Community Efforts

Ted Rogers School students, alumni, faculty and staff work hard to make a difference in our community. They have used their skills, time and effort to help others and improve life for those around them, inside and outside of the campus. And our individual and corporate supporters have made gifts to strengthen our school community, breaking down barriers and expanding opportunities for more students.

Dean Cynthia Holmes, TMU President Lachemi holding a large cheque along with Steve and Rashmi Gupta of the donation made by the Gupta Family Foundation
Dean Cynthia Holmes, TMU President Lachemi holding a large cheque along with Steve and Rashmi Gupta of the donation made by the Gupta Family Foundation

“Learning is like breathing”: Gupta Family supports students

In January 2024, Dr. Steve and Rashmi Gupta made a gift of $1 million in support of Ted Rogers School and its students through The Gupta Family Foundation. The gift provides endowed financial awards to the school’s MBA students in hospitality and tourism management, as well as crucial unrestricted support, allowing the dean to focus on priority needs.

The donation to the Ted Rogers School aligns with Dr. Gupta’s success as a developer, hotelier, business leader and philanthropist. In 1971, Dr. Gupta arrived in Canada with just $108. By 2000, his company, Easton’s Group of Hotels, was honoured with the Pinnacle Award as “Hotel Company of The Year” by Hotelier Magazine.

Read more about the Gupta family

Dr. Steve Gupta and Rashmi Gupta have a long-standing reputation for investing back in philanthropic causes locally and around the world. In India, they have held eye camps, allowing more than 11,000 people to have cataract eye treatments and be cured of eye disease, and developed a water and sanitation project for a girls school. They have also spearheaded the construction of a retirement community in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

“I’m a great believer in higher education,” said Dr. Gupta, Founder and Chairman of The Gupta Group. “Learning is like breathing – it should never stop. My family and I believe in giving back to our local community and creating opportunities for others to pursue their dreams of success. We are delighted to work with TMU to help make those dreams come true for students.”

“The Ted Rogers School has one of the most diverse student populations of any business school in Canada. A gift like this, from a family rooted in the newcomer experience and earning their success in Canadian business, has special resonance for our community of learners. We are very grateful to the Gupta family for investing in the future of our students,” said Dean Cynthia Holmes.

TMU is proud to recognize the Gupta family’s generosity through the naming of the Ted Rogers School’s premiere auditorium The Steve & Rashmi Gupta Lecture Theatre. At 500 seats, the venue is TMU’s largest lecture theatre. And, in the winter of 2025, two deserving MBA students will receive the inaugural Gupta Family Foundation Award – the first of an ongoing series of awards providing crucial financial support to two MBA students each year in perpetuity.

In March 2025, we were deeply saddened by the passing of Rashmi Gupta, a cherished supporter of the Ted Rogers School. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Gupta family. It was an honour to be part of celebrating and preserving her remarkable legacy through the naming of the Steve and Rashmi Gupta Lecture Theatre.

Gupta family members in front of the doors of the Steve & Rashmi Gupta Lecture Theatre

Gupta family

Sinduja Sriskantharajah, TRSS’s Vice-President of Corporate Relations.

TRSS partnership makes free menstrual products more accessible

Thanks to a partnership between the Ted Rogers Students’ Society (TRSS) and Joni, a sustainable period care company, free menstrual products are now available through dispensers at the Ted Rogers School for the first time.

Sinduja Sriskantharajah, TRSS’s Vice-President of Corporate Relations, knew that period care products were given out in the TRSS office from her previous years working with the group, but she wanted to expand access.

Read more about these free products

“Since everyone didn’t know the TRSS office has period care products, I felt having dispensers in the washrooms would provide a permanent solution, and students would feel more comfortable accessing the products,” Sriskantharajah says.

Sriskantharajah reached out to Hilda Mativo and Rita Lingner on Ted Rogers School’s Facilities team to explain her vision and the period project initiative she wanted to start. They were very supportive and were able to get Facilities Management on board. “Since my position at TRSS is working with partnerships, I decided to look for a brand to partner with to launch this project across the school,” Sriskantharajah explains.

Sriskantharajah and her team researched how other universities have implemented their period care projects and various sustainable period care brands. The team met with five different brands and decided to partner with the company Joni because their values and mission resonated with the impact TRSS was hoping to make. The group also liked the fact that the company gives back to various NGOs and works towards addressing period poverty and promoting menstrual equity sustainably.

Joni has donated over 16,000 period care products to distribute within Ted Rogers School washrooms so far, and that will continue to grow in the years to come. “This is the first time at the Ted Rogers School we have had dispensers implemented giving free pads and tampons to staff, faculty, guests and students,” says Sriskantharajah.

