marketing Manager for No Frills. His passion for media and branding has also led him to seek additional avenues for connecting with audiences, including through television, radio, and as an event MC within the community. Before the pandemic, he's had the pleasure of hosting various functions ranging from music festivals to political town-halls with the Premier. He also hosts and produces his own arts and pop culture radio show called New Theory Radio (www.newtheoryradio.com) which can be heard live each week on News Talk Sauga 960 AM, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. In 2017, the Brampton Board of Trade recognized him as one of Brampton’s Top 40 Under 40 for his business accolades and various contributions to the community.
Episode 43: Sanjay Kumbhare
Sanjay Kumbhare is an Ontario lawyer and lover of jurisprudence. He previously worked for Hicks Adams LLP, a criminal law firm in downtown Toronto before deciding to start an MBA at DeGroote. Aside from the law, he is an avid reader, a movie buff, a student of the rap game and an obsessive basketball junkie. The featured charity for this episode is: Pro Bono Ontario. Check them out: https://www.probonoontario.org/
Episode 42: Hazel Walker
Hazel Walker is a second-year MBA Co-op student at DeGroote School of Business. Before coming to DeGroote, Hazel did her undergraduate bachelor’s degree in business administration – specializing in entrepreneurship at Trent University. Hazel is passionate about entrepreneurship and startups and is the Vice President of Finance and Operations at the DeGroote Entrepreneurship Club. In her spare time, Hazel enjoys helping out with her family’s beekeeping project and learning about CSR and sustainability initiatives. The featured charity for this episode is True North Aid: https://truenorthaid.ca/ Reach out to Hazel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazeljwalker/
Episode 41: Saachi Jain Jaiswal
Saachi Jain Jaiswal is a second year MBA Co-Op student who holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Mumbai. She is an animal lover, who has recently started pet sitting in her spare time. On the professional front, before coming to Canada, Saachi worked as a Talent Acquisition specialist in Product and Service Technology companies. She is excited to start her Co-Op this summer at CIBC and is always happy to chat and connect with her peers! The featured charity for this episode is: Animals Matter To Me - https://www.amtmindia.org
Episode 40: Nikhil Aranha
Nikhil completed his undergraduate degree at McMaster University with the Bachelor’s of Material Science Engineering. He began his MBA journey at the DeGroote School of Business last September, in hopes of becoming a consultant in the engineering industry; his back-up plan is to be investment banker. Apart from school and work, Nikhil is all about having fun; no matter how stressful a situation is, he loves to look at the bright side and bring out a few smiles all over the room. Nikhil is also a die-hard basketball fan and even though he has got some shaky knees, he’s always up for a game of basketball. The featured charity for this episode is the We Charity (Cyber Bullying). Check them out: https://www.we.org/en-CA/
Episode 39: Shilpa Sri Raja Vijayan
Shilpa Sri Raja Vijayan is a MBA with co-op candidate, who has been living at the Middle East for the past 19 years. She is an optimistic lady with a determined attitude, which led her to pivot her career from Chemical Engineering to Business. To never miss out on an opportunity to explore and learn is her life motto. She received her Guinness record for crochet, an Indian Classical dancer who has represented the country at international platforms and a traveler who has traveled to 26 countries until date. Through her MBA, she aims to develop her skills and become a successful corporate leader. The featured charity for this episode is the Qatar Charity. Check them out: https://www.qcharity.org/en/qa
Episode 38: Vivian Sadeh
Vivian Sadeh is a first year MBA student at the DeGroote School of Business. During her undergraduate degree, Vivian studied criminology and philosophy in the hopes of becoming a lawyer; however, in her third year she found her passion in marketing and hasn’t looked back since. Vivian enjoys using her creativity to help brands tell their story. During her spare time, Vivian enjoys reading, playing with her dog and volunteering in various organizations. The featured charity for this episode is Innocence Canada. You can check them out here: https://www.innocencecanada.com Welcome to the podcast Vivian!
