Kelly Zheng has a lot on her plate. She鈥檚 a doctoral student at the University of 蓝莓视频 building a startup while also working towards a graduate business degree. It can be a balancing act, but she鈥檚 tackling it all.
Her PhD research in quantum machine learning for spatial temporal modeling can be difficult for many to wrap their heads around. This emerging, quantum-based branch of AI and machine learning allows large data sets to be analyzed in a fraction of time that a regular computer can manage.
The work has been noticed. Zheng was awarded the prestigious National Science, Engineering and Research Council of Canada's doctoral research scholarship. There are many possibilities for the application of this research, but Zheng is interested in how this could impact the world in a positive way. Taking these technological tools and putting them into hands that could benefit communities is what really drives her.
Her supervisors, mechanical and mechatronics engineering professors聽Dr. Roydon Fraser and Dr. Jesse Th茅 gave Zheng the support she needed to think about commercializing her research. And when she read about the聽Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship, Zheng started to piece together how she could accomplish her goals.
鈥淭he knowledge that my supervisors were in my corner was a big reason that I felt comfortable to dream big,鈥 she said.
As a recipient of one of the 10 fellowships offered to students across campus, Zheng is able to gain the business knowledge, skills and experience to help commercialize her research. The fellowship allows Zheng to take the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program part-time and tuition-free, while she also works on her doctoral studies. She is also building a new venture, with co-founder Thomas Storwick.
Coastal Carbon
Planting seaweed in oceans is an effective way of sequestering carbon and can in fact be many times more effective than tree planting. Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets such as seaweed planting, but there鈥檚 a problem.
Coastal farmers who sell the carbon offsets need to prove that the seaweed has been planted and is growing. Traditionally, this is done by sending divers into the ocean to physically measure the seaweed 鈥 a costly and often inaccurate method.
This is where Coastal Carbon comes in.聽Using satellite AI technology to measure trees on land is relatively straightforward, but measuring plant growth under water's reflective surface is much trickier. Zheng is using the past three years of her PhD research to provide a solution that allows clients to measure seaweed with just a few clicks of a mouse, saving time and money.
After only a few months, Coastal Carbon has won multiple start-up awards and pitch competitions, received funding through聽,聽a Velocity program for commercializing research and also has eight active pilot projects. Zheng聽attributes the trajectory of Coastal Carbon in large part directly to what the Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship has allowed her to do.
鈥淭he support Coastal Carbon has received from Conrad staff, faculty and advisors has significantly accelerated our progress. Course content, from finance and accounting to leadership and strategic advice have been directly applicable in our day-to-day operations."
Zheng hasn鈥檛 just benefited from the hard skills that are taught in MBET but so much more. Interacting with others in the program has brought a richness to her experience.
I鈥檝e met people who come from all kinds of careers and educational backgrounds and those casual conversations have allowed me to see what we鈥檙e trying to do with Coastal Carbon from so many different perspectives. Many have become good friends and great resources for our company.
鈥淲hat I didn鈥檛 expect was how much impact the interactions with fellow classmates would have on me. I鈥檝e met people who come from all kinds of careers and educational backgrounds and those casual conversations have allowed me to see what we鈥檙e trying to do with Coastal Carbon from so many different perspectives. Many have become good friends and great resources for our company.鈥
On a personal level, balancing the demands of a start-up, doctoral degree and a master鈥檚 degree at the same time is something that Zheng was concerned about at first.
鈥淚 was worried that the added demand of MBET in terms of time and course load," she said. "However, the layout of the program accounts for doctoral study, and the Conrad staff and faculty have been nothing but supportive of the demands on our time. It鈥檚 been a really edifying experience so far, I'm looking forward to the next couple of years in the program."