How Nazaneen Qauomi went from struggling immigrant to social entrepreneur
As founder of Red Gold of Afghanistan, Nazaneen Qauomi is empowering women in her home country to support themselves through saffron farming.
As founder of Red Gold of Afghanistan, Nazaneen Qauomi is empowering women in her home country to support themselves through saffron farming.
No matter what industry you work in, the challenges in today’s business environment are rapidly evolving — and success lies in our ability to keep up. Diana Drury, Director of Team and Executive Coaching for the MBA/Master programs at Smith School of Business, shares how the school is preparing future leaders to excel through teaching skills that cannot be found in a textbook.
Lori Sroujian first started experimenting with faux-cheese recipes after a family health scare led her to reconsider what she was eating. What started as a personal quest to find a nutritious but delicious replacement for cheese eventually evolved into a side hustle — and about a year ago, VegCheese became Lori’s full-time enterprise.
As a professor of organizational behaviour at Smith School of Business, Jana Raver looks at how people overcome the challenges of starting a business. Jana has identified three factors that predict the likelihood a business owner will excel or fail. She explains why these matter, and what entrepreneurs can do to succeed.
A co-op placement while earning a math and computer science degree introduced Shannon Kot to the consulting world. A few years later, at the urging of her mentor, she chose to complement her skills with an MBA from Smith School of Business. In just seven years, Shannon had made partner at Deloitte — a feat she attributes not only to the knowledge she gained, but also to the leadership skills and confidence earned along the way.
As a woman constantly travelling for work, Kristi Soomer struggled to find versatile clothing that would allow her to pack less on trips. So she launched Encircled. The clothing line began with just one product — a cardigan that can be worn eight different ways. Now, Kristi’s company offers over 40 different designs, employs more than 14 people, and is a Certified B Corporation. Here’s how she did it.
Maryann Turcke knows that her collection of career job titles seems out of the ordinary. But in the details, her path becomes clear. During her career, Maryann has moved up, down, sideways and even made a right turn, with an MBA from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, to get to her current job as chief operating officer of the NFL.
Tiffany James became interested in the beauty industry while doing her undergraduate degree. Not long after, she set her sights on a goal: working at L’Oréal. She planned a direct path, starting with Smith’s Master of International Business program, and didn’t let any challenge stop her. Now, she’s a Global Project Manager in the L’Oréal Technology Incubator at the company’s Paris headquarters.
Kimberly was navigating her career as a management consultant and looking to incorporate her passion for women’s advancement into her work. Inspired by an article about the director of Catalyst Canada in her alma mater’s alumni magazine, she pursued and secured herself a six-month secondment.
The majority of Canadians have positive attitudes towards diversity and inclusion programs, but a new study reveals there is more work to be done to achieve truly inclusive workplaces. Smith School of Business and Catalyst Canada offer tips to help your organization increase the effectiveness of its D&I initiatives.
Founder of Lowegistics International, Emily Lowe, developed a love for shipping containers at a young age. At 17, she turned that passion into a business, launching a global supply chain data analysis company that leverages innovative solutions to transform the economics of construction, material and equipment logistics.
With the high failure rate of startups, what can entrepreneurs do to drive towards success? Dr. Yolande Chan, professor of information technology management at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, offers four suggestions for using digital innovation to help your company grow.
Prior to 2014, Eva Wong had never started a business. Today, she is the leading lady of one of Canada’s largest fintech companies.
Digital transformation impacts all aspects of an organization, from leadership and strategy to marketing, innovation, finance, operations and IT. In the digital age, employees with skills in digital business and strategy execution is essential. Does your organization have what it takes to build a digital business model?
Raised in India by refugees, Kalsang Tanzin has had a long journey to where she is today: living in Toronto, working in her dream job at LinkedIn, and pursuing an Executive MBA at Smith School of Business.
Neeraja Ramjee had never left her home country of India before she saved up enough money to take an MBA program at Smith School of Business. It’s one of the many “leaps of faith” she’s taken on a career that has led her to a management consulting gig in New York City, and pursuing her passion as a television and stage actor.
As the Director of the Queen’s Master of Management Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Smith School of Business, Shari Hughson interviews hundreds of entrepreneurial-minded candidates each year. About half intend to pursue careers in corporate innovation.
As manager of expedition fundraising with the True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL), Megan McDonald’s job takes her to some unusual places – like 17,598 feet up the world’s highest mountain. Back in Toronto following her most recent expedition, she shares details from the exhilarating experience, and the path that led her there.
Elspeth Murray, Associate Dean of MBA and Masters Programs at Smith School of Business, has advice for organizations trying to find the perfect strategy for incorporating AI into their business: stop looking for a perfect solution.
Tanya van Biesen left her 21-year career in the corporate world of executive search to take on a leading role with a global non-profit supporting one of her passions: advancing inclusive workplaces.
While Raman Gakhal was completing the Executive MBA-Americas program presented jointly by Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, she was also handling some major changes at home — caring for a young infant, and preparing for a second on the way. The lesson she learned? Done is better than perfect.