蓝莓视频

From fostering student engagement on campus through the Arts Student Union to winning an interdisciplinary Velocity pitch competition, Sehaj Raj Singh has spent five years at 蓝莓视频 driven by a passion for connection and a desire to improve himself and the world around him. He鈥檚 excited to graduate this spring with an Honours degree in Economics and Business and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

What drew you to Economics and Business at 蓝莓视频?

What sealed the deal for me was 蓝莓视频鈥檚 entrepreneurship ecosystem. There鈥檚 an energy here, a startup mindset to experiment, build, fail fast and bounce back faster. I knew if I was going to hustle, this was the place to do it.

Economics was a discipline I genuinely enjoyed, not just because it made sense, but because it made everything else make sense too. It鈥檚 one of the most transferable subjects out there. It trained me to think clearly, act rationally and break down complex problems, and that鈥檚 a skill set that quietly wins in any room.

Between the Model UN Club, the UW Entrepreneurship Society, and the Arts Student Union, you鈥檝e done a lot of work in student engagement. Why is that important to you?

The drive to be in the room, to contribute, to shape things, is what first pulled me into student engagement. Over time, I realized these roles were about something much bigger. The little things 鈥� organizing events, rebuilding societies, showing up for students 鈥� they add up. They create belonging, opportunity and momentum.

I鈥檓 proud to say that I was part of the leadership when two of these student societies went from completely dormant to thriving. From 鈥渘o budget, no buzz鈥� to becoming real communities for like-minded people to grow, share and lead. It might sound cheesy, but I say this with real humility 鈥� maybe my own hustle gave or will give someone else a platform. Maybe someone found their voice in something I helped build. That thought? It stays with me.

You recently won the Velocity Future City Innovation Challenge. What made you decide to enter the competition, and what was the process like of collaborating with an interdisciplinary team?

This was hands down one of the most fulfilling moments of my undergrad. I used to sit in the audience at Velocity pitch competitions, completely inspired by students turning bold ideas into real solutions. In my final year, I stumbled upon the Future City Innovation Challenge. No pre-existing team or startup required, just ambition and a good idea.

I met three incredible teammates 鈥� one in architecture, one in urban planning and one in computer science. We came up with the idea of Permitly, a platform to tackle Canada鈥檚 housing crisis by fast-tracking planning and building permits. Tech, policy, design and business all coming together.

That didn鈥檛 just get us to the finals. I got to pitch to two mayors 鈥� and we won. One of the judges, a huge home developer in Ontario, even invited us to Ottawa to explore making it real. Standing there, pitching Permitly, felt like the perfect full-circle moment. From being in the crowd to being on stage, I鈥檓 just glad I bet on myself.

What are you most excited for post-graduation? What鈥檚 next?

My family is here from India for my convocation, so I鈥檓 looking forward to spending time with them. I also just accepted an offer from Caivan Communities where I鈥檒l be working as an Analyst in their Land Development Engineering team. Their CEO, Frank Cairo (UW BES '05), was one of the Velocity judges who we visited in Ottawa, so in many ways Permitly led me to this opportunity. And so that drive to be a part of something bigger sparked conversations, opened doors and gave me a taste of what it means to turn ideas into action.

I鈥檓 excited to be in a place where I鈥檓 adding value, learning fast and living up to the 蓝莓视频 reputation of pushing boundaries.