Episode 37: Atri Mukherji
Atri is a first year MBA student at the DeGroote School of Business and aims to explore the fields of marketing and operations in the near future. He is a long time soccer fan, a die-hard Manchester United supporter and believes sports is the best teacher. His love for stand up comedy and hip-hop have stayed with him for the most part of his life, wishing to pursue the former at some point in the future. His deep affection towards dogs and the looming fear of global warming have pushed him to donate, volunteer and spread awareness for several environmental social causes. He believes 2020 was a good year for him and has gotten to grow a lot, not just as a person, but also his hair. The featured charity for this episode is Seabin Foundation - For Cleaner Oceans. Check them out here: https://seabinproject.com/product/donations/
Episode 36: Sabrina Ibrahimi
Sabrina is a first year MBA student who hails from an undergraduate background in Science and International Studies but is currently exploring the world of banking on Co-op. Coming from a diverse academic background, Sabrina has a variety of interests ranging from history to anthropology and biology...and now business! Always looking for a new challenge, Sabrina decided to use her MBA as a way to get out of her comfort zone to develop and refine skills necessary to become a business professional. In her spare time, she can be found exploring forests and trails, geeking out over trivia, or starting a new random hobby. The featured charity for this episode is Skateistan. Check them out here: https://skateistan.org/
Episode 35: Michael Bethune
Michael is a first year MBA Student at DeGroote who holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph. He is an avid sports fan, truly loves travelling and constantly seeks new adventures. Michael considers himself a huge extrovert who is energized by being around people. He loves spending time with friends and family, and meeting new people. From an education perspective, he really enjoyed the first semester, and feels he met a ton of great people, even in a virtual environment. He looks forward to the journey ahead and completing his MBA with a great group of people. The featured charity for this episode is Motionball - https://motionball.com/
Episode 34: Tyler Boulanger
Tyler is a current MBA Co-op student with a passion for life science innovation and an itch to broaden his horizons. After completing his undergraduate studies in Genetics and master’s degree in Biotechnology, Tyler picked up work experience at an exciting genetics startup and medical marketing agency. Tyler’s drive to develop more technical business skills brought him to the DeGroote MBA program, where he hopes to get to know new industries and sharpen his abilities with data analytics. Outside of school, Tyler has recently spent time bingeing Survivor, winning hockey pools, and recording his own podcast. The featured charity for this episode is the Canadian Diabetes Association. You can check them out here: https://www.diabetes.ca/
Episode 33: Dwitiya Sapre
Dwitiya is a first-year MBA student at McMaster university. She graduated from Emory University in 2018 with a BA in psychology and women’s gender and sexuality studies. She worked as a sports supervisor throughout her time at college. She also has 2 years of experience as a diversity and inclusion consultant for a financial services company. She is an avid music and animal lover. Outside of work you’ll probably find Dwitiya watching Formula 1, the NFL or NBA, or doing CrossFit. She loves to travel and scout escape rooms in every city she visits and is an adrenaline junkie who loves to skydive and ride rollercoasters. If she isn’t chasing a physical adrenaline high, she is most likely, designing her next tattoo – which she views as a powerful medium to express herself. Featured Charity: The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) http://www.wsdindia.org/
Episode 32: Maddy Swierczynski
Maddy is a first year co-op student in the DeGroote MBA program. Before coming to DeGroote, she studied at the University of Guelph where she completed her BSc in Agriculture Science and MSc in Animal Biosciences. She originally wanted to be a veterinarian before realizing it wasn’t right for her. Throughout her studies and summer jobs, she was able to discover new and exciting career opportunities, and now her goal is to work on the business side of the pet care industry. She is a crazy animal lover, so it's definitely a good fit. Maddy loves horseback riding and she’s even participated in both beef and dairy cattle showmanship competitions. Something interesting about Maddy is that she is an avid dancer! She has trained in many styles from ballet to tap and taught lessons for the past few years. She even competed in a few square dancing competitions! The featured charity for this week is the Oakville and Milton Humane Society. Check them out: https://omhs.ca/
Episode 31: Paulina Kwasny
