News

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.

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. 

When Will Paskar graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in mechanical engineering, he knew he wanted to do more than design technology. He wanted to shape how it was used to create value. His career path from engineering graduate to technology and business leader reflects exactly the kind of transformation the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program was designed to support.

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business recently hosted the Quantum Valley Investments Problem Pitch Competition Winter 2026 Finals, bringing together student teams to present innovative solutions to pressing real-world challenges across health, technology, and society.

When Krishna was first considering graduate school, she faced a familiar crossroads: pursue a traditional engineering path or follow a conventional business degree. Neither fully matched her ambitions.

She knew one thing with certainty: she wanted to build something of her own.

The Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program offered a different path. Designed around venture creation and real-world experimentation, MBET gave Krishna the space to test ideas, make mistakes, and develop the interdisciplinary mindset that continues to shape her work today as a product manager and author.

Five Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) teams from the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business had a strong showing at the 2026 BMO Apex Startup Challenge, with three advancing to the graduate finals.

CELLECT Laboratories Inc. earned second place in the graduate track and first place in the elevator pitch competition, while Jtcipher secured third place.

The results highlight the impact of MBET ventures and the program’s emphasis on venture creation, pitching excellence and experiential learning.

Professor Nada Basir, with co-authors Jamie Ladge and Serena Sohrab, has had their paper, “Disrupted selves in transition: How women navigate fertility treatments in the context of work” (Basir, Ladge, and Sohrab, 2026), named an Editor’s Choice by the Journal of Applied Psychology.

The study examines how women balance fertility treatments with professional responsibilities, shedding light on work-life transitions and organizational support. This recognition highlights Basir’s ongoing research into complex workplace experiences and its impact on both scholarship and practice. 

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is proud to host and sponsor the Problem Lab’s Winter 2026 Problem Pitch Competition Finals, where Waterloo students showcase their research-driven approaches to tackling today’s most pressing challenges. For the 2026 academic year, themes will align with the Global Futures themes as outlined by the University.

Finalist teams will present their research to a panel of industry leaders and alumni for a chance to win $7,500 in R&D.

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is proud to announce the launch of the Academy of Research Commercialization (ARC), a new initiative designed to empower University of Waterloo doctoral students in turning deep-tech discoveries into investor-ready ventures.