My name is Shifa Jamal and I am a Ivey HBA and Media, Information and Technoculture dual-degree student who is passionate about connecting audiences through storytelling. My family’s rich South Asian heritage and desire to secure bright futures for their children underpins my perspectives and lived experiences. Their resilience taught me the value of hard work, breaking barriers, and taking risks. Travel opportunities across India have allowed me to observe the effects of fast fashion on entire communities and the planet, sparking my interest in sustainable brands and their efforts toward circularity. Through my dream of building a beauty brand that uses both clean ingredients for your skin and the environment, I want to give back to my surrounding communities. 

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

My personal definition of sustainability encompasses a single word, care. This means care for the planet and all its inhabitants so that our planet can continue to take care of us. If businesses care, they will act responsibly, ethically and strive to ensure that their daily practices do not harm any communities. To me, this begins with an awareness of and appreciation for the natural environment. It is important to recognize the power consumers possess to make choices that reflect sustainably conscious lives. When a busines cares, they in turn are honest and transparent in their actions and through such qualities, become examples for others in their industry.  

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

I see sustainability playing a crucial role in my professional career. Through my background in music, I have always strived to make an impact on my audience and carried that quality forward to academics, extra-curricular projects, and in my current and future career. This desire to care for my surrounding communities is rooted in the values the Ivey education has instilled in me. I believe it is my responsibility to uphold values of giving back to the community in all my future endeavors. In my professional career, I worked at an Ivey alumni clothing brand that strives to impact a generation of girls through promoting body positivity. Their brand values and sustainable supply chain, manufacturing, and labour practices not only demonstrated the role Ivey played in their business decisions, but further inspired me to pursue a similar career journey. In the future, I hope to pursue entrepreneurship and through that, positively affect my surrounding communities. I want to see my hard work improve the lives of others in any industry. To me, sustainability is more than just my professional career, but is embedded within every decision I make.  

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

The desire to care for my surrounding communities and make an impact was instilled in me as a young girl. Through my Ismaili community in Kitchener, Ontario, I was involved in volunteering and organizing charitable events. One such event includes the World Partnership Walk, an initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation, to fight a multitude of pressing issues such as improving access to quality education and health, creating economic opportunities for women, and above all, building resilient communities. In addition, I volunteered throughout within my city teaching music to young children to create environments where they can grow and build tangible skills for their future careers. The experience I’ve gained engaging with initiatives important to me as well as impacting a part of the future generation through music has inspired me to pursue the sustainability certificate at Ivey and an entrepreneurship route in my professional career.