Sriskantharajah points out that at other universities with similar initiatives, it’s usually the schools that cover the costs for the period care products. “But in this case, it is a partnership secured by the students for the students,” she says.

The dispensers were launched on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024). Currently, there are four period care dispensers providing free pads and tampons at the Ted Rogers School.

A holistic approach to breaking down barriers to higher education

In his role as Indigenous Advisor at the Ted Rogers School, Michael Mihalicz is actively involved in developing strategies that will increase access to post-secondary education for Indigenous students. Since starting his role, he has led efforts to develop an end-to-end recruitment and retention plan.

The Indigenous Admissions Process addresses systemic barriers in the existing admission system, and an Awareness Training Program helps student-facing staff engage more effectively with Indigenous students. Together, these initiatives laid the foundation for the recruitment and retention efforts that would follow.

Read more about breaking down barriers

“We’ve since adopted a holistic approach aimed at making the physical space, curriculum and community more inclusive, as well as creating more paths for Indigenous students to the Ted Rogers School,” says Mihalicz.

“We are bringing their voices to the table to help shape our efforts and under their guidance, we’ve set out to transform the school – to develop true trans-cultural collaborations and to take a hard look at what we as a faculty can do better to create a more welcoming environment,” he adds.

The program intends to track its progress by the number of Indigenous students who successfully complete their program, who would not have had the opportunity to study at the leading business school.

Mihalicz also created a new Design Thinking Experience course, which brought Indigenous high school students together with Ted Rogers School students to design the university that they want. “The idea is to co-create an improved university experience for all of our students together with the next generation of learners,” he explains.

 
 
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Students help revitalize spaces at the Ted Rogers School

There is a new look in common spaces around the Ted Rogers School thanks to a student-led initiative.

The TRSM Student Space Revitalization Project, funded by the Ted Rogers Students’ Society (TRSS), aims to renew student spaces in the business school to improve the environment. In 2024, over $55,000 was invested in the project to replace outdated furniture on the 8th and 9th floors of the school, including the old, worn-out orange sofas. There were also some areas on these floors with no furniture where new pieces were brought in to maximize the space.

Read more about the revitalization project

This revitalization project was started by TRSS in 2020 during the pandemic. The group had surplus funds due to student group operations moving online and decided to invest back into the school with several new pieces of furniture being brought into the 7th and 8th floors of the school. When Husnaa Zamarai took over as TRSS President during the 2023-24 school year, she saw that there was still more work to be done, so she initiated the second phase of the project.

“Due to the outdated and limited student spaces in the school, students have found it difficult to find areas to study or socialize with classmates,” Zamarai says.

Zamarai worked with the Facilities team and suppliers to hand-pick items that would meet the needs of our students, while also matching the existing design scheme of the school. The new furniture was installed ahead of the Winter mid-term season, and many students are making use of it.

Yardi Systems invests $410,000 in first-generation and graduate students

The property and asset management software company Yardi Systems has partnered with the Ted Rogers School to create a new scholarship program for first generation students worth $320,000. The company has also committed an additional $90,000 to support Ted Rogers School graduate students in the Real Estate Management program.

Yardi’s investment in Ted Rogers School students is a first at a Canadian university, seeing TMU join American schools such as the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas, Austin, both of which host Yardi scholarships as well.

With a history of supporting underserved communities, including four historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S., Yardi recognizes the transformative power of higher education.

Read more about the scholarships

The Yardi Foundation has committed over $10 million USD in scholarships and student support over the next four years,” says Peter Altobelli, vice president of sales and general manager for Yardi Canada Ltd. “We are proud to partner with Ted Rogers School to strengthen the next generation of talent in real estate management in Canada.”

The $320,000 Yardi Scholarship program at Ted Rogers School is designed to support first-generation students facing financial barriers to education. The program will award $10,000 each to two undergraduate students annually – one student from each of the Business Technology Management and the Real Estate Management programs, renewable for up to four academic years. Recipients may also have professional development opportunities, such as connecting with Yardi employees to expand their professional network.

Peter Altobelli, Sukhman Dhillon and Hardeep Padda standing at the Yardi Systems offices in front of the 25th anniversary commemorative wall

Peter Altobelli (Vice President at Yardi Systems Inc.) with inaugural Yardi Scholars Sukhman Dhillon and Hardeep Padda.

Dean Cynthia Holmes standing with nine faculty members and participants of the Black North Initiative

Helping to elevate Black senior managers at Rogers

Ted Rogers Executive and Corporate Education is helping Rogers Communications Inc. work towards their goal of diversifying their executive team.

Following two months of interviews and meetings with executive team members at the telecommunications company in summer 2023, the Ted Rogers Executive Education team developed content and curriculum to help meet their Black North Initiative commitments, explained Frank Miller, director of executive and corporate education.

