Office hour

Fireside Chat: Practical tips towards finding your highest excitement

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:17:32 +0000

Fireside Chat: Practical tips towards finding your highest excitement Gosia Brestova… Fri, 01/03/2025 - 11:17

Isn’t life actually, just one big ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ story? Decisions. Choices. Actions.

Join the Recent Engineering Alumni Council in conversation with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alum, Lisa Tong (BASc ’01, chemical engineering), who recently published her book Hello (World) Me: The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself, a personal self-guided coach to self, awareness, understanding, and choices — to creating the life YOU want.

Moderated by the council chair of REAC, Adele Chui (BASc '18, systems design engineering), we’ll be chatting about how Lisa came to where she is in her career and the decisions, choices, and actions that led to her becoming a published author. Register to attend this virtual discussion and interactive Q&A session!

Please note: This session is virtual and will be recorded. Please register to ensure that you receive the link to join the Zoom session and the link to the recording after the event.

View "Fireside Chat: Practical Tips for Finding Your Highest Excitement | Lisa Tong & REAC" on YouTube

Speaker:

Lisa Tong
BASc 2001, chemical engineering
Creative Director, This Project Called Me
and
Founder, Chief Chef, & Blogger, The Chinese Soup Lady

Biography
Lisa Tong is an ex-corporate consultant and engineer turned entrepreneur, bestselling author, speaker and professionally trained and certified coach and facilitator. She founded This Project Called Me, a personal development company that supports people in developing stronger self-awareness and helps corporate humans build passion projects. When Lisa is not writing or coaching, you will likely find her cycling or making soups for her other fun persona, The Chinese Soup Lady.

Connect with Lisa Tong on LinkedIn.

Moderator:

Adele Chui
BASc 2018, systems design engineering
Product Manager
TealBook

Biography:
Read about Adele Chui's work as the chair of REAC.

Connect with Adele Chui on LinkedIn.

Workshop: “Working the Room” with Ron Ojanpera (BASc 1969)

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:13:55 +0000

Workshop: “Working the Room” with Ron Ojanpera (BASc 1969) Gosia Brestova… Fri, 12/20/2024 - 11:13

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive in-person workshop with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumnus Ron Ojanpera (BASc 1969, mechanical engineering). The “Working the Room” workshop is based on 50 years of Ron’s personal business experience.

During this practical workshop, Ron Ojanpera will walk you through the basics and intricacies of networking during an event such as a reception or dinner. Ron’s tips and techniques will help build your confidence in meeting new people, particularly at larger reception and social events. The workshop will cover topics such as evaluating why to attend a particular event, how to prepare for the event, purpose of name badges, how to find opportunities and strategies on how and when to network with others, how long each engagement should be to respect people’s time, how to gracefully disengage (which is often difficult for many), and strategies of networking at a lunch or dinner where everyone is seated. There will also be an opportunity to practice these newly learned strategies with other attendees and to ask your most pressing networking strategy questions.

Join engineering alumni and current engineering students for this workshop to gain access to Ron’s practical networking knowledge. Please RSVP to register for the workshop. Please bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Please note: This session is in-person and will NOT be recorded.

Speaker

Ron Ojanpera
BASc 1969, Mechanical Engineering
Retired

Biography
Ron Ojanpera graduated in 1969 from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ in mechanical engineering. He worked for 50 years in several roles starting with field service engineering, design engineering, engineering management, project management including 30 years in sales management/business development functions for a major supplier of air emission control and steam generation systems for large global customers in heavy industry. Customers were typically in thermal power generation, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical operations, pulp and paper, cement and lime production. Clients were spread across Canada plus several globally, primarily in the Andes section of South America.

Ron has presented technical papers at several major conferences primarily in the Power Generation and non-ferrous metallurgical sectors. Ron had been registered as a Professional Engineer in Quebec over the first several years of his career and subsequently in Ontario, finally retiring in 2018.

