UWaterloo Alumni Podcasts UWaterloo Alumni

In May, the University of Waterloo launched a new alumni chapter in Ottawa. As part of the event, alumni from the Ottawa region joined an expert panel to explore happiness. Moderator: Salman Jivani (BA ’11, MA ’17), associate vice-president, office of advancement, University of Waterloo Panelists: Dr. Linda Duxbury (BSc ’75, MASc ’77, PhD ’83), professor, management, Carleton University Niraj Bhargava (BASc ’86), founder and CEO, NuEnergy.ai and The New Energy Group ...

Michelle Li (BSc ’05) has always been interested in sustainability and took a leap in 2017 to become vegan when she wanted to do more to decrease her own carbon footprint.Today, she’s the founder of Clever Carbon, a playful educational website with the goal of increasing carbon literacy amongst consumers. “When we don’t understand the impact, it’s easy to ignore it.”Michelle is also passionate about empowering other women working in climate and has founded a global network of over 4,000 ...

It can be daunting to decide what schools you want to apply to and what you want to study when you’re only a teenager in high school. But it’s important to remember that what you choose to study doesn’t always dictate what type of career you’ll have. And it didn’t for Ahmed Mezil (BASc ’14). He’s one of many alumni who have taken an unexpected career journey. How do you start in engineering at the University of Waterloo and end up becoming the CEO of the cleaning company Hellamaid? That’...

Think back to when you got your first bank account. What year was it? How did you deposit cheques, pay for items or check your balance? I bet a lot has changed since then. Today, you can do all of this from your phone, in any location you choose. Thanks to the financial technology (or FinTech) industry, more is changing every day. Our banking apps are constantly being updated with new information and tools. Do-it-yourself platforms are giving more access and control than ever. And AI has...

It happens every spring. You might not want to, but you have to file your income taxes. Collect your documents, file through an accountant or online platform, and through some magical math you'll discover your fate: payment or refund. If income taxes seem like a mysterious government equation, this episode is for you. Andrew Bauer (BA '03, MAcc '03, PhD '12) is a Canada Research Chair in Taxation, Governance and Risk. He's also an associate professor in Waterloo's School of Accounting an...

Money is personal. And we have a lot of feelings about it. How could we not? Our financial situations directly affect our lifestyles, health and even our self-worth. On top of that, our financial situations as children can change the way we deal with money later in life, leading us to avoid opening bills, overspend or take unnecessary risks. So, how can you improve your relationship with money and build good habits? Lianne Hannaway (BMath '02, MAcc '02) joins the podcast to explore the p...