Zahra Noorani
Alumni Successes
Ted Rogers School alumni are successfully taking on positions in the corporate world, starting their own companies and accomplishing remarkable things. They defined their career paths and built career connections and purpose at our school, gained experience in their fields and industries and have used their experience to support and inspire the next generation of business leaders.
From passion to action: Leading the charge in earth conservation
Andres Bustamante
Amid heightened calls for environmental conservation, Ted Rogers School alumni Andres Bustamante (Marketing Management ’10) and Zahra Noorani (Hospitality & Tourism Management ’16) are passionately addressing sustainability challenges.
Noorani is the Director of Business Development at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). Located in Hamilton, Ontario, the RBG is a National Historic Site and the largest botanical garden in Canada.
Read more about these sustainability projects
“For over eight decades, the RBG has connected people to the plant world. We do this not only to awaken people to plants’ beauty, diversity and necessity, but also to serve as a beacon for an increasingly urgent movement to preserve plant species and habitats and, by extension, our planet,” says Noorani.
As part of the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the RBG plays a vital role in the region, protecting and preserving 2,700 acres of environmentally sensitive areas.
One of Noorani’s notable projects that she works on involves setting up community events that are helping people gain a deeper appreciation for the outdoors.
“One of the events is bringing wellness into the gardens, like forest breathwork,” she explains. “The goal is to bring something that used to happen indoors and take it back to the gardens in order to help people be immersed in the natural environment.”
In another corner of the globe, Bustamante is making waves in sustainable development as the Co-Founder and Director of Marketing & Public Relations of EcoSwell, a Peruvian non-profit that designs and develops sustainable development projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in vulnerable communities in Peru.
Bustamante’s mission with EcoSwell is twofold: to foster sustainable livelihoods for Peruvian communities while conserving the environment. Through innovative projects like sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism, he and his team provide economic opportunities for locals while safeguarding fragile ecosystems.
“Peru has so many beautiful places, but because there’s no clear plan or vision for what they want, there’s nobody trying to actively push for these things,” says Bustamante. “So, we stepped into this community, and we’ve been pushing this vision of sustainability.”
“One of the projects is that we’re trying to find water and have communities be able to manage the wells in a sustainable way so that they have energy,” he explains. “We’re also doing bioremediation in wastewater ponds, teaching them how to do treatment of the wastewater.”
For Bustamante, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a way of life. Working closely with local communities, every project is designed to empower them while preserving the natural environment.
Switching social channels: Influencer alums set new standards
Look up #ugc on Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll be met with thousands of posts with creators talking about a social media phenomenon that’s emerged overnight. UGC stands for user-generated content that is typically done for brands – but don’t call it influencing. As influencer marketing has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar industry, the social media landscape is evolving to include new types of creators and content.
With over 13.7K followers on Instagram and 3.6K on TikTok, Geerthan Ranjhan (Human Resources Management ’21) prefers the term “content creator.” “It allows me to experience both worlds,” he says. “UGC creators are focused on making the product look great, whereas influencers add their personality and experience to try and sell the product or event.”
Geerthan Ranjhan
14
Followers
Sai Balaji
250
Followers
Read more about Geerthan and Sai
Ranjhan brands himself as a creator discovering the best food and nightlife in the city. He creates content in his free time, building his schedule around content he has to film and any events he’s been invited to. “I always treated [my Instagram] like my personal account; I would go to restaurants and make content. I noticed hashtags were helping and I started gaining followers.”
Most people think of influencing when imagining a social media content creator, with a never-ending supply of events and gift unboxings that come with a large enough following. In theory, anybody with an eye for aesthetics, a passion for social media and a half-decent portfolio could make content for brands.
“If you want to create content for brands that may not have much to do with you, then UGC is a great option,” says Sai Balaji (Business Technology Management ’23), a food and lifestyle creator with over 45.6K followers on Instagram and 250K on TikTok.
Ranjhan has been able to leverage UGC as an additional revenue stream, but it’s not as easy as TikTok tutorials suggest. “There’s less pressure because you’re behind the scenes as a UGC creator, but brands have a lower budget for UGC since they can really hire anybody,” explains Balaji. “It’s easy for marketers to send a brief and any creator can run with it, whereas influencer marketing is tailored around the influencer.”
Balaji started creating content while enrolled at the Ted Rogers School. By the time she graduated, she was working with agencies and making money via brand deals. “Building a relationship with an agency is important because the influencer marketing scene is large. Even following up and thanking them after an event helps build a longer-term relationship,” she adds.
Creating inclusive spaces in education
For Black and racialized students, navigating education systems can be challenging. Human Resources Management alumna Cyesha Craigwell-Forde (’09) has been working to change that.
In her role as a Tri-Mentoring Program (TMP) manager at TMU, Craigwell-Forde and her team provide mentorship programming to post-secondary students, helping them to feel a sense of belonging on campus. The program mainly focuses on offering group, peer and career mentoring to equity-deserving groups.
“Through our Black-identified student support services, we are able to provide spaces like the Black Student Lounge. It’s also about defining what that space should be and what would best serve them to bring a sense of community onto campus,” says Craigwell-Forde.
Read more about the Tri-Mentoring Program
Since its inception in 2001, more than 30,000 students have benefitted from TMP’s services. BMO has been a lead donor, supporting it through expansion of programming for students from equity-deserving groups, including 2SLGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities and more. In addition to group, peer and career mentoring, TMP provides specialized programs, such as the Race Forward, Black Student Experience and First Generation Programming and Community Outreach.
“It’s about building community and working with students,” said Craigwell-Forde. “When I look at the work that my team does as it relates to the support of Black students, it helps them build a strong foundation, which enables them to excel at the academic part of their TMU journey.”
