Current students

Join us at the Conrad Blender Meetup: a dynamic networking event and info session on the Problem Pitch Competition Billion Dollar Category!

Connect with fellow students exploring entrepreneurship through Enterprise Co-op, BETS, and the MBET program.

Discover this term’s two exciting Problem Pitch categories: Open Problems and Billion Dollar Problems, reviewed by Professor Larry Smith. Hear from past winners and get inspired to pitch your own big idea!

Don’t miss this chance to ignite your entrepreneurial journey!
We can’t wait to see you there!

Part-time MBET student Alex Salsali turned a personal story into a mission-driven venture.

At the 2025 Consensus EasyA Hackathon, his team built Eunoia: a transparent giving platform powered by blockchain and AI and won the Polkadot Multichain Prize.

Learn how the MBET program helped shape his journey from idea to impact.

Entrepreneurial talent was on full display this winter term as students and alumni from the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at the University of Waterloo made impressive showings at pitch competitions on and off campus. From healthcare innovations to systems thinking and advanced materials, these student ventures are addressing real-world problems with creativity, drive, and impact.

PhD students Virangi Shah, Navya Vikram, and other at ASAC conference

Virangi Shah, a first-year PhD student in Entrepreneurship and Organization at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, has achieved a remarkable milestone in her academic journey. Her paper, accepted at the prestigious Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) 2025 conference, marks an exciting achievement for the rising scholar and exemplifies her drive to make a significant impact in the field of entrepreneurship.

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at the University of Waterloo is thrilled to announce that Dr. Marc Hurwitz has been named a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA) for 2025.

The DTA is the highest accolade for teaching awarded by the University of Waterloo. Professor Marc Hurwitz’s selection for this prestigious honor speaks to his deep dedication to fostering student success, his innovative approach to teaching, and his profound influence on students both inside and outside the classroom.

The Conrad School has a unique history with this award, having had three faculty who were previous winners: Dr. Larry Smith, Dr. Howard Armitage (founder of the Conrad School), and Dr. Wayne Chang.

Kevin Ye’s journey is a testament to the power of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the global connections that the University of Waterloo’s Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business cultivates. As an MBET (Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology) graduate from the class of 2024, Kevin has successfully navigated the entrepreneurial landscape, with impressive achievements in product marketing, venture creation, and startup growth.

What do you get when you mix childhood curiosity, a love for learning, and a mission to fix a broken system? You get CoinWa: a gamified financial literacy app created by a student entrepreneur determined to change how teens learn about money.

Meet Naimah Venezia, the founder behind CoinWa, an innovative platform that’s flipping the script on financial education. From selling handmade jewelry to pitching a startup during Enterprise Co-op at the University of Waterloo, Naimah's journey is anything but ordinary.

We sat down for a quick-fire round of questions to learn more about the inspiration behind CoinWa, the rollercoaster ride of building an app from scratch, and why financial literacy could be the most important subject that schools aren’t teaching.

Last night, the University of Waterloo’s incubator, Velocity, hosted its highly anticipated All-Stars Pitch Competition, and we couldn’t be prouder of the incredible Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business students who took centre stage.

As always, the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) students and founders who have taken Enterprise Co-op and our undergraduate business and entrepreneurship courses crushed it in this competition! In fact, half of the finalists were Conrad School alumni and students, underscoring the transformative power of our programs and the collaborative approach to entrepreneurship that makes Waterloo so unique.

student holding microphone at pitch competition

The Problem Lab’s Problem Pitch Competition Finals, hosted and sponsored by the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, is set to showcase innovative student-driven solutions to pressing global challenges.

The competition, which focuses on solving significant issues through research and entrepreneurial efforts, offers a grand prize of $7,500 to the team that demonstrates the most in-depth understanding and creative solution of their selected, impactful problem.

"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".

Current students

Conrad School Blender and Problem Pitch Competition Billion Dollar Category Review

Rebuilding trust in giving, one smart contract at a time

Conrad School Competition Roundup: Winter 2025

A First-Year PhD Student's Major Milestone: Virangi Shah at the ASAC 2025

Professor Marc Hurwitz receives prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award

Alumni Impact Series: Kevin Ye – Shaping the Future of Elder Care through Entrepreneurship

Meet Naimah Venezia: Gamifying Financial Literacy for the Next Generation

Celebrating Conrad School Talent at Velocity's All-Stars Pitch Competition!

Student Teams Compete in the Problem Lab’s Problem Pitch Competition Finals

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust: The Magic of Collective Success

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