Blog

Hey there! I’m Munib Nasir, and I’ve always been passionate about helping and inspiring others. Before diving into the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program at the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, my journey has been quite eclectic. Previously, I worked as a full-time content creator on the streaming platforms Twitch and YouTube. This allowed me to share my love for gaming and life in a growing community. Along the way, I also gathered experience working in the nonprofit sector and in marketing. Little did I know, the MBET program would be the place where all these threads of my life would weave together into something amazing.

The MBET program has been impactful to me for several reasons. It is refreshing to hear the professors give feedback with such candor, especially in a world where people are more inclined to tell you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. This honesty has been crucial in helping me identify and address weaknesses in my plans. Beyond the academic and professional growth, the MBET program has also been a journey of personal development, as it has taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuous learning. 

My name is Ernest and I am currently enrolled in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program.

I was enrolled in the Arts and Business program at the University of Waterloo where I majored in Communication Studies and did a minor in Economics. My passion for entrepreneurship was cultivated in one of the entrepreneurship courses I took for my program during my undergrad program, which is why I chose to pursue MBET. This course exposed me to the multitude of entrepreneurial resources that are available to students at Waterloo, and I got to see firsthand the numerous entrepreneurial achievements of Waterloo students. I was inspired.

Hi everyone, my name is Jenni Lien and I’m part of the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) 2023 cohort.

When I tell pastors and ministry leaders that I’m building a Christian business in a secular business school, I often get surprised responses. But for me, it’s been a very natural process. I was clear that I wanted to build a business targeted at Christian women in my MBET application, and also in class introductions, projects, and in my application for other on-campus opportunities. All I’ve felt is respect and support from my professors and peers.

I come from India, a country with a vast population, 48% of our population consists of women. However, I have always sensed inequality between genders. I am a humanist, and I believe in equality for all.

I decided to further my education in the field and opted for my master's program at the University of Waterloo. I have been in love with Canada since the first time I visited. I knew I had a connection with the country; it felt like home. I transferred to the University of Waterloo after completing my Bachelors in Business Administration from a leading institute in India to meet the education requirements for me to be eligible to apply for MBET.

Entrepreneurship, to put it simply, is the act of building a business. Naively, I believed being an entrepreneur was essentially about creating a financially stable company from the bottom up, establishing yourself in the industry similar to the likes of some current influential minds - Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Elon Musk (Paypal, Tesla).

The skills taught in the traditional learning system are unfortunatelynot enough to help individuals with cognitive disability gain independence. This is a problem that millions of families agonize over, and most of them are forced to cut down or quit work to ensure their loved ones gain the skills that they need. These cutbacks cost families an average of 20 thousand dollars in lost wages and therapy fees. The problem lies on the lack of affordable, effective, and easy to access educational resources.

Young entrepreneurs often seek a Mentor, but what they should be looking for is a Tormentor.Anyone going through the rigors of entrepreneurship needs to have an experienced individual that will guide them through the ups and downs of trying to start a successful business. They need someone that will cheer them on and keep them going, and draw on their own knowledge and experience to help guide the entrepreneur to success.

However, for most entrepreneurs, whose business idea may be the worst thing since the one-touch pizza ordering fridge magnet, having a Tormentor is much more important.

The pressure to find the perfect gifts for friends and family during the holiday season can be intense. It's easy to go to the closest shopping centre or the biggest online retailer for super-saver discounts, but you never really know where the money from your purchase will end up. The dollars that you spend during the holidays can add up quickly, and can have an impact that extends far beyond the retailer's pocket—depending on where you choose to shop.

Here are four startups that are making the world a better place with every purchase.

Jim Robeson is a 2013 alumnus of the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program. While in MBET, Jim built his company, PiinPoint, an online platform that enables businesses to find the best location for expansion. Now, just over a year after graduating from the program, PiinPoint has proven to be a game-changer for business owners. Conrad's Marketing and Communication's Manager, Amanda Watkins, sat down with Jim to catch up, and to talk to him about his experiences as a student in the MBET program.