The presentation “Working the Room” is based on 50 years of Ron’s personal business experience.

Office Hour with Stephen Semeniw (BASc '89) on “The Long and Winding Road Adventure”

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Thu, 04 May 2023 14:14:46 +0000

Office Hour with Stephen Semeniw (BASc '89) on “The Long and Winding Road Adventure” Gosia Brestova… Thu, 05/04/2023 - 10:14

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumnus Stephen Semeniw (BASc 1989, electrical engineering), co-founder and vice-president of sales at Tego Cyber as well as management consultant at Quantus Capital Corporation, who will talk about “The Long and Winding Road Adventure.”

During this Office Hour, Stephen Semeniw will talk about his life, travel, play and career journey from his time when he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ to where he is now 34 years later. Stephen will take participants down his unique career road and talk about the multiple directions it has taken him on. Join fellow alumni and students for this virtual Office Hour to gain access to Stephen’s work experience, life skills and career advice.

Join fellow alumni and students for this virtual Office Hour to hear about Stephen’s story to date, a story that is still not yet done. RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join.

Please RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Join the ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering Hub (powered by Ten Thousand Coffees) to gain access to this Office Hour. If you are already a member of the ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering Hub, please sign in to RSVP.

Stephen Semeniw
BASc 1989, Electrical Engineering
Co-Founder & VP Sales, Tego Cyber
Management Consultant, Quantus Capital Corporation

Biography

Stephen Semeniw brings 35+ years international experience in sales, business development, marketing, strategy, customer service and operations, primarily with Internet, media, entertainment, and high-technology companies, in both the public and private sectors. He has worked in a wide range of corporate environments from large multinationals to public, medium- size companies and start-ups. He has lived in Canada, USA, Europe, the Middle East and India.

He has spent the last 24 years working as a management consultant engaged in executive/senior management positions and fixed term projects for a wide range mix of dozens of clients in North America and further abroad. Stephen is an 1989 UW grad (Honours BASc Electrical Engineering) and he also has a bilingual English–Spanish MBA (‘93) from IESE in Barcelona, Spain.

Connect with Stephen Semeniw on LinkedIn

Office Hour with Tom Dean (BASc '79) on "Tips on How to Successfully Land Your Next Full Time Job"

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:59:54 +0000

Office Hour with Tom Dean (BASc '79) on "Tips on How to Successfully Land Your Next Full Time Job" Gosia Brestova… Thu, 02/23/2023 - 16:59

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni Tom Dean (BASc '79, mechanical engineering), director of technical operations in the Department of Chemical Engineering from 2012 to 2022, to talk about successfully navigating the various steps to obtain your next full-time job in a technical field. Tom has been an engineering hiring manager for the past 35 years and has been coaching chemical engineering undergraduate students on the hiring process for the past decade, prior to retiring four months ago.

During this Office Hour, Tom will talk about the necessary switch from thinking like an engineer to that of a salesperson - to sell "The Product of You" for this process - a very important distinction, as you can't "engineer yourself into a new job". He will discuss how to craft and optimize the resume and cover letter to ensure you are granted an interview, then how to prepare and conduct yourself during the interview stages. And finally, he’ll discuss how to review and respond to the job offer, complete with negotiation criteria and methodology. The role of LinkedIn will also be discussed.

Please come to this session ready with questions about the hiring process and how to best navigate the hiring landscape. Tom with share insights "from the hiring side of the desk" as to what the resume reviewers are really seeking, and how to make the best impression during the interview process so that you stand out above all other applicants.

Please RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Tom Dean
BASc 1979, Mechanical Engineering
Retired Director of Technical Operations, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of ��ݮ��Ƶ

Biography

Tom Dean recently retired from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, but he has been a results-oriented executive leader with a solid background in engineering, management and continuous improvement of manufacturing business units with over 35 years of progressive management experience in hi-tech industries. He’s a team-builder and team-player with a proactive and creative management style.

