Every chance she gets to go out of her comfort zone, she takes. It’s this attitude that led her to the CANDO Economic Development Youth Summit in Edmonton this summer, where she and her team placed second in a case competition.

Morin and her team at the CANDO Economic Development Youth Summit in Edmonton

The five-day event in August 2025 had about 300 applicants but only accepted around 50 young up-and-coming leaders. As a marketing major starting her final year at Asper, she was just happy to get in.

“I’m so glad I went,” she says. “It was really great to put theories that I learned in school into actual practice.”

By day, the summit hosted various panels and speakers. By night, the young leaders would break into teams and work on a case competition.

The real-life case asked the teams how they would develop 64 acres of land located in Lloydminster, Alberta, acquired by Frog Lake First Nation.

“I really had to dive deep into my first-year accounting and marketing classes,” she says, emphasizing the importance of learning to think quick on your feet.

On the final day, teams presented their economic development plans to a panel of judges. After travelling by herself and learning so much over the five days, she was thrilled her team got second place.

She says their success is owed to the diverse perspectives of her team, who each brought something new the others wouldn’t have thought of.

“Being surrounded by my people and being surrounded by culture was really inspiring,” says Morin. “I left that whole week feeling inspired and ready to work hard, and do good for my community.”

Something From Nothing

Morin may be majoring in marketing, but what she really wants to do is create something from nothing. In other words, she’s passionate about entrepreneurship.

Maybe this has something to do with how she felt coming into Asper School. In her first year, she would’ve described herself as “a very shy, timid, small-town girl.”

When you’re timid and shy, the world can seem small. But the resources and opportunities offered at the Asper School transformed her outlook: “Now I see things so much bigger than I used to. There’s so much more potential,” she says.

She specifically cites Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) as a program that made going out of her comfort zone easier.

“Finding my community and learning about my background, that was huge. I think knowing more about yourself helps you grow and that was very life-changing for sure,” says Morin.

She developed a superpower for networking. Her goal is to see a friendly face wherever she goes.

“You never know who or where you’re going end up working with in the future. You never know who could potentially be a good connection,” she says, stressing the importance of networking and taking on any opportunity that presents itself.

Morin embraces curiosity when approaching strangers: “you’re always trying to figure out the puzzle pieces.” She starts with a simple question like “What brings you here?”

To fellow students, she recommends volunteering time with a student group, or even better, making a student group.

Her entrepreneurial mindset led her to revitalize an Asper School student group called, well, The Entrepreneurial Mindset, with her friend Anthony Theriault. Morin also previously volunteered as Director of Communications on the UMQAS student group (University of Manitoba Queer/2SLGBTQIA+Asper Students).

“I think everyone should join a student group. It just gives you purpose, even on campus, because you have friends, you have a community, and you need that in order to get through hard times,” says Morin.

Morin has grown so much that it’s impossible to see how she was ever shy or timid. The Asper School may have caused the change, but what’s her secret?

“I live on Red Bulls,” she says.
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IBEP offers tutoring, mentoring, financial aid, and more to Indigenous students pursuing a business degree at the Asper School of Business.

A Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the Asper School of Business is your ticket to a successful, meaningful future. Turn ideas into thrilling business ventures, make a difference in the world around you, and gain the business knowledge, leadership skills, and networking opportunities you need to achieve your dreams. Learn more.

Asper is bursting with student groups and opportunities to make genuine connections with your fellow classmates and the greater Manitoba business community. Learn more on our student experience page.

In deadline-driven case and academic competitions, students work against the clock to come up with compelling presentations that respond to real-world business issues, preparing to answer any question the judges throw to them.

But this experience extends far beyond presentations, with months of preparation and lasting impact after the podium is populated and the awards are presented. These competitions test agility as much as they do perseverance, and they are experiences built on community connections within and beyond the team.

JDC West, a business education in giving back

Take JDC West for instance, Western Canada’s largest business case competition hosted this year in Calgary by the Haskayne School of Business.

Evan Adair, BComm student and one of Team Asper’s captains, explains how the year-long process of preparing for JDC West goes well beyond academics.

“The thing that defines JDC West for me is the community. Obviously, we take the academic portions very seriously—we have rigorous training, plenty of workshops throughout the year, and very qualified coaches and industry experts.

