DESIGNING FOR BEYOND THE SEAT
Join us for the uXperience Design Jam at the Stratford School, presented by Rogers!
Date: January 25th, 2025
Duration: Full-day event
Open to: All post-secondary students
Participants will enjoy complimentary lunch, dinner, and bus transportation between Waterloo and Stratford.
Focus of the day: Beyond the Seat
Students will work in teams of up to 6 to solve this challenge. You can either pre-select some team members or be assigned to a team.
Don't miss this exciting opportunity to innovate and collaborate!
Schedule
Thursday, January 23rd
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Students receive asynchronous workshops, design jam package and team assignments |
Saturday, January 25th – Design Jam Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:15 AM | Bus leaves Waterloo campus from Hagey Hall |
| 8:00 AM | Registration |
| 8:10 AM | Welcome from Rogers |
| 8:20 AM | Breakfast/Group Time (Breakfast on 2nd and 3rd Floors) |
| 9:00 AM | Q & A Session With Rogers |
| 10:00 AM | Open Mentor Time |
| 11:00 AM | Assigned Mentor Time |
| 12 – 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 | Send your presentation link to stratford.digitalmedia@uwaterloo (You can keep editing up until presentation time) |
| 1 PM – 2:00 PM | Assigned Mentor Time |
| 2 PM – 3:30 PM | Open Mentor Time |
| 4 – 5 PM | Dinner served to your breakout rooms |
| 5:30 – 6: 45 PM | Presentations (3 min per group) |
| 6:45 – 7:20 PM | Deliberation + Winners Announced |
| 7:30 PM | Bus leaves Stratford for Hagey Hall |
Meet your Mentors and Workshop Leaders
Meet the professionals who will guide you through your design challenge.
Workshop Details
Workshop #1: Learning from Leaders in Loyalty
Short description of workshop: This workshop dives into the current loyalty landscape in Canada, uncovering emerging trends and best practices, as well as examining the structure and mechanics of top brand loyalty programs to help guide and inspire how we can evolve Rogers Beyond the Seat.
Workshop #2: Possibilities of Network Technologies and Emerging Tech
Short description of workshop: Can you imagine a world where autonomous vehicles, remote surgery and augmented/virtual reality experiences become common place? These transformative applications can only be made possible with advanced connectivity and 5G technologies. With every generation of wireless technology, there are hardware upgrades, and new service capabilities that evolve, but with 5G, we can create a future of endless possibilities.
Jade Salazaar is a dynamic leader driven by a passion for user-centric innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. As an Innovation & Partnerships Lead at Rogers Communications Inc., Jade spearheads the company’s research partnerships with The University of British Columbia and The University of Waterloo. Her work is dedicated to unlocking the transformative potential of network technology by bridging the gap between scientific research and real-world applications.
Samuel is a member of Rogers' Innovation and Partnerships team, where he leads the strategic partnership with the University of Waterloo. In this role, he drives research and innovation initiatives, collaborating on projects from early-stage ideation to final commercialization. Prior to joining Rogers, Samuel accumulated over a decade of experience in the telecommunications industry, specializing in 5G and 4G network optimization. He has worked with leading operators and vendors, including Orange, Ericsson, and Huawei. Samuel holds an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University.
Pratham works as a Technology Innovations Specialist in the Rogers’ Innovation and Partnerships team. He has a bachelor's degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering and has done Postgraduation in Wireless Networking. Pratham specializes in IOT, managing the Rogers 5G network connectivity & infrastructure built for Rogers- UW projects. He has been with Rogers for more than 5 years.
Ezgi Yagci is a member of Rogers’ Innovation and Partnerships team, focusing on 5G research in partnership with the University of Waterloo to explore new use cases and emerging technologies across various industries. By bridging research with real-world applications, she fosters an environment that sparks transformative ideas and solutions, while also guiding strategic planning and driving meaningful business outcomes across diverse initiatives.
Alex Chiarlitti is a marketing and partnerships professional with a Business degree from Western University. Over the past decade, Alex has built a dynamic career working with renowned organizations such as Scotiabank, Kraft Heinz, SickKids, and Rogers. In his current role at Rogers, Alex drives the strategic direction of the company’s sports and entertainment portfolio, collaborating with organizations like the NHL, MLSE, and the Toronto Blue Jays. His work focuses on driving brand alignment, enhancing community engagement, and delivering impactful partnerships that resonate with Rogers customers.
Olivia Terenzio is a strategic brand marketing and operations specialist with a focus on sport partnerships and hockey operations. Leveraging experience from top-teir teams at Rogers Communications, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and the Ontario Hockey League, Olivia aspires to bring a fresh perspective while actively breaking barriers and championing inclusivity for women in sport.
Cam is a Corporate Brand Manager at Rogers, known for combining strategic brilliance with a flair for storytelling that keeps everyone entertained. With a career path that reads like a plot twist—radio anchor, marketing consultant, and corporate communications manager—Cam brings a unique perspective to every campaign (and a killer radio voice for team presentations).
From crafting on-air moments that made listeners laugh to devising marketing strategies that actually worked, Cam has mastered the art of balancing creativity with results. His time in corporate communications taught him how to spin a crisis into a "learning opportunity"—a skill that’s come in handy more times than he’d like to admit. At Rogers, Cam channels this experience into delivering campaigns that people can’t help but notice.
Lara Kessides is a Strategy Director at Publicis Canada, working primarily on Rogers. Prior to moving to Toronto, most of her agency experience was in the United States, where she worked on clients including Bank of America, Dunkin Donuts, Honda, Siemens, Drizly, and City Year. Lara has an MBA from University of Toronto Rotman School of Business, as well as an MS in Advertising from Boston University.