Queen's University Alternative Assets Fund (QUAAF) Round Table Podcast QUAAF Round Table - Podcast Edition

We were super excited to Jon Aikman in this episode. Jon teaches both alternative assets and equities in the Master of Finance Program at Queens'. He's a favorite among many students and alumni. In this podcast, we do something a bit different and we have more of a high level discussion on the finance industry in general. We picked Jon's brain with a few questions about alternative investments, private equity and much more. Much of his insights was of great interest among both the investment and strategy team at QUAAF.

In this episode, we are super excited to host Curtis Land who is a jack-of-all-trades and has taken an unconventional route to work in the alternative investing space of mortgage investing. Curtis has many diverse passions such as producing for sports broadcasting for his hometown team the Vancouver Canucks on Sportsnet, he's a scratch golfer, all while managing this with his job in finance. Nick and Curtis also discuss Curtis' unconventional path into finance and how he achieved this and what it takes to break it into the industry by networking, making meaningful connections, and doing whatever it takes to get the chance and opportunity at a firm.

On the first podcast of season three, we have Sean Krowiak on the podcast to discuss mid-market M&A, how he transitioned from Big4 accounting at EY into finance.

Bilal Omokanye & Jason Powell – The C-Suite (QRT | 2.4)

On this special episode of the QUAAF Round Table Podcast, QUAAF Chief of Staff, Chris de Sousa Costa, sits down with current QUAAF CEO, Bilal Omokanye, and current QUAAF CIO, Jason Powell.

Bilal works as a Capability Manager for a major Canadian bank and is currently the 2023 cohort class president of the Master of Financial Innovation and Technology program at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Bilal joined QUAAF in November of 2021 as an Operations Analyst and quickly ascended to a leadership role as the Chief of Staff for a full management term before taking the CEO role in May 2022. Before the MFIT program, Bilal graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A. in Economics.

Jason Powell is a 2023 candidate in the Full-time MBA program at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Before the MBA, Jason completed his Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in Finance at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. Jason has worked as a financial analyst at various Ottawa-based firms before joining Queen’s and started his QUAAF journey as an Associate Director within the Investment Team before moving into the Chief Investment Officer role.

In this episode, Bilal and Jason talk about their progression in QUAAF from analyst to C-Suite, their biggest achievements and learning opportunities, advice for incoming Smith graduate students interested in applying to QUAAF, and what they hope for the future of the fund.

On today’s episode, QUAAF Chief of Staff, Chris de Sousa Costa, sits down with our featured guest, former QUAAF Portfolio Manager, Cassius Felicella, who currently works in corporate development for Rose Rocket, helping transportation service providers improve communications with systems, customers, and teams. Cassius is also the founder and host of the Homeroom Podcast, where he interviews start-up founders and shares their stories of entrepreneurship and the start-up journey. Cassius graduated from the Smith School of Business with a degree in Master of Business Administration in 2022. Prior to his MBA, Cassius studied History and Business at Queen’s.

On this episode, Chris and Cassius catch up on their time spent together in the Graduate Diploma in Business Program at Queen’s, Cassius’ journey in carving out his own path during his time in the MBA, the importance of storytelling and continuous learning, and not being afraid to reach out and establish meaningful connections. We hope you enjoy this third episode of season two of the QUAAF Round Table Podcast. Enjoy.

On today’s episode, QUAAF Chief Data Officer, Elizabeth Kim, sits down with our featured guest, former QUAAF Chief Operating Officer, Abhinav Narayanan. Abhinav graduated from the Smith School of Business with a degree in Master of Management Analytics in 2021. Prior to his MMA degree, Abhinav completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Informatics from McMaster University. Abhinav is currently working as a Product Manager in Data & Analytics, for Geotab, the world’s number one telematics provider, connecting commercial vehicles to the internet and providing web-based analytics to help customers better manage their fleets.

On this episode, Elizabeth and Abhinav discuss the QUAAF experience - from business development, to creating the QUAAF mentorship program, to paying it forward for the next generation of QUAAF members. They also talk about who their favourite superheroes are and why – curious to know? Tune in to this second episode of season two of the QUAAF Round Table Podcast. Enjoy.