"All it takes is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust." -Peter Pan
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.
It was a clear reminder that at Conrad, success isn’t just personal, it’s collective. Everyone is invested in each other’s growth, and when one achieves something, it belongs to all of us.
Pursuing a PhD had been on my mind for a long time. Growing up in a family business environment, I was always fascinated by the intricacies of how businesses operate. As a certified corporate governance professional and an MBA, I was eager to explore these complexities further through research. To build a strong foundation, I joined the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad as a Research Associate, immersing myself in field-based case studies closely engaging with industry leaders as they navigated business uncertainties. With each business dilemma I studied, my decision to pursue a PhD solidified.
As I explored PhD programs, I sought one that offered flexibility to study businesses holistically, while remaining deeply connected to practice. That’s when I discovered Conrad’s PhD in Entrepreneurship and Organization. What set it apart wasn’t just its strong academic foundation but the faculty’s deep engagement in the business world and high-impact research.
Cherry on the cake was Conrad’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, a hub where research questions aren’t confined to textbooks; they walk all around you. Here, startups emerge, business processes evolve, and theoretical frameworks are actively put into practice.
At Conrad, research isn’t just an academic journey; it’s alive, shaping industries and creating change. Every conversation sparks new questions, new challenges, and new possibilities. Here, you can witness the impact of your research in real-time. If that excites you, this is exactly where you belong.