Alumni Know: Are fees killing your finances?
Financial advisor Alexandra Horwood (BA '10) explains the truth behind financial services and fees
If there's one thing that Alexandra Horwood doesn't like, it's the f-word: fees.
In recent years, financial fees have acquired a negative reputation. Financial influencers, robo-advisors and do-it-yourself trading platforms encourage us to believe that higher fees will always eat into our returns, leaving us with significantly less wealth in the end. But is that really true? If you want to stay with your financial advisor, will the fees keep you from achieving your wealth and retirement goals?
This is why we reached out to Alexandra, a financial advisor with Richardson Wealth. She joins us to break down the truth behind fees. Plus, we talk about meme investing, and how to find the right financial services to build your wealth.
Alumni Know: What do employees want?
Anne Fannon (MA '03) offers valuable insights about today's young workers and how employers can offer top talent the best experience
Does working from home bring more work-life balance? What will it mean to go "back to normal"? And who exactly is doing all this great resigning? For many of us, the future of work feels pretty uncertain — maybe even stressful.
In this episode, we explore employee desires with Anne Fannon (MA '03), director at the Work-Learn Institute, a research unit that pulls insights from Waterloo's world-renowned co-op programs. She offers valuable information about what the youngest workers want from their careers, and how tomorrow's most successful employers will meet their expectations.
Alumni Know: Is news entertainment?
Arjun Moorthy (BASc '99) speaks on sensationalism, bias and being a good news consumer
When you scroll through news and social media feeds, you probably see content specifically curated to your interests and biases. Is this really a news feed? Or is it personalized entertainment?
Today we're posing these questions and more to Arjun Moorthy (BASc '99). Arjun is the co-founder and CEO of The Factual, an AI-powered news platform that provides readers with credible perspectives on the day's trending stories. Arjun shares how the platform works, the role of sensationalism and his thoughts on paywalls.
Alumni Know: How to write a novel
Author Carolyn Mills (BA '00) shares an inside look at the writing and publishing process
Carolyn Mills (BA '00) spends her days in the classroom, teaching grade seven. But she's also an award-winning writer and author of two books. Her picture book, The Little Boy Who Lived Down the Drain, was published in 2017. And as of March 2021, you can find her debut novel, The Good Son, on library and store bookshelves.
If you're an aspiring author, or just love reading fiction, watch the video for insights about Carolyn's writing process, honing your craft and catching a publisher's attention. Plus, keep scrolling for Carolyn's 10 tips for aspiring novelists and her favourite books on writing.
Alumni Know: How to disagree with others
Feel like you're living in polarized world? "Teamwork doctor" Liane Davey (MASc '95, PhD '99) explains how to disagree in a more productive way.
You've probably seen it in the headlines before: we are more polarized than ever. Politics, the climate, the shape of the Earth — people are disagreeing about all of it, and that can take a real toll on our everyday lives, at work and home.
So, how do we deal with all these polarizing beliefs? In this episode of Alumni Know, we turn to Liane Davey (MASc '95, PhD '99). Known as the "teamwork doctor," she's advised hundreds of teams on how to work together effectively. Her newest book, The Good Fight, is all about conflict. Watch the video to hear her advice on how we can disagree with others in a more productive way.
Blockchain, Crypto & Digital Assets - UWaterloo Singapore Chapter Speaker Series
January 22, 2021
To celebrate the UWaterloo Singapore Alumni Chapter’ 10 year anniversary, we have started a Speaker Series featuring some of our amazing local alumni. Our first edition of the speaker series is featuring David Shin (BA '02) Entrepreneur, ex-Banker & active community builder who has helped set up non-profit organizations in Asia to ensure proper engagement with local/regional entities and officials as it relates to crypto currencies and blockchain technology. David spoke to alumni about the very trendy topic of Blockchain, Crypto & Digital Assets!
Interview by: Jon Kwan (BMath '01) - Singapore Chapter Lead
Meet the alumnus
David Shin (BA '02)
As a Banker, David most recently worked for TD Bank as their Asia Head of Global Equity Derivatives and Repo Sales. David was the key crypto and blockchain expert at TD, working with senior management to develop the bank’s strategy on digital assets. David also wrote the draft response to the Canadian Regulators on behalf of TD Bank as to how crypto currencies should be regulated in Canada.