The ability to help create more welcoming and inclusive spaces for students has helped Craigwell-Forde channel her passion for positively impacting people’s lives.
“I enjoy seeing the students I encounter chart their path and charge forward while being sure of themselves,” she said. “Them being able to see that vision and next steps for themselves — those are the things that, directly or indirectly, the Tri-Mentoring Program can do.”
Graduates have a healthy influence on the community
With the increasing importance of community care across health care systems, the Master of Health Administration (Community Care) program addresses the critical need for leaders who know how to negotiate and manage care delivery across networks of provider organizations to a range of clients and families. The program is producing graduates who are making a difference in our community.
Hear what MHA(CC) graduate Rukhsar Jaffer, Coordinator & Project Manager, Office of the CEO, Community Partnerships & Health Equity at Women’s College Hospital had to say about the program and how she is applying her learnings in her career.
Breaking barriers for women in business
Christine Faulhaber (Marketing Management ’02), founder and CEO of FAULHABER, a full-service public relations and digital marketing agency, is committed to helping the next generation of women business leaders succeed.
Faulhaber embarked on a non-linear path to leadership, working full-time in retail during her time at the Ted Rogers School. Recalling her journey, she shares, “When I was 26 years old, I had a quarter-life crisis. But really, it was a quarter-life opportunity. I started my business with a laptop in my kitchen, and I didn’t have a mapped-out plan.”
Her entrepreneurship, nurtured at the Ted Rogers School, blossomed into a business that has thrived for 24 years. She was honoured with the Universal Women’s Network – Women of Inspiration Award in 2023 for her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to shattering barriers for women in business.
Read more about Christine's work
Mentorship holds a special place for Faulhaber, and she believes it starts with alumni. She currently mentors aspiring businesspersons through FAULHABER’s FCONSULTS platform, the Toronto Fashion Incubator, THE FORUM and Monday Girl. As part of her dedication to building the next generation of women leaders, she recently appointed Lexi Pathak as President and leader of the day-to-day operations at her agency.
In 2016, FAULHABER initiated the Faulhaber Award at TMU, a 20-year commitment aimed at supporting female students aspiring to become senior leaders in communications. In response to the transformative impact of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the award underwent a permanent adjustment. “When the movement started, it was a wakeup call that the industry I’m in wasn’t diverse,” Faulhaber explains. “We pivoted the award to not only be directed towards a female student, but one from a marginalized community.”
Highlights
Graduate students return to share their knowledge and experience
Alumni from our graduate programs have returned to the school to share their career insights with current students in the Ted Rogers MBA, Master of Science in Management, Master of Health Administration (Community Care) and PhD in Management programs.
The Executive Speaker Series event held in November 2023 highlighted non-traditional career pathways for graduate students. The event featured alumni including Alexandra Coros (Digital Strategy Consultant, Accenture), Ashwin Sinha (Solution Architect, Salesforce), Carlos Galvan (Headwear and Hardgoods Buyer, Toronto Blue Jays) and keynote speaker Shoaib Ahmed (Founder and CEO, SCOOTY), who shared their experiences and expertise, and answered student questions about their career journeys and what parts of their graduate program benefited them most.
In February 2024, MScM graduates Kyle Stewart (Senior Analyst, University Health Network), Nour Mousa (Information Security Consultant, CIBC) and Noa Friedman (Senior Research Associate, Environics Research) returned for a panel discussion to discuss the diverse opportunities within organizations for graduate-level research professionals.
Executive Speaker Series event in November 2023.
Aspiration to achievement: Meet Alumnus Stu Morrow
Ted Rogers School alumni believe in paying it forward and nurturing the next generation of leaders. Meet Stu Morrow (Finance ’02), Executive Director, Investment Strategist at Morgan Stanley, and discover how the Ted Rogers School has shaped his professional journey.
Taking a plunge on Dragons’ Den
After sustaining a knee injury during the pandemic, hockey player and Ted Rogers School alumnus Daniel Mazour (Business Technology Management ’14) discovered the benefits of cold plunging.
“I started doing ice baths at home in my tub,” Mazour recounts. “I felt the incredible results on my knee. But moreover, I got addicted to the mental clarity that I was getting. And I saw a need for that.”
As Mazour valued the mental benefits of ice baths, he found a way to improve the at-home practice. “Because I was in my bathtub, it was shallow, and I couldn’t get my whole body in. So, I started looking for solutions,” he explains.
With an uptick in health and wellbeing, Mazour and co-founder Michael Spivak saw a market for cold-water therapy, and as ambitious entrepreneurs created Coldture — Canada’s premier cold plunge company. The pair pitched their idea on the TV show Dragons’ Den in fall 2023, and landed an offer of $200,000 for ten per cent equity with dragon Michele Romanow.
Sheniese Van Heer (far right) with graduates from the Sales Leadership Program and Director Karen Peesker (second from right).
From small beginnings to a network of sales leaders
Launched in 2018, the Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program (SLP) was the first English-speaking sales program in Canada, providing sales leadership and experiential opportunities for students. The true testament to the program’s success lies in the stories of its alumni. Graduates leave the school as passionate and skilled sales professionals, and have grown in leadership roles across industries, including Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft.
Former SLP members launched an alumni association to maintain a stronger sense of community post-graduation. The Ted Rogers Sales Alumni (TRSA) group empowers graduates with the opportunity to support current students. Alumni act as mentors, attend events, facilitate workshops, participate in panels and run sales lessons for students in the program.
“We didn’t want that community to stop after we graduated,” says alumna Sheniese Van Heer, who was part of the original SLP cohort. “We wanted to continue that sales community, but also give back to the program that helped us kickstart our careers.”
Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
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The content of this report covers July 2023-August 2024.
In April 2022, the university announced our new name of Toronto Metropolitan University, which will be implemented in a phased approach. Learn more about our next chapter.