Academics, community and extracurriculars: BCom Dhruvi Raichada finds the balance
Coming to UVic from Mumbai, with no experience and minimal life skills, Dhruvi Raichada shares how having a community for international students has allowed her to grow and follow her career goals.
An MGB experience: Around the world and back again
Having lived abroad, earned his master’s degree, made lifelong friends and worked at a startup, Bo van Muijlwijk shares how his Master of Global Business experience turned out to be the most impactful year of his life.
From Japan to Canada: One BCom student’s journey
Katsuno Nagamura, a third year BCom student at Gustavson, talks about how studying abroad has been a life-changing experience. She has proven that opportunities are endless as long as you can muster up the courage to go looking for them.
Gustavson researcher named first Dunning Africa Fellow
Aloysius Newenham-Kahindi is the first recipient of the Dunning Africa fellowship. The Dunning Africa Centre’s goal is to bring together the best and brightest minds in African business, academia and policymaking.
Providing a voice for her People: MBA grad Tricia Thomas listens and leads
Tricia Thomas is a graduate of the UVic MBA in Sustainable Innovation program. She marks the occasion by sharing some reflections on her journey so far and what’s next in her life.
Sustainable industries are this grad’s next goal
Gustavson grad and Vikes athlete Will Adams, BCom ’22, is taking a unique journey after four years of studies at UVic. The next chapter of his life has him continuing his passion for sustainability in business at UVic’s industrial ecology program.
A co-op work experience for a better world
Four BCom students participated in the inaugural Working for a Better World co-op. The program lets businesses doing “good in the world” access funding to hire a Gustavson BCom student when they might not have been otherwise able to do it.
Empowering Youth to Become Storytellers
An MBA alumna created Story Studio to inspire, educate and empower youth to become storytellers via fun project-oriented programs that show them they have stories worth sharing.
The Power of Social Enterprises
Natalie Slawinski had been studying large corporations in the oil and gas sector and their response to climate change, but learning the story of Fogo Island
put her on a different course.
Meet the CSSI Advisory Board
The Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation (CSSI) recently announced an advisory board consisting of David Miller, Kristen Needham, Anthony Everett, Eda Koot, Stacey Toews and Christian Van Buskirk. Learn more about them, why they wanted to join the board and how they can help the centre achieve its vision.
Research spotlight: Where business, computer programming and science intersect
Andrew Park explores how an academic scientist came up with the first COVID-19 therapeutic before the pharmaceutical giants and subsequently launched the largest initial public offering for a Canadian biotech startup in history.
Master in management student tackles equity, diversity and inclusion through business
Charity Dugbartey, one of the first cohort of students to be completing the new master in management (MM) program, says her passion for tackling social issues through business has led her to lay the foundation for a career addressing equity, diversity and inclusion.
Undergrad students create local impact investing fund
Over the years, Gustavson students have found many creative ways to learn and work at the intersection of sustainability and business. The latest of these is a newly-created student investing club aimed at supporting social enterprises in the Greater Victoria area.
Tackling those big, wicked challenges: An MBA student’s perspective
Dean Pogas, soon to graduate from UVic’s MBA in Sustainable Innovation (weekend stream), credits the program with opening the door to his dream job at the Canadian Red Cross, BC/Yukon Division.
Committed to investing
Finance student Alicia Armstrong, BCom ’20, put in the effort to land a job with British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI). It took a networking event in her third year at Gustavson to really set things in motion.
EQuipped for the workplace
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, has always been a part of learning at Gustavson. But in 2020, our Business Co-op and Career Centre—with generous support from the RBC Foundation—launched a program called Career EQuip to shine a spotlight on this important topic.
Taking on the challenge: My 2021 co-op journey
BCom student Ashley Campbell reflects on her experience attending the Workplace Skills Conference (WPSC) one year and then managing the conference the next year.
Bringing Back the Music
Becoming the CEO of one of BC’s biggest musical festivals right before a major pandemic would send most people running for the hills. But really, uncertainty is always built into event production—so in a way, Neil MacLeod, MBA ’21, CEO of Shambhala, has been ready for this all along.
Beyond all imagination
Sara Elias explores the world of imagination, arts, resiliency and entrepreneurship in this case study about the world’s largest carillon.