After leaving the banking industry in 2019, David joined Bitcoin.com as the Head of their exchange. In early 2020, David helped a US based cyber security company founded by Max Kelly, set up an Asian entity in Singapore while developing their business across the region. More recently, David joined the Tezos Foundation as their Head of Asia; growing the ecosystem adoption for both developers and users.
David is a go to guy for a lot of the financial institutions that seek advice and consultation on crypto and blockchain related projects. He is considered to be an early adopter of digital currencies which has led him to appear on regional and global media outlets like CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, NY Times, Swiss TV and the Economist.
Investing for good
January 4, 2021
In this interview, Upkar shares how you can use your finances, time and skill to improve the world.
Meet the alumnus
Upkar Arora (BA '85, MAcc '85)
Upkar Arora is the CEO of Rally Assets Inc. the leading impact advisory and investment firm in Canada which works with family offices, foundations, and high net worth individuals to invest their capital to generate a financial return and positive social or environmental benefit. After graduating from University of Waterloo and getting his Chartered Accounting designation with KPMG he has worked for some of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs including Paul Reichmann, Peter Munk, and Gerry Schwartz, buying, building, financing, and operating businesses in Canada, the US, Mexico and Europe. For the last eighteen years Upkar has run a boutique advisory firm that specialized in strategy, operations, M&A and finance.
Upkar has served on several Boards including VanCity Community Investment Bank, Metrolinx, Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Why Not Theatre, and Inner Analytics.
Upkar has been recognized as a Fellow, the accounting profession’s highest mark of distinction, holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a BMW Foundation Global Responsible Leader. He has also received an Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Waterloo.
The value of your data
December 17, 2020
In this interview, Asif offers insight about the data your phone collects, and shares a free service for small businesses during the pandemic.
Meet the alumnus
Asif Khan (BA ’97)
Asif Khan is the founder of the Location Based Marketing Association, a global non-profit organization that helps businesses using location-based data navigate the evolving and complex ecosystem of geo-spatial opportunity. He’s also the founder and CEO of GroundLevel Insights, an artificial intelligence startup that helps businesses and governments turn geolocation data into strategic decisions. In 2020 GroundLevel Insights created CANATRACE, a service that securely collects contact tracing information from employees or patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app is completely free and bilingual.
Creative problem solving: Driving change in business and the world
August 25, 2020
In this interview, business leader and humanitarian Jim Estill (BASc ’80) shares how to identify and pursue opportunities, why it’s important to embrace failure, and how to adapt and thrive when times are tough.
Meet the alumnus
Jim Estill (BASc ’80)
Jim is an esteemed entrepreneur, a successful investor, and the CEO of both Danby and ShipperBee. His achievements in the business world earned him the title of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for Ontario in 2019. For his efforts resettling Syrian refugees in his home city of Guelph, Ontario, he was named to both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada.
The global COVID-19 response and what happens next
May 5, 2020
In this interview we talk through the current state of the global response to COVID-19, but we will also talk about what happens next, both in the short-term and the long-term.
Meet the alumnus
Dr. Rohit Ramchandani (BSc ’04)
Dr. Ramchandani is the Founder & CEO at Antara Global Health Advisors, a global consultancy that provides technical expertise & evidence-based public health & management advise to public and private organizations around the world. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health & Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, where he teaches Global Health Innovation, and was recently made a Fellow of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. As Public Health Advisor & Principal Investigator at ColaLife, he has worked around the world to help curb epidemics of diarrheal disease, the second leading cause of death in children under 5 globally. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, working on conservation, sustainable development and awareness initiatives at the intersections of animals, people and the environment. Dr. Ramchandani is also co-Chair of the University of Waterloo’s Toronto Alumni Chapter, out largest global alumni chapter, with over 50,000 alumni.
In addition to his BSc in Health Studies & Gerontology from the University of Waterloo, he holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Global Health & Epidemiology from Boston University. In relation to the COVID-19 response, and in collaboration with stakeholders like the World Health Organization, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Novartis and others, Dr. Ramchandani is currently leading a study and advising an international consortium of donors, on the R&D systems in place for the development of global health products. This includes a review of the R&D processes around diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for poverty-related and neglected diseases, including COVID-19. His team is also in the process of developing a platform for tracking the unprecedented innovation arising from the current pandemic.