News

As Business Development/Operations Lead at Ametros Learning Inc., James is helping drive growth for Yuta, an AI-enabled experiential learning and assessment platform. His journey highlights how the Conrad School’s MBET program connects classroom learning with real-world opportunities through faculty mentorship, peer collaboration and Waterloo’s thriving innovation ecosystem.

From learning alongside classmates with diverse backgrounds to building meaningful relationships with faculty members, James discovered that the value of MBET extends far beyond the classroom.

Read James’s alumni impact story to discover how MBET helped him turn connections into opportunities and build a career at the intersection of business and technology.

Inspired by their own dietary needs and shared love of matcha, this mother-daughter duo launched Hearty as a pop-up offering handcrafted, premium matcha drinks made with allergy-friendly, clean ingredients. Since then, they have hosted more than 45 events and served more than 1,500 drinks across the Waterloo Region.

Both founders have brought their Conrad School experiences into the venture. Shatha is completed the MBET program, where she gained mentorship, market insights and an entrepreneurial community that supported Hearty's development. Jana, a Mechatronics Engineering student, took BET 300 during Hearty's early stages and applied the course's business planning, analysis and communication tools directly to the venture.

Their story demonstrates how entrepreneurial education can help turn a personal need into a business opportunity and how combining different perspectives, from engineering to business strategy, can help a venture grow.

Enterprise Co-op (E Co-op) alum Humza Ahmed is building the future of home appraisals with Automax.ai, an AI-powered platform that uses computer vision and LiDAR technology to streamline the appraisal process.

Ahmed credits Waterloo’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including Velocity and the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, with providing critical support early in his journey.

From improving access to clean drinking water to advancing space sustainability, student innovators from across the University of Waterloo showcased bold ideas with the potential to solve some of society's most pressing challenges during the Spring 2026 Quantum Valley Investments® Problem Pitch Competition Finals.

Part-time Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) and Entrepreneurial PhD Fellow student Hasti Shwan has been featured in Waterloo News for his work developing GeoSafe Climate.

Hasti's work reflects the entrepreneurial mindset we foster at the Conrad School: transforming research into practical solutions that create real-world impact.

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."

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.

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.

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.