Shortly into her keynote address to HBA1 students, Christal Wang, HBA ’15, asked them to close their eyes.
She then asked them to describe an object she had just held up.
They couldn’t.
The lesson was simple: when you fixate on the next goal, you risk missing everything else happening around you.
It’s a lesson Wang learned firsthand as her life unfolded in ways she never could have predicted. Since graduating from Ivey, she has worked at Bain & Company, launched products, travelled to 50 countries, and – after being diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) – founded Shimmer, an ADHD coaching and behavioural support platform. Her work has earned her recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and the Inc. Female Founders 250 list.
“In the last 10 years, it is insane how much has happened, the lessons I've learned, the impact, the different jobs, the things I thought that were true that weren't true,” she said.
Her reflection set the tone for Bridge Day, held March 31, which marks the transition from HBA1 into HBA2 and the early stages of students’ careers. The event brought together alumni to share what matters in the first years after Ivey.
Wang’s keynote focused on five lessons she wishes she had known earlier.
Start – and restart
Wang described her path as anything but linear, noting that careers are built through a series of resets – moments where your starting point can shift depending on the environment and expectations around you.
“The biggest reset is between jobs… people don’t know where you started from before, and you get to use that perception to jump levels,” she said.
Balance optionality with direction
Ambition matters – but so does awareness, Wang said
Her opening exercise showed how easy it is to become so focused on one goal that you miss opportunities unfolding around you.
“When you have your eyes set on that next goal… you might have something that just rolls right past you that could completely change your life,” she said.
She encouraged the students to think in two modes: a clear direction and a broader awareness.
Wang described this as being hypothesis-driven – setting a direction, acting on it, and adjusting quickly if it proves wrong – while also raising your hand for opportunities outside your immediate plan. She pointed to her early pro bono work in the impact space as one example that expanded her network and led to unexpected opportunities.
Build leverage
Success, Wang said, isn’t just about how hard you work – it’s about how your work scales.
She pointed to “force multipliers” – systems, communities, and platforms that extend your reach.
Wang described this as increasing your “surface area” — putting yourself in more places where opportunities can find you.
“The only reason I’m here speaking today is because… I increased my surface area,” she said.
For Ivey students, that can include the alumni network – something Wang said she still draws on, keeping in touch with classmates.
Always win by thinking bigger
She also called on the students to rethink not just their goals, but their scale.
After asking them to set a two-year goal, she then challenged them to “10x” it – not necessarily to achieve it, but to expand what feels possible.
“When you think bigger, you expand your circle of possibility,” she said.
And don’t forget to feel good
Wang also challenged a common tendency among high achievers: focusing on weaknesses. Instead, she encouraged the students to build around their strengths.
“Your career is going to be built on your strengths. It’s not going to be built on the things that you’re bad at,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of designing a life that feels fulfilling now, not just in the future. Drawing on her own experience – including travel, sabbaticals, and building Shimmer – she described how aligning her work with how she thinks and lives has shaped both performance and purpose.
“Your life is literally now… there might not be tomorrow,” she said
What changes when you leave Ivey
While Wang focused on how to think about a career, the alumni panel focused on what it actually feels like to start one.
For Genevieve Eccleston, HBA ’13, Managing Director, Investment Banking at Canaccord Genuity, the biggest shift was how quickly structure disappears.
“My days went from structure to ambiguity… nothing really prepares you for it,” she said.
No single path forward
Alan Leela, HBA ’11, Co-Founder and Partner at Vantage Developments, said early career decisions are less about choosing the “right” path and more about building skills and flexibility.
“There’s no definite way… no clear path,” he said.
Embrace what sets you apart
Stephanie De Vincenzo, MBA ’22, Senior Manager, Professional Development at Scotiabank, pointed to self-awareness as a critical skill – particularly knowing when to contribute and when to step back.
“Everyone has a seat at the table, but not every voice has to always be heard,” she said.
Pranit Tukrel, HBA ’16, Head of Corporate Development at CanPro Roofing Partners, highlighted the importance of coachability – being open to feedback and willing to learn.
“You have the skills to get to where you want to be… but everything is going to be new,” he said.
The panel also addressed how work is changing.
David Miskus, HBA ’17, Director of Business Intelligence at Bell, spoke about the growing role of data, analytics, and AI – and the importance of not outsourcing your thinking.
“Just showing up… is a really important thing that’s going to carry you throughout every single job,” he said.
Wang closed the day with a reminder of how much can change over time.
“Ten years from now, there could be a version of you … and you're going to be crazily impressed and shocked about how everything turned out,” she said.
(Photo above) L-r: Pranit Tukrel, David Miskus, Genevieve Eccleston, Stephanie De Vincenzo, and Alan Leela
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