The Black North Initiative, founded by a Bay Street financier in 2020, encourages companies to commit to targets to raise the number of Black employees, including at least 3.5 per cent of board and executive roles occupied by Black people by 2025.

Read more about the Elevate program

The Elevate Black Leadership & Sponsorship program helped develop Black senior managers to achieve VP+ level roles for Rogers Communications. To help create the Elevate program, Rogers HR business partners arranged for the school’s instructors to meet executives from Rogers.

In fall 2023, instructors delivered different topics over five and a half days to help build Rogers’ employees’ financial acumen and knowledge of key business metrics. Modules included financial analysis, technology infrastructure, customer market, change management and executive communications. Eighteen senior manager/director level employees from all aspects of Rogers Communications attended.

The Elevate Black Leadership & Sponsorship program, tailored to the needs of Rogers Communications, will be the foundation for other training and initiatives in the company.

Highlights

Empowering people with devices

Corporate social responsibility is something that is important to Business Technology Management student Maddy Hearne, who co-founded First Class Conferencing Facilitation (FCCF), a full stack virtual and hybrid event management company. That’s why her company created an initiative called Empowered by Devices, which collects devices and refurbishes them for those who don’t have access.

FCCF partnered and donated devices to Victim Services of Renfrew County (VSRC), an organization which assists police and other emergency services in providing emotional and practical assistance to people who have experienced a crime, tragic life event or community disaster, including domestic violence/partner assault, sexual violence and human trafficking.

FCCF’s goal was to supply VSRC with devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones and home security technology to help people stay safe and rebuild their lives away from their predator(s). Through their device drive, FCCF donated 100 devices to the organization.

Maddy Hearne at the VSRC location with three representatives and many electronic devices on the counter in front of them

Maddy Hearne (second from left) and VSRC representatives with donated devices.

Dean Cynthia Holmes walking through the TRSM hallways and talking to a student

CIBC helps to remove barriers to co-op for students

CIBC is making it easier for students from underrepresented groups to access career-enhancing co-op opportunities. The newly established CIBC Co-op Student Award for Equity and Excellence will level the playing field by annually providing up to 75 First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, Black students and students with disabilities with $2,000 each — more than covering the initial costs associated with accessing the co-op program.

By removing some of the financial barriers to students, CIBC’s support makes participation in the work-integrated learning placements more inclusive and gives more students the chance to gain experience that often sets them up for career success.

From classroom to boardroom: TRIBE brings focus to Indigenous business

The Treaty Relations in Business Education (TRIBE) student group at the Ted Rogers School hosted the second annual Reconciliation in Business Conference in September 2023. The event, which had the theme of “Indigenous worldviews from the classroom to the boardroom,” brought people together to discuss how to create inclusive spaces in the classroom and corporations.

Highlights from the event included discussion circles on creating inclusive spaces, fireside chats, an Indigenous marketplace, an Indigenous feast and a breathwork workshop.

Sana Mulji with five volunteers of the Reconciliation in Business Conference

Volunteers at the Reconciliation in Business Conference.

Nella Brodett and her opponent on the ice rink with the official referee ready to drop the puck in the middle of them

Nella Brodett (left), then-captain of the Ryerson Rams (now TMU Bold) women’s hockey team at face-off against York University.

She got game: Nella Brodett champions student athletes

Law and Business alumna Nella Brodett — The Amazing Race Canada season 8 cast member, and former TMU women’s hockey team captain — has chalked up a number of successes. She can now add champion of student athletes to that list.

In 2024, the 10-year anniversary of Brodett’s time as a student hockey player at TMU, she established the Nella Brodett Empowerment Award to celebrate student athletes who identify as female and who demonstrate actions and character that contribute to building an empowering culture for their teammates and community. The annual award recognizes one student athlete with $4,000.

A window into Indigenous history

A new piece of artwork, titled “Indigenous History of the Land,” was installed inside the Ted Rogers School on the landing below the 7th floor in May 2024.

This mural created by Philip Cote, young spiritual Elder, Indigenous artist, activist, educator, historian and ancestral knowledge keeper, includes the following visual representations: a snapping turtle for Turtle Island, fish depicting the intellect of Indigenous communities, thirteen moon calendar and the Tadadaho belt for the great peace between five nations.

The thunderbird represents the Three Fires Confederacy, the canoe with animal silhouettes represents the Wendat Neutral Petun peoples, the Inuksuk with blue star represents the Inuit people and the infinity symbol represents Métis people. This moccasin (Nation: Anishinaabe) serves as a visual acknowledgement that we are within Treaty No. 13 territory and the traditional lands of the Ojibway, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee and the Huron Wendat peoples.

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.