Over his engineering career, Tom has worked at technology and innovation companies such as Babcock & Wilcox, GE Water & Process Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Barber Glass Manufacturing, 2Source Manufacturing and the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ. He is a certified Six-Sigma Quality System Black Belt and an ISO-9000 Lead Auditor.

Connect with Tom Dean on LinkedIn.

Office Hour with Shawn Freeman (MMSc ’14), Mentor, Technology Entrepreneur, and Partner

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 18:49:10 +0000

Office Hour with Shawn Freeman (MMSc ’14), Mentor, Technology Entrepreneur, and Partner Gosia Brestova… Mon, 12/19/2022 - 13:49

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni Shawn Freeman (MMSc ‘14, management sciences), mentor, tech expert and entrepreneur, to learn about leadership and the various stages of a start-up: transitioning from an employee to owning a business, scaling it, selling and then exiting.

During this Office Hour, Shawn will talk about his unique career path since graduating from the master of management sciences program at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and he will share his experience about the evolution of an entrepreneur - an everchanging landscape. Shawn will discuss his start-up journey on starting an IT service provider company in 2011, almost a decade of hard work, commitment, and inspiring growth, being acquired and then finally exiting, and now looking to the future on what’s next!

Come to this session ready with questions about leadership, mentorship, tech start-ups, and all things entrepreneurial. Shawn will also share insights on how to get started as an entrepreneur and tips and tricks to help you stand out in industry. Please RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Shawn Freeman
MMSc 2014, Management Sciences
Mentor, Technology Entrepreneur, and Partner

Biography
Shawn Freeman is an Alberta-based tech expert and entrepreneur whose ambition is to enhance the lives of everyone around him through technology, community action, mentorship, or a combination of all three.

In 2011 Shawn founded TWT Group Inc., a managed IT service provider with a human touch. After nine years of hard work, commitment, and inspiring growth, TWT Group was acquired by Fully Managed, an international IT service management company. Today, Shawn is committed to creating a better future through practical innovation and entrepreneurial mentorship.

Connect with Shawn Freeman on LinkedIn.

Office Hour with Parisa Golchoubian (MASc '17), Founder of Artistech and Artterra

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:28:08 +0000

Office Hour with Parisa Golchoubian (MASc '17), Founder of Artistech and Artterra Gosia Brestova… Wed, 11/09/2022 - 15:28

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumna Parisa Golchoubian (MASc 2017, Systems Design Engineering), founder of Artistech and Artterra, as she shares tips and advice on the passion and values needed to start a company.

During this Office Hour, Parisa will talk about her unique career journey based on being the founder of two tech companies, Artistech and Artterra, since completing a master’s degree in systems design engineering at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ. She’ll provide advice on finding the “right” idea, how to take that first step, and the need to pivot and fine-tune your business. Parisa will also talk about aligning your passion and values with what you're doing with your start-up so that you can keep going and troubleshooting until you land on an idea that is new and one of a kind.

Join fellow alumni and students for this virtual Office Hour to gain access to Parisa’s insights and lessons learned along the way based on her own start-up experience. Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Parisa Golchoubian
MASc 2017, Systems Design Engineering
Founder and CEO, Artterra
Founder and Lead Designer, Artistech

Biography
Parisa Golchoubian is an entrepreneur, engineer and artist. She has always had a passion for the arts, which she started pursuing after leaving an engineering career in 2019 as a software developer and business analyst in the automotive industry.

Since then, her engineering problem-solving brain has seen plenty of room for improvement in the art industry using technology-enabled solutions. Over the past few years, Parisa has been pursuing her passion for becoming an established artist while starting a web design and development agency called Artistech where she helps other artists and artisans build high-converting websites and sell their work online.