“But JDC is also so much more. Our team logged a total of over 2,200 volunteer hours before the competition, partnering with six local charities,” he says.

These organizations include Harvest Manitoba, Koats for Kids, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Team Asper, made up of 46 BComm students, finished first in the finance competition (and skit night), and third in debate, operations management, and not-for-profit.

Fellow Team Asper captain Grace Cook says that the results are exciting, but the team’s progress is even more so.

“A lot of students on the team had no case experience when we started, and seeing all those students giving killer presentations and showcasing so much knowledge in their fields was such a highlight,” she says.

MBA Games 2025, a Stu Clark Graduate School record

At the graduate level, a small but mighty Stu Clark Graduate School team finished third overall in the annual MBA Games, a competition of academics, athletics, and spirit.

Team captain Oluwagbotemi Dada shares that it was a record-setting year. “This is the first time that Asper achieved a podium finish in the MBA Games, which is super impressive considering that we were the smallest team there with only 15 members,” she says.

Much like JDC West, the MBA Games features a charitable component, with Team Asper showing up and contributing to the over $29,000 raised for Canada Learning Code, a national not-for-profit that designs programs for those who have been historically underrepresented in tech—Team Asper finished second in the Canada Learning Code Case Competition (Bamibo Isichei, Sharib Jalis, Sravani Kalva).

“It was all about doing more with less,” she says, referring to a team small in numbers but big in passion.

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As part of the Asper School of Business’ commitment to experiential learning, business and case competitions offer students the chance to apply their in-class knowledge to real-world business problems, all while making strong connections to industry experts and practitioners in Manitoba and beyond. Learn more about experiential learning opportunities in our professional graduate programs and see what M Business is all about.

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This February, nine graduate teams from across Canada will bring their strategic acumen to the Asper School of Business for the third annual Asper Business Case Competition. Stay up to date with all the excitement—the cases, the competitors, and the experience—by following @asper_bcc on Instagram.

Manitoba’s signature cold doesn’t keep the birds or beasts away at FortWhyte Alive, and every morning, Wilson, President and CEO of this local winter favourite, looks forward to what a workplace run by weather, land, and living things will bring that day.

“No day is ever the same,” she says. “As much as I love to have a day planned, every day ends up different than the last.”

That morning, Wilson was at the construction site—steel-toes, parka, and hard hat—checking in on the construction of FortWhyte’s Buffalo Crossing, a new visitor centre and entry point on McGillivray Boulevard, designed in consultation with local Indigenous advisors. The building is set to use 90% less energy than most commercial buildings.

“It’s been in the works for nearly 10 years and was a dream of my predecessor [Bill Elliott, former President and CEO of FortWhyte Alive]. We’ve designed it as a 100-year building, and it will be the most sustainable building in the Province of Manitoba,” she explains.

As the second-ever President and CEO of FortWhyte Alive, Wilson works with the weight of legacy and the duty of sustainability, all while leading the day-to-day business operations of a place that brings together swathes of people—volunteers, members, visitors, and more—every day.

Family business, community, and being part of something bigger

Wilson’s formal study of business began right here at Asper, where she completed her Bachelor of Commerce. Reflecting on her time in the program, she highlights the community.

“I learned early on that in business, you will never know everything. There are going to be times when you need help and having a local network of Asper grads who share a mindset that we are there to help each other is incredible,” she says.

This first lesson—that she can’t know everything—was instilled long before sitting in university classrooms. Her real training in business began at the family dinner table, where she listened to her parents talk business each night.

Wilson’s father was the third-generation leader of their family business, Wilson Furniture Ltd., a mainstay of Downtown Winnipeg dating back to the 1880s. Conversations across the table about clientele, quality, budgets, and negotiations sparked a love of business for Wilson and a curiosity for what goes beyond business.

“I think what those conversations really instilled in me is the importance of community and customer service, but also being part of something bigger than yourself,” she says.

She served as President of Wilson Furniture for nine years, navigating market shifts and worsening business conditions. The organization closed in 2003, which Wilson cites as one of the hardest business decisions she’s ever made. Exhausting every option and refusing to compromise on the quality and service that defined the business for so long, Wilson knew what she had to do.

She recalls her father’s response when she told him of her decision: “well, it’s about time,” he’d said.