Paulina is a current MBA candidate in her second academic year of the program. Before joining the MBA program, Paulina did her undergrad in Economics at McMaster University while working as a math tutor, shift supervisor at Starbucks, and waitress. With her time during her undergraduate degree, her goal was to join the MBA program upon graduation to build her interpersonal skills while also being able to gain experience working in the field. A fun fact about Paulina is that during her final years of her undergrad, she became passionate about personal development, taking care of her health and wellbeing. The featured charity for this episode is the Canadian Mental Health Association for Hamilton You can check them out here: https://cmhahamilton.ca/ Also make sure to check out the DeGroote MBA's for Impact charity bake off on February 12. Find out more info/register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetWZkVi9HBgCZc9-hPliDQnRmQT00Ayts03Rp3cd3f0mnxtw/viewform
Episode 30: Justin Lee
Justin is a recruiter turned business student that has a strong passion for entrepreneurship, sports, and a love for bartending. He has spent the past 5 years within the field of recruitment sourcing and hiring for a diverse set of industries including health care, pharmaceuticals and sales. However, his true passion in life lies in the world of business and most specifically, in the opportunities of creating something from nothing. Some interesting facts about Justin is that he used to work as a Bartender for the KEG and was a Team Canada prospect for a Japanese martial arts called Kendo. Justin is a fun loving and sociable guy so don't be shy to say hello! The featured charity for this episode is: https://handoverhand.ca/
Episode 29: Vinayak Bajaj
Vinayak is an MBA co-op student at the DeGroote School of Business. He graduated in 2016 with a BBA specializing in marketing. After graduating he worked in consulting for a little over 3 years focusing on clients in the media and manufacturing sectors. He loves watching cricket and football(soccer) and is a big Chelsea fan. He enjoys spending his weekends grabbing a beer with his friends while watching a game or playing poker. The charity for this episode is Zomato Feeding India. Find out more about them here: https://www.feedingindia.org/
Episode 28: Remy Gascoigne
Remy is a recent graduate of the MBA program at DeGroote and you may know her as the former MBAA President. On this episode of the podcast we talk about Remy's journey to starting an MBA, her passion for healthcare, her learning throughout her many leadership positions while at DeGroote and we make some plans to get neighbouring yachts in the next few years! This episodes target charity is the Interval House of Hamilton. You can find out more about them here: https://intervalhousehamilton.org/
Episode 27: Siddharth Manda
Welcome to the podcast Siddharth! Siddharth is a FT-MBA student at DeGroote with over 5 years of professional experience. He completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering before starting work as a Software developer with Wipro Technologies. Later he started his own start-up which was a blockchain based healthcare product company. He expanded his start-up to Ecuador where he had loads of fun and interesting experiences. He speaks over 5 languages, plays 4 instruments, makes perfumes, and lots more. The charity of choice for this episode is the Akshaya Patra Foundation. Check them out here: https://www.akshayapatra.org/
Episode 26: Zaryab Ahmed
We're back! On the first episode of season two we have Zaryab Ahmed. Zaryab was born in Pakistan but has lived most of his life in cities across southern Ontario. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biological Psychology from Queen’s University in 2020 and chose to go directly into his MBA at the DeGroote School of Business. During his time at Queen’s he was a part of the Queen’s Healthcare and Business conference as well as one of Canada’s first artificial intelligence incubators. Zaryab is passionate about the start-up ecosystem working at 2 distinct digital health start-ups as well helping co-found one of his own. Zaryab looks forward to pairing his scientific background to a formal business education and applying it to improve the healthcare system. Islamic Relief Canada is this episodes sponsored charity. Check them out here: https://www.islamicreliefcanada.org/
Episode 25: Alissa Smith
Alissa is from Troy, Michigan and is an MBA co-op student at McMaster. She completed her undergrad at Hope College (Holland, Michigan) as a double major in business and communication in 2020. She has worked in marketing and consulting all around the world, including Sydney, Australia, Paris, France, and throughout Michigan. Alissa played on the women’s basketball team at Hope College, and is continuing as a graduate student-athlete on the women’s basketball team at McMaster. When not in the classroom or in the gym, Alissa loves to be active outdoors. Some of her favorite hobbies are skiing, surfing, hiking, and laying out on Lake Michigan’s gorgeous beaches!
