Their destinations may differ, but they all began at the same place. A look at alumni stories of success that started at Ivey.
I’m an entrepreneur, investor, and strategy professor based in Toronto. After graduating from Ivey, I co-founded and led a venture-backed consumer brand that attracted major media attention and was acquired by Estée Lauder Companies. Today, I’m the Founder and Managing Director of Jagdeo Ventures, where I support early-stage companies focused on technology, innovation, and growth. I also serve as a Commissioner on the Toronto Transit Commission, teach strategy and innovation at OCAD University, and work with founders and leaders to help them navigate complex business challenges. Across all of this, I’m driven by radical curiosity – the idea that asking better questions leads to better outcomes in business and in life
What led you to your career, and how has it evolved over time?
The average Canadian lifespan is roughly 80 years. It’s often that at the end of life, people will list a variation of not “trying enough” as one of their regrets – not trying enough things for fear of ridicule, embarrassment, or failure. I’m trying to avoid those regrets by building a portfolio of experiences driven by curiosity. This portfolio of stories has taken me from behind fast-food counters to Bay Street and around the world. It’s taken me to senior governance roles with public institutions like libraries and transit agencies; from the skincare and beauty industry to dentistry and jewelry startups.
It’s taken me from running startups, to advising them, to investing in them – some solving for orphan diseases, others tackling climate change. It has taken me from teaching the next generation of leaders in the university lecture hall, to lecturing senior executives at global companies as a professional speaker. My goal over the next 50 years is to continue engaging my curiosity by trying things and building great stories I can share with others, so they, too, can be inspired to do great things. It’s not a lot of time, so I’m moving full speed ahead!
Who inspired you?
I am inspired by the hard-working public sector leaders who do a thankless job keeping our streets safe, our hospitals running, the next generation educated, our transit system operating, and protecting our democratic right to choose. They could literally be doing anything else, yet choose to put the public at the centre of their objective.
How did Ivey play a role?
I cannot imagine being on the trajectory I’m on without Ivey. An affiliation with the School as a graduate means people take you more seriously at the beginning of your career journey, translating to trust and then opportunity, which only accelerates with time. Ivey simulates the high-stakes business environment – making decisions with high-achieving people by using the tools learned, and experiences shared, to solve complex problems (often with very little context or information to start with). The 24- and 48-hour projects really taught us that it might actually be possible to build Rome in a day. Ivey also instilled in me an unshakable will to just try. Because when was it ever uncool to try?
Why did you choose the HBA program specifically (why was it a fit for you)?
The HBA program felt like the right fit because it’s one of the closest things to the real business world you can experience in school – intense, practical, and built around solving problems with other high-performing people. You’re learning from exceptional professors, alongside some of the brightest students you’ll ever meet, all within an alumni network that’s genuinely influential and mission-driven.
To be honest, I wasn’t the obvious “perfect fit” on paper. I didn’t always thrive in traditional academics, and even while I was there, I sometimes wondered if I belonged. But that ended up being the point. It was challenging and uncomfortable, and it forced me to grow faster than I thought I could.
The HBA taught me that discomfort is often just growth in disguise. And it also taught me something I still live by: you’re better off seizing an opportunity imperfectly than letting it pass because you’re waiting to feel ready.
What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
I took a leap of faith to start a men's cosmetics company based in New York called FACULTY WORLD with Umar ElBably, HBA ’19. We raised $4 million from investors, including Estee Lauder Companies (ELC). We built a thought-provoking consumer brand, connected with leaders we idolized as teenagers, and helped define men’s beauty and skincare forever, all while amassing a Pandora’s box of stories – some so provocative we may have to take them to the grave.
We eventually exited the business to ELC in 2023 after almost four years of operations. This project was probably one of the wildest experiences I’ve had.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Fitness is an important part of my life. It may sound cliché, but a strong body complements a strong mind. You can find me training at Equinox seven days a week, getting crushed by a ridiculous split, playing an intense game of squash, participating competitively in a team sport, and trying to scarf down 200 grams of protein a day (and a cheeky chocolate chip cookie or ube cupcake).
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I have deep PhD-level knowledge of the Star Wars Universe. I have played every single game (even the LEGO ones), watched every single piece of official content, and read through almost all the canon comics and graphic novels.
What is your favourite memory from your time at Ivey?
Co-chairing the Ivey Model United Nations (MUN) team was an incredibly fun experience. We performed strongly at a few conferences, namely HMUN at Harvard and the NAMUN Conference at the University of Toronto, and we hosted the first-ever MUN conference at the School. We had more than 100 delegates from across Ontario for our two-day, crisis-only conference.
What is the most important takeaway from your Ivey experience?
I used to say that “your network is your net worth,” but it sounds a little too impersonal. Now, I say “people are your privilege.”
It’s a reminder that no matter where life takes you, you are truly rich when the people around you choose to relentlessly accelerate your ambitions. People are the ultimate leverage, and you should invest deeply in your relationships, giving more than you take – always.
Another common regret at the end of life is not investing enough time in friends, family, and colleagues. I’d like to avoid that regret too.
Are you still connected to the School in any way?
I never turn down a call! Ivey is a trajectory-changing institution for anyone fortunate enough to attend and grow as a leader and learner. The famed case method and exceptional faculty are vital to what makes Ivey special, but so is the exposure to leaders who tell stories about real struggle and real success. I will never shy away from an invitation to be one of those leaders inspiring action and change – and I suppose I need to share these stories with someone.
