The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, established in 2002, is an immersive educational environment for entrepreneurs. Located within Canada's most innovative university, in a region ranked among the top startup ecosystems in the world, the Conrad School is the academic engine for entrepreneurship on campus, offering programs that are entrepreneurial by design.
Undergraduate
Enhance your undergraduate degree by joining Conrad School's specialized programs, experiences, and courses.
Graduate
Commercialize your ideas and earn your master's degree or complement your studies with graduate offerings.
News
From the classroom to campus impact: how BE 600 helped shape Silas Ifeanyi’s leadership journey
Silas Ifeanyi came to Waterloo with industry experience and a passion for entrepreneurship. Through BE 600: Management and Leadership at the Conrad School, he refined his leadership style and now applies those lessons every day as an Engineering Educational Developer at the Pearl Sullivan Engineering IDEAs Clinic.
From leading student teams to driving innovation in nanotechnology and MedTech, Silas is a prime example of how technical expertise + entrepreneurial mindset = real impact.
Celebrating Excellence in Teaching
The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business in the Faculty of Engineering is proud to share that Professor Chris Holt has been named a recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Performance Award!
This award is a reflection of the energy, drive, and passion Professor Holt brings to the classroom. His dedication to student learning, his ability to make complex concepts accessible, and his commitment to fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment make him a standout educator at Waterloo.
Alumni Impact Series: Jerome Mugambi - Transforming trauma into community‑driven mental wellness
From a motorcycle crash in August 2022 to founding a peer‑powered mental wellness platform, Jerome Mugambi embodies the resilience and community mindset fostered in Waterloo’s MBET program.
Within twelve months of the accident, he rode coast‑to‑coast across Canada to confront fear head‑on, built a nationwide motorcycling community, and reignited his passion for basketball through youth coaching.
Today, his startup OpenUp uses AI‑assisted mentor matching to make mental health support radically accessible, an idea refined through League of Innovators, DMZ, YSpace, Innovation Factory, and Builders Club Waterloo.
Blog
Skating into startups: how athletics shaped my entrepreneurial path
Meet Nikki McDonald, a student in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) program at the University of Waterloo and a powerhouse on and off the ice.
In our latest blog, Nikki shares how her journey as a student-athlete shaped her path to entrepreneurship. From battling imposter syndrome to co-founding NextPlayNetwork, a platform that helps student-athletes transition into professional success, Nikki's story is all about clarity, persistence, and adaptability.
“Purpose goes beyond entrepreneurship and athletics; it’s the reason behind long hours and hard sacrifices.”
Read her full journey and what it takes to build a venture — and chase championships — at the same time.
Rebuilding trust in giving, one smart contract at a time
Part-time MBET student Alex Salsali turned a personal story into a mission-driven venture.
Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust: The Magic of Collective Success
"As a child, I believed in the magic of these words, certain that a sprinkle of pixie dust could make anything possible. As I grew, I traded wonder for realism and magic for logic. But somewhere along the way, I realized pixie dust is real, just not in the way I once imagined.
On March 7, an email arrived in my inbox, my paper had been accepted at the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2025. A monumental milestone as a first-year PhD student. Yet, the real magic was not in that acceptance. It came later that evening.
At 8:49 PM, another email arrived. My supervisor, Shavin Malhotra, the guiding force behind the paper submission, had shared the news with the entire department. Almost instantly, my inbox came alive, messages of joy, encouragement, and celebration poured in. What had started as a personal milestone transformed into a collective success.
In that moment, I realized pixie dust does exist, just not as a shimmer in the air, but as something far more powerful. It’s the unseen force of people who uplift you, the ecosystem that nurtures you, the mentors who guide you, the staff who support you, and the colleagues who walk beside you, celebrating, encouraging, and making your victories their own".