The waves of technology today are impacting all aspects of society, including students and their careers. On a Thursday morning, I sat down with fourth year Ivey HBA and Software Engineering student Brock Lumbard, who is a data visualization enthusiast and Co-Founder of Western AI. Having grown up in Saskatchewan, I gained a candid idea of how Brock’s leadership experiences have shaped his character and ambitions in the tech space.
How about we begin with an introduction?
As an out of province student, it was a big transition coming to Western, but I was compelled by the Ivey and Engineering program. I had a vision about leading a career of building things, especially because entrepreneurship really excites me. This summer I’m super excited to be working on a data visualization project at Microsoft, working on one of their desktop tools. My absolute hope is that everyone that runs a PC will be able to see it in a few years. It’s safe to say I can see a future for myself working on enabling companies and people through data and statistics!
So you’re a championship winning coffee brewer! Besides a cup of coffee, what gets you up in the morning and excited to start the day?
The idea that if you teach yourself the right skills, you have the power to build something that impacts the world - that’s the core thing that gets me out of bed. At Ivey, classroom lectures were a completely different experience not only because of the invigorating content, but the value I found in the discussions on everything from politics, to economic philosophy. Now that I’ve developed a little bit of software engineering skill, a little bit of business skill, and fulfilled some leadership roles, I feel like truthfully, if I wake up tomorrow and have a good idea, there’s a chance I can build a product or startup that will help the world.
What were some leadership experiences that shaped your interests and values?
Being in the residence and engineering environment in my first two years, I immersed myself in the culture by being on the Residents’ Council in first year and the Undergraduate Engineering Society in second year. Those were not just leadership positions, but also a cultural experience because you are getting involved with people who are so instrumental to what that culture is. In addition to that, I started to dive into coding as part of my software engineering discipline, through attending hackathons and working on a small startup side project with my roommates.
Can you describe the inspiration behind co-founding the club Western AI this past year?
So, I can’t pretend that it was all my idea. Currently, there is tons of interest and AI talent at Western, but I believe very few resources on campus for it. My close friend, who was in my section at Ivey, had the great idea to start an AI club on campus. I helped develop and drive the vision, running a lot of insightful and hands-on events with industry speakers and professors. Today, the way AI interacts with us, as seen with the YouTube recommendation algorithm, has such a direct impact on our lives. Needing others to understand that is what led us into starting a data literacy not-for-profit.
Tell me more aboutthis data literacy not-for-profit.
Even though Western AI provided a platform for individuals on campus to enter the AI space, many young people still don’t understand the power of data. Our solution was to address education around data in school curriculums by doing outreach work. When young individuals are a captive audience in elementary and high school, data needs to be delivered as part of the math curriculum. With a narrative around understanding what each individual’s data is, that would have a massive and positive impact on their online presence to avoid being manipulated by companies and possibly instill a passion that leads to pursuing a data career. I see this as a big problem, and I’m excited to fix it. If you’d like to join us on our journey and learn more, you can visit datalitnetwork.ca!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and is there any you’d like to pass on to current and prospective AEO/HBA students?
I’m someone who puts full effort into everything I do. Even if you don’t love your program or extracurriculars at first, that’s okay. Regardless, work hard at gaining knowledge from courses and earning the trust of your colleagues, because that will ultimately put you on a successful path and eventually you’ll find what sparks your interest. Also, make sure to reach out to some Ivey students to understand the available jobs, prospects, and culture at Ivey. This will definitely help you focus your efforts and find your unique path.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Brock! We wish you the best of luck in a career of building impactful solutions.