Inside the UN Climate Change Conference: my experience at COP26 in Glasgow
Kevin Andrew, a post-doc research fellow focusing on the economic and financial risks related to climate change, reflects on attending the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26.
Spirit of Ali Award celebrates alumni
With the passing of Dr. Ali Dastmalchian, UVic lost an inspiring, dedicated and beloved former leader. Now an award in his honour is celebrating alumni who exemplify the many qualities that made Ali an integral part of the school for two decades.
MIIISsion Impossible 2021: Pitching sustainability
Bachelor of Commerce students were tasked with teaming up with an exchange partner to create a business pitch that addressed a social or sustainable concern in their exchange partner’s home country.
Thinking bigger with a business minor
To complement his existing knowledge of tech, Jack Campbell learned the basics of business to aid him in combating the opioid crisis.
6 Cities, 2 Years: Building a global career with James Toy
James Toy, MGB ‘16, a globetrotting MGB grad, shares how he got started with an international career.
The sweet – and savoury – taste of success
By combining their foodie passions, entrepreneurial vision and sense of purpose, Nicholas Baingo and Lauren Isherwood, MBA ’10, found the recipe for a thriving business
What I learned about work culture: my 2021 co-op experience
BCom student Lilly Rowe shares her summer co-op experience, and reflects on the importance of paying attention to work cultures as you start your job search.
Sustainability in the public sector: MBA grads weigh in
The need for sustainable practices is growing urgently and overlapping across industries, and this leaves us with the question, “what role does the government have in driving sustainability?” Three of our MBA grads working in the public sector commented.
Taking carbon offsetting one tonne at a time
The 2021 Carbon Offset Pitch competition is about to begin. The competition encourages student teams to create a video and a written submission explaining which carbon offset projects the business school should invest in.
What’s wrong with this picture? A look at deepfakes with Jan Kietzmann
Jan Kietzmann, an associate professor teaching innovation and information systems at Gustavson (and incidentally, a BCom ’98 grad), is here to help us navigate the brave new world of deepfakes.
Seven student-led clubs with a business focus
Student clubs are a great way to polish up your skills, round out your resume and to meet some passionate people along the way. There are a number of business-focused clubs to choose from, and here we introduce you to seven of them.
Why every business needs an exit strategy
Every business needs an exit strategy. Jessica Craig, MBA ‘19, and Morgan Tate, BCom ‘17, explain why it is so important to begin planning your exit from day one.
A virtual trip around the world: MBA students participate in international applied projects
The international experience is often mentioned as being a highlight of the MBA program. This year, MBA students had the opportunity to participate in a virtual trip around the world to work on an international business issue.
The best bad timing: Starting up in a pandemic
Accord founders Ryan and Ross Rich launched their business right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit—but the entrepreneurial brothers have turned an unlucky break on its head.
Mealshare on a mission
Mealshare founder Andrew Hall, BCom ’11, acknowledges its been a difficult year, but he says “our mission remains the same: end youth hunger in Canada.”
Friends and fresh air: Gusties stay close at a distance
On this International Day of Friendship, alum Simon Litt, BCom ’19, reflects on how his friendships with fellow Gusties kept him going throughout the pandemic.
Ask a prof: A question of job reckoning
As the post-pandemic recovery begins, Dr. Rick Cotton shares what three different worker groups can expect in the workplace and how to continue to pursue success in times of disruption.
Snapshot of a restaurateur’s reflections
Jonna Deutscher, MBA ’18, reflects on the experience of managing two restaurants during a pandemic, and how the tools she learned during her MBA helped her to adapt and pivot.
A Conversation with Richard Porges, CEO of Destination BC
After a devastating downturn, does tourism in BC have a future? Brain Cant, MBA ’18, sat down with Richard Porges, the Interim President and CEO of Destination BC, to chat about the industry’s path to recovery.
On the Money – Two grads give back
Judy Zhu and her husband James Thom, BCom ’03, are helping improve student access to entrepreneurship education with a new award in recognition of their experiences at Gustavson.
Setting sail post-grad: Neil Henderson shares 10 tips to stay on course
Neil Henderson, BCom ’11, shared 10 tips with this year’s grads at the annual Beyond your BCom event to help them navigate their careers post-grad. He built on his experience in entrepreneurial ventures and a career pivot that landed him in the tech industry.
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