News

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.

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. 

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. 

Her retirement marks the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter, and the Conrad School community extends its sincere gratitude and best wishes as she begins this next stage. As reflected by founding Director Howard Armitage, Tracie’s steady leadership, good humour, and problem-solving ability made her a foundational presence at Conrad.

Her retirement marks the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter, and the Conrad School community extends its sincere gratitude and best wishes as she begins this next stage.

After the closure of his first venture during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kamal Lutfi entered the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program seeking a structured path to relaunch as a founder in Canada’s innovation ecosystem. MBET provided the clarity, community, and disciplined approach he needed to rebuild his entrepreneurial foundation.

Kamal credits the program with reshaping his leadership, strengthening his customer-development discipline, and teaching him to leverage Waterloo’s innovation network. He learned to treat each iteration as a hypothesis and to view failure as valuable data.

Today, Kamal is building a purpose-driven venture grounded in validated opportunity and long-term impact. He continues to stay connected to the Conrad School through mentorship, sharing real-world experience, and creating opportunities for future founders. His journey reflects MBET’s core mission: transforming setbacks into strategy and empowering resilient, evidence-based entrepreneurship.

The Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business is set to host the Problem Lab’s Problem Pitch Fall 2025 Competition Finals, where student teams will demonstrate the depth of their research into important real-world problems.

Sponsored by Quantum Valley Investments®, the competition awards $7,500 to the team that shows the strongest understanding of the problem they aim to solve.

This year’s finalists represent a wide range of challenges and innovative thinking, supported by a panel of accomplished judges from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This week, Waterloo News shines a spotlight on professor Larry Smith, who marks a remarkable 45-year milestone of teaching at the University of Waterloo. Over four decades, Smith has become a pillar of the university’s entrepreneurial spirit, helping build its reputation for innovation, risk-taking, and real-world relevance.