Current graduate students

After launching New Valley Brand House as an undergraduate student, Emma Tonellato-Keller (GBDA '20, MBET '21) chose the Conrad School's Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program to strengthen her business skills and grow her venture.

Today, as Founder, CEO and Creative Director of New Valley Brand House, Emma combines creativity, strategy and entrepreneurship to help organizations build meaningful brands. Her story highlights the value of diverse perspectives in entrepreneurship and how MBET empowers founders from all academic backgrounds to turn their ideas into lasting impact.

"MBET won't make entrepreneurship easy, but it will give you the tools to make it possible."

Dr. Victor Cui, Conrad Research Excellence Chair, and Dr. Felix Arndt, Eyton Director of the Conrad School, are among 37 Waterloo researchers receiving more than $8 million in new SSHRC funding.

Their projects examine the impact of geopolitical shifts, artificial intelligence, and innovation ecosystems on the future of business and society.

Students in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program recently pitched their innovative ventures during the annual MBET Pitch Day at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business.

The day gave MBET students the opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial thinking, receive valuable feedback from experienced judges and mentors, and demonstrate how they're turning ideas into impact.

Monday, July 27, 2026 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Problem Pitch Competition Finals: Spring 2026

Join us for the Problem Pitch Spring 2026 Competition Finals, hosted by the Problem Lab at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business!

Watch University of Waterloo student teams present compelling, research-driven pitches on real-world problems before a panel of industry judges. Rather than pitching solutions, finalists demonstrate a deep understanding of the challenges worth solving, the essential first step in building impactful ventures.

The Academy of Research Commercialization (ARC) program recently celebrated its inaugural Pitch Day, showcasing the entrepreneurial potential of University of Waterloo PhD students and their innovative, research-driven ventures.

Through ARC, Waterloo PhD students gain the commercialization knowledge, mentorship and ecosystem connections needed to transform deep-tech research into solutions that can make a meaningful impact beyond the lab.

This year’s participants pitched ventures addressing challenges across industries, from sustainable materials and healthcare technologies to artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Entrepreneurship doesn't have to fit a traditional mould. For MBET alumna Divya Lala, entrepreneurship is rooted in empathy, education, and community. Through her work at the University of Waterloo and as founder of Integral Learning, Divya is helping students build confidence, discover their strengths, and succeed on their own terms.

In her Alumni Impact story, Divya reflects on personal growth, the power of diverse perspectives, the lasting influence of Professor Wayne Chang, and how MBET helped her redefine entrepreneurship as a tool for creating meaningful change.

A decade after graduating from the University of Waterloo's Systems Design Engineering program and discovering entrepreneurship through the Conrad School, MBET student James Cheng returned to the university to build a new venture—and found a community, opportunity, and renewed sense of momentum.

Big news! The Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program now offers optional graduate specializations that allow students to tailor their degree and customize their path based on their interests, goals, and career aspirations.

Whether you’re launching your own startup, transitioning into product management, or driving digital transformation within an organization, MBET gives you the tools, mindset, and network to create advantage in a rapidly changing economy. 

At the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, MBET students apply structured frameworks to turn experience into disciplined venture building. For Joshua, this meant integrating validation, customer discovery, and market insight into every stage of his process—strengthening both his decision-making and confidence as a founder.

Through the program’s hands-on learning, direct faculty feedback, and collaborative community, Joshua advanced BaseLeaf, a SaaS platform simplifying immigration for high achievers. Now live with paying customers and focused on U.S. merit-based pathways, the venture is preparing to scale as part of the Velocity Summer 2026 cohort.

MBET student Andres Felipe Toro shares his journey from Colombia to Canada, shaped by diverse experiences across sectors and countries.

Drawn to entrepreneurship as a tool for meaningful change, he is focused on building ventures at the intersection of sustainability, social impact, and viable business. Currently, he is exploring solutions in affordable and transitional housing.

Through the MBET program, he has strengthened his ability to test ideas rigorously while embracing uncertainty as part of the process, all within a diverse community that challenges assumptions and sharpens thinking.