Episode 24: Sabrina Molero
Sabrina started her journey at Sheridan, where she graduated with an advanced Business Administration diploma. She then transitioned to completing a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in marketing management at Ryerson University. During her educational journey, Sabrina worked as an Educational Events Coordinator. Her responsibilities included analyzing the market to conduct marketing strategies as well as coordinating the logistics of educational events. In her role, Sabrina worked closely with the VP of Operations, account managers, and the marketing and customer experience departments to ensure customers received the most value at each event. When Sabrina is not busy with school, she enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, yoga, and jogging.
Episode 23: Kopica Thayaparan
Kopica is a 2020 graduate from McMaster University from the Life Sciences Co-op program. She always knew that she wanted to work in healthcare, and spent the last few years exploring different roles with the goal of bringing about positive change. After working in both government and healthcare, she decided to start her MBA journey at the DeGroote School of Business, aiming to specialize in Health Services Management. Aside from her academics, Kopica has grown a lot thanks to all the mentors in her life, so she enjoys paying it forward by taking part in different mentorship programs to support other students. She also takes on a leadership role with a Global Health Committee to design educational workshops for current and prospective medical students. Kopica is a big foodie, loves board games, and also recently started a small business where she makes balloon garlands for party decor. Welcome to the podcast Kopica!
Episode 22: Stefan Toral
Stefan graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in marketing. He has worked for a packaging company as a Marketing Specialist that services CPGs such as Unilever, Mondelez, and Kraft-Heinz. As a marketing Specialist he supported the National Sales Directors with responsibilities that included organizing a marketing campaign, and researching and presenting opportunities for growth across various departments of the organization. In his role, Stefan was also an active member of a company committee that organizes, allocates, and distributes company resources to a wide variety of initiatives that promote community development and corporate social responsibility. When Stefan is not busy with school, he enjoys playing competitive sports, cutting hair, and spending time with loved ones. Welcome to the podcast Stefan!
Episode 21: Brandon Kober
Brandon Kober is a small-town guy with big ambition. His experience as a Registered Nurse and a manager left him wanting to do more for people in the worst life circumstances. Brandon is interested in working to shape public policies and programs that will improve health at the population level. He wants to spread a message of radical compassion, arguing that people have more in common than they do differences. Brandon is pursuing his MBA at the DeGroote School of Business to complement his frontline healthcare experience, learn the ropes of systems as they exist today, and collaborate with a diversity of current and future leaders to solve society’s biggest problems. Welcome Brandon!
Episode 20: Farhan Mughal
Farhan was born and raised in the historic town of Lahore, Pakistan. Motivated by his early passion towards sciences, he pursued Mechanical Engineering in his undergrad. After graduation, he has worked for fortune 500 companies like Unilever and British American Tobacco within Operations and Supply Chain. He has a passion for coaching and mentoring people, hosting shows as an MC and planning corporate events and weddings. Welcome Farhan!
Episode 19: Pavitra Iyer
Get to know Pavitra, a sports enthusiast with a background in finance, and how she came to doing an MBA.
Episode 18: Bhumik Dedhia
Learn more about Bhumik, his passion for technology and how he went from helping to transform a family business in agriculture to now pursuing an MBA.
Episode 17: Aafreen Muzaffar
Learn how Aafreen went from a background in banking in India, to studying consumer behaviour and marketing in Scotland, to now pursuing an MBA in Canada!
Episode 16: Prajay Shah
Prajay is a movie, anime and video game enthusiast from India with a background in business and marketing. With 3 years of experience at GLG, he is excited to explore new cultures and the new experiences that come along with doing an MBA in Canada. Learn more about his creative fuel, experience being the chairperson for a national college festival in India and some of his aspirations during and post MBA.