Her most recent business, Artterra, emerged from her continuous passion for empowering artists to be seen and grow. The artterra online art gallery was launched in November 2021, and today it contains a curated selection of work from emerging artists all over Canada as well as a mentorship program bringing art marketing experts and coaches together to help artists in Canada along their path from emerging to established. The program currently has 400+ artists going through Artterra’s monthly art challenges. Artterra aims to support the Canadian arts ecosystem by being the bridge between artists, interior designers and art lovers looking for art for their homes.

Connect with Parisa Golchoubian on LinkedIn.

Office Hour: #CareersinClimate Part 2: Building a more sustainable future through entrepreneurship

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:27:14 +0000

Office Hour: #CareersinClimate Part 2: Building a more sustainable future through entrepreneurship Gosia Brestova… Wed, 11/09/2022 - 13:27

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni and current students are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour sponsored by Ten Thousand Coffees.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time - presenting both a challenge and incredible opportunity to make positive change for future generations. Change can happen at any level - from the choices that individuals make on a daily basis to the commitments that large organizations make towards a more sustainable future.

Join Ten Thousand Coffees for their #CareersinClimate Office Hour Series - a two part event featuring leaders in environmental impact discussing climate change, their own career journeys and how the next generation of leaders, like you, can explore careers in climate. If you missed Part 1, it can be viewed on YouTube.

#CareersinClimate Part 2: Dax Dasilva, founder of Lightspeed Commerce Inc. - a point-of-sale system now valued in the billions, has stepped down as CEO to become the chair of the board of directors and to pursue his passion for environmental activism. Dax’s environmental alliance Age of Union collaborates with grassroots organizations that are working to conserve and restore some of the most endangered and impacted biodiverse ecosystems around the world. Dax’s career journey has been unique but shows there are endless opportunities to follow your passions and make an impact through your work.

Join our exclusive event featuring Dax Dasilva (Age of Union) and 10KC’s CEO and Co-Founder Dave Wilkin to hear about Dax’s career journey and the work he’s doing to build a more sustainable future. You’ll also hear from Madeline Oliver (Talent Acquisition Specialist, Golder) on what types of jobs exist in environmental impact and how you can navigate a career in this space.

You won’t want to miss it!

MODERATOR

Dave Wilkin, Co-Founder & CEO, Ten Thousand Coffees

SPEAKERS

Dax Dasilva, Founder, Age of Union
Madeline Oliver, Talent Acquisition Specialist, WSP Golder

Sign up today and save your seat! Not able to make it this time? No problem, register anyway to receive a video recording of this Office Hour session to watch on your own time.

Office Hour: #CareersinClimate Part 1: How Canada's largest organizations are building a more sustainable future

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:49:56 +0000

Office Hour: #CareersinClimate Part 1: How Canada's largest organizations are building a more sustainable future Gosia Brestova… Tue, 10/25/2022 - 09:49

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni and current students are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour sponsored by Ten Thousand Coffees.

#CareersinClimate Part 1: Companies are adapting the ways they operate and measure success in light of climate change and an increase in environmental awareness. Through reduced carbon emissions, studying how new development impacts wildlife, investing in sustainability and much more, large organizations have the potential to drive drastic change for the better.

Join this exclusive event featuring Tewfik Atia (WSP Canada) and Ten Thousand Coffees CEO and Co-Founder Dave Wilkin to hear about how companies are driving towards a more sustainable future. You'll also hear from Madeline Oliver (Talent Acquisition Specialist, WSP Golder) on what types of jobs exist in environmental impact and how to make your application standout.

You won’t want to miss it!

MODERATOR

Dave Wilkin, Co-Founder & CEO, Ten Thousand Coffees

SPEAKERS

Tewfik Atia, Senior Vice President, National Operations - Earth & Environment, WSP Canada
Madeline Oliver, Talent Acquisition Specialist, WSP Golder

Sign up today and save your seat! Not able to make it this time? No problem, register anyway to receive a video recording of this Office Hour session to watch on your own time.

