Rachel Thompson BSc' 15
Alumnus, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
> Founder, Marlena Books
One in five Canadians has cared for someone living with dementia. They have also experienced stress, stigma, and difficulty finding the right services and support for those they love.
Karima Ladhani (BMath ’10) began her journey in the public service and health sector as a volunteer at various institutions devoted to improving public health outcomes while an undergrad at Waterloo.
Driven by interdisciplinary approaches to health, and a commitment to helping mothers and children, she founded Barakat Bundle a curated bundle of life-saving solutions and health education to support mothers and their newborns and prevent infant and maternal mortality in South Asia.
From manufacturing and industry, consumer technology, healthcare and more, at least 11 of Waterloo’s alumni and former students have earned spots on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. These 20-somethings are shaking things up in the areas of robotics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI), app creation and life-saving technology. The list, which represents innovative minds from Canada and the United States, stretches across 20 categories for a total of 600 people.
Meet the 11 alumni and former Waterloo students taking home top honours in seven different industries.
Alumni Council member and alumnus Vikas Gupta (BSc ’91) is the co-founder and CEO of AVARA, a company creating innovative technology to enable compelling and immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences that transport people to unique places, moments, and interactions around the world that are far beyond their imagination.
“Is a degree from the University of Waterloo worth paying $100,000 in tuition fees and living expenses?” This is a question I’ve heard many students bring up, including myself. Having studied at Waterloo for over three years now, I’ve realized why this $100,000 investment is absolutely worth it.
A question that I have gotten a lot since my fashion debut on the national reality TV series, Project Runway, is how I made the jump from a tech career on Wall Street, to working in the fashion design industry? Well, why don't you see for yourself in the video here?
The University of Waterloo has signed a Strategic University Partnership Institutional Agreement with the presidents of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The historic agreement will allow both universities to foster a closer partnership in education, research and entrepreneurship.
Donna Strickland
A couple of disastrous co-op housing experiences were the inspiration behind a Capstone Design project that has developed into a startup company with the goal of ensuring students on work terms find decent and affordable accommodation.
PadPiper is an online site designed to help co-op students and interns locate verified furnished housing.
“It’s a trusted safe place to find monthly rentals,” says Jack Forbes, a co-founder of PadPiper.
Ajoa Mintah sent out an interesting social media request last spring: bring me your ripe bananas and I’ll reward you with a sweet treat.
The overwhelming response to Mintah’s ask provided one of the main ingredients for her tasty concoction – banana toffee ice cream. In return for the bananas, people received a small ice cream cone from Four All Ice Cream, Mintah’s startup.