Episode 15: Heidy Sosa
Heidy is an international MBA student from Colombia. She has an undergraduate degree in international business and worked previously as an International Business Director and General Manager for a furniture company in her home country.
Episode 14: Madhavi Bachani
Madhavi (Maddy) is a Full time MBA student at DeGroote School of Business. She completed her Bachelors in economics at University of Delhi and started her career in the human resource industry in 2015 working for companies such as ADT BY TELUS, Gerson Lehrman Group and The Smart Cube. Learn more about her passion for people, move to Canada and how she decided to start her MBA.
Episode 13: Tije Oyetunji
On episode 13 learn more about Tije, a MBA co-op candidate at DeGroote. She is originally from Nigeria, is passionate about people, business and tech, and she's also a big foodie!
Episode 12: Adil Maswala
Learn more about Adil's journey and passion for entrepreneurship, and how those things brought him to an MBA program.
Episode 11: Seamus Mulroy
On episode 11, learn more about Seamus and how his background in biotechnology and economics fueled his passion for business and how that brought him to pursuing an MBA.
Episode 10: Atishaye Adya
Atishaye is a full time MBA student at DeGroote coming from 6 years of experience, both as an Analyst at EY and in CPG Sales with Diageo. Learn more about his journey, the influence his family has had on his career and his dream of one day opening up a sculpting studio!
Episode 9: Andrew Lee
Learn more about how Andrew's passion for making a difference brought him to pursuing an MBA! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlee0/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.lee000/
Episode 8: Rahul Shome
Rahul Shome is part of the Full Time MBA program and has completed his undergrad with a Bachelors of Commerce, concentrating in Finance. He also pursued his CA while in India and has worked for companies such as Deloitte and Morningstar, as well as tried his hand in event management. Outside of work or school, you can find Rahul taking a ride on his motorcycle, playing guitar or travelling somewhere new (in a pre-Covid world at least). Welcome to the podcast Rahul!
Episode 7: Jerome Mejia
Jerome Mejia is an MBA candidate with over 6 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in pediatrics, adult medical-surgical and critical care. He is an avid cyclist, participates in triathlons and challenges you to out eat him in sushi or Korean BBQ. He also manages a photography and videography business on top of all of this! Welcome to the podcast Jerome!
Episode 6: Shivangi Kumar
For episode 6, we are welcoming Shivangi Kumar to the podcast! Tune in to learn more about her background and how she decided to pursue an MBA.
Episode 5: Sabrina De Stasio
On episode 5, we are welcoming Sabrina De Stasio. Learn more about how she went from the dream of going to medical school to now pursuing an MBA!
Episode 4: Chinmay Ravindran
The man, the myth, the legend, Chinmay Ravindran! Happy to have Chinmay on this episode of the podcast to share his story of coming to DeGroote for his MBA and how he found a love for marketing as well as some of the barriers he has faced so far in his journey. Welcome Chinmay!
Episode 3: Radhika Jain
On this episode we are welcoming Radhika Jain! Radhika is coming to the Full Time MBA program with a undergraduate degree in engineering, 4 years of experience in the Oil and Gas sector as well as with a background in Entrepreneurship. We're happy to have Radhika!
Episode 2: Victoria Mazzarolo
Victoria is a 2019 graduate from McMaster University with a degree in Health Studies. During her time at Mac, she was a member of the varsity women's golf team for 2 consecutive years. She volunteers at the Good Shepherd Food bank in Hamilton and is currently an alumni advisor at Mac. Victoria is very excited to begin her MBA journey and is looking to enter the healthcare industry. Welcome to the podcast Victoria!
Episode 1: Brooke Arkell
On the first episode of the Building Digital Community podcast, I'm happy to welcome Brooke Arkell. Brooke is joining the MBA Co-op program at the DeGroote School of Business with McMaster University and is a Western University grad with a Bachelors in Management and Organizational Studies. She loves to travel, hang out with her cat Bella, host events and is looking towards a career in accounting. Welcome Brooke!