My name is Thileepan Prabhakaran, and while I am from the Greater Toronto Area, my parents immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka. At Ivey, I am an HBA1 Representative for Ivey Social Impact Club and a Sponsorship Associate for Ivey Sports Leadership Conference. Before Ivey, I studied Software Engineering and pursued impact-driven tech projects such as prototyping a device that used spectroscopy to detect cancer and a solution to plastic fishing nets to reduce the garbage in the GreatPacific Garbage Patch. Outside of school, I have played basketball for 13 years and coached for five years.

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability is maintaining practices that consider the impact of all stakeholders, such as employees, management, customers, shareholders, and the environment. It is prioritizing them appropriately and developing habits and practices that align well with the value each is given. None of these factors should be compromised, as that makes a practice unsustainable. Additionally, sustainability implies that even in future years, whether it be 10, 50, or 200, the policies will still be able to be practiced, and all stakeholders will still be considered in a similar manner. Lastly, sustainability is important in all industries as it is a universal concept.

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

Throughout my upbringing, I have tried to find a way to pursue projects at the intersection of impact, technology, and business. I hope to be able to continue this into my career, with sustainability being a pillar in the work I do. I decided to pursue this dual-degree to tackle a social issue, as accessibility is often the primary issue regarding technology. I am motivated by impact-driven projects; therefore, I hope to leverage my tech skills for a company that focuses on social equality or finding environmentally friendly alternatives for current practices that are not sustainable. I would not want to work for a company whose moral values and mission are not aligned with mine. Therefore, exploring different aspects of sustainability and how technology can play a role will help me navigate what I want to do in my career. I believe that tech will play a large part in the future, and working at a firm that values sustainability will enable me to use my skills to better society and the world we live in. Additionally, I hope to be able to educate others in my career as well as drive change in the sustainability space for future generations.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

This past summer, I worked at Tote, a data-driven tech company that focuses on sustainable fashion. This was an opportunity for me to work in sustainability while still satisfying my desire for technology focused career. The company operated an app that used data to recommend sustainable clothing pieces to environmentally-conscious consumers. I was a marketing intern; however, working at a startup enabled me to play various roles, whether in marketing, sales, or technology. I focused on managing relationships with external stakeholders and potential clients and introducing technology into the company to help them automate sales outreach. Additionally, at Ivey Social Impact Club, I was part of the conference team and reached out to potential sponsors to help improve the image of the club and make it more attractive to potential speakers and attendees. Also, I wrote a blog regarding sustainable fashion and the overproduction of clothing in the fashion industry and detailed how thrifting can help solve this problem. In addition to the blog, I have also created a podcast detailing different issues regarding sustainability, with topics such as sustainable fashion and social enterprise.