Office Hour with Craig McQueen (BASc ’93), VP at Softchoice, on “Take charge of your career in tech”

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:46:37 +0000

Office Hour with Craig McQueen (BASc ’93), VP at Softchoice, on “Take charge of your career in tech” Gosia Brestova… Tue, 10/18/2022 - 09:46

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni Craig McQueen (BASc 1993, Systems Design Engineering), vice president of digital acceleration at Softchoice, as he shares tips and advice on taking charge of your career in tech.

During this Office Hour, Craig will talk about his unique career journey in tech since graduating from the systems design engineering program at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and will provide advice on how to find an area to focus your career development and why a variety of roles in crucial to career success. Craig will also talk about how to build your support network and what it means to create a brand for yourself.

Join fellow alumni and students for this virtual Office Hour to gain access to Craig’s insights and learnings based on his own personal experience in pursuing a career in tech as well as from having conversations with global tech executives. Please RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Craig McQueen
BASc 1993, Systems Design Engineering
Vice President, Digital Acceleration
Softchoice

Biography

Planning a career is tough. Craig McQueen had the opportunity to have a wide range of experience in his career, from lead developer on an award-winning Internet software product to co-founding and selling a tech services company to being a sales coach and consultant to global technology organizations. Today, he's the vice president of digital acceleration at Softchoice, a North American IT Solutions company.

Some of his career was planned, and some was luck. He hopes by sharing his learning you can accelerate your career.

Connect with Craig McQueen on LinkedIn.

Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumnus Alim Khamisa (MBET ’10), Product Manager at Element Finance & Co-Founder of DeFi Toronto

Gosia Brestovacki (mbrestov) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 20:14:55 +0000

Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumnus Alim Khamisa (MBET ’10), Product Manager at Element Finance & Co-Founder of DeFi Toronto Gosia Brestova… Tue, 09/20/2022 - 16:14

��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering students and alumni are invited to participate in an exclusive virtual Office Hour with ��ݮ��Ƶ Engineering alumni Alim Khamisa (MBET 2010), product manager at Element Finance and co-founder of DeFi Toronto to learn about Web3 and the emergence of a new blockchain-based financial system – decentralized finance (DeFi).

During this Office Hour, Alim will talk about his unique career journey since graduating from the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology program at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, and how his passion for startups and blockchain led him to the world of DeFi. Alim will talk about the evolution of DeFi over the last few years and what he's building at Element Finance.

Come to this session ready with questions about decentralized finance, token engineering, decentralized governance, and all things crypto. Alim will also share insights on how you can get involved in the blockchain industry with a startup or as a founder of a new venture.

Please RSVP to receive the MS Teams link to join and bring your questions for an engaging conversation!

Alim Khamisa
MBET 2010
Product Manager, Element Finance
Co-Founder, Defi Toronto

Biography

Alim Khamisa is product manager at Element Finance, an open source Ethereum-based DeFi protocol for fixed and variable yields. He is an adjunct professor in the Blockchain Development Program at George Brown College, where he also sits on the Program's Advisory Committee. Alim's research interests lie at the intersection of Web 3.0, decentralized finance (DeFi), and governance systems. In 2019, he co-founded the DeFi Toronto community meetup which hosts monthly events featuring high-profile speakers from around the world. He is an active member of the global blockchain community as an avid speaker, startup advisor, and angel investor. In 2018, he worked with a team of blockchain leaders to launch one of Canada's first industrial-scale crypto-mining companies from inception through to a public listing on the TSXV (via RTO) and subsequent M&A. Alim is currently advising several blockchain startups including notable DeFi projects Atomic Finance (Bitcoin x DeFi) and Sacred Finance (Privacy x DeFi). He recently authored a chapter titled 'Token Economies' in The Emerald Handbook of Blockchain for Business (published March 2021) which focuses on Web 3.0, token fundamentals, cryptoeconomics, and token engineering. Alim holds a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ and is a designated CPA.

Connect with Alim on LinkedIn.