“I asked why he hadn’t told me sooner that he also saw the writing on the wall, and he told me that it had to be my decision to make. I had to come to this conclusion, because I was the one who was going to see it through, stand by it, and deliver,” she says.

The big picture, sustainability, and a vision for the future

At Wilson Furniture, there was something that went beyond business: the community served, the history that the organization represented. Today, at FortWhyte Alive, Wilson is still driven by history, community, and something more: seeking sustainability over longevity, stewardship over preservation.

Her career path shifted into the conservation and not-for-profit sectors, serving in various roles at Ducks Unlimited Canada before taking on her current role as President and CEO of FortWhyte Alive.

Once again, Wilson stepped into a role steeped in legacy, serving as the second-ever President and CEO in the organization’s history.

“The work is the same,” she explains, noting that from a business perspective, she still takes her insights in finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, and strategy to the role. “You’re just doing it for a different reason.”

“Every day, I think about what I can do to make sure that Fort Whyte is here for future generations,” she says. “That drives me, asking how I can steward this land in the best way possible.

“We are committed to growth, but we also want to be a leader for sustainability here in Manitoba, showcasing, for instance, that it’s possible to build climate-resilient architecture here,” she says, referring to Buffalo Crossing.

A vision beyond today, moments beyond business

For Wilson, leading the organization means making sound business decisions that contribute to this bigger picture and standing by this vision with integrity.

Every day, Wilson sees this vision come to life, in the management of capital campaigns, operations affected by windchills, budgets, marketing, volunteer coordination, and much more.

She also sees it each time she looks out a window: in her office, concluding an online meeting and seeing three deer trot past; in the boardroom, looking out onto Lake Devonian—remarkably quiet in the winter before the chirps, rushes, and honks of the spring season—in the Buffalo Stone Café, where she shares her career journey and points out flickers, nuthatches, and sparrows at the bird feeders.

As life outside the visitor centre stays busy, members file in, greeted with warm familiarity by volunteers. Children and parents zip down the toboggan slide across the frozen lake.

“FortWhyte is a special place,” she says. “The thing that I love most about it is that it means something different, something important, to everyone,” she says.

FortWhyte Alive: A local favourite

This year, the Asper School of Business is highlighting alumni leading at some of Manitoba’s local favourites in business, arts, culture, food, recreation, nature, and more. Connect to local excellence that makes an impact. Learn more about the Asper School of Business today.

We asked Liz Wilson to share some of her local favourites: summer performances at Rainbow Stage, the Oval Room at the Hotel Fort Garry, InFerno’s Bistro, McNally Robinson, and all our local sports teams.

Each year, the Co-op Student and Employer of the Year are awarded, recognizing excellence in leadership, mentorship, and contributions to learning.

The 2024 Co-op Student of the Year is Priyansh Modi, and the 2024 Co-op Employer of the Year is Treaty One Nations Inc.

2024 Co-op Student of the Year – Priyansh Modi

Nominated by the Government of Manitoba Department of Families, Asper finance major Priyansh Modi is the 2024 Co-op Student of the Year.

Modi served as a Student Policy Analyst, supporting the work of fellow policy analysts, senior management, and the Minister of Families. His supervisors commended his ability to thrive, lead, and grow in a dynamic, high-stakes environment.

Tamsin Collings (Manager) and Joann Correa (Senior Policy Analyst) described how significant Modi’s work was during a time of transformation for the Strategic Initiatives and Program Support unit of the Child and Youth Services Division (Department of Families).

“The work is filled with pressure and high demands, and Priyansh took on the challenge with eagerness and curiosity,” they wrote in their nomination.

For Modi, seeing the impact and real-world application of his work was transformative.

“My co-op placement taught me to translate academic knowledge into meaningful real-world contributions. The impact of my work, which was even used by the Minister, was incredibly meaningful. This experience boosted my confidence in my analytical abilities as I witnessed how my efforts contributed to tangible change,” he wrote of his co-op experience.

Modi, who has since joined the Asper Co-op Student Association as the Director of Finance and the Price Student-Managed Investment Fund, shared how he is taking this newfound confidence into the future.

“Co-op education has taught me to focus on the process rather than the results. This mindset shift has empowered me to set higher goals and embrace challenges, knowing that growth comes from facing the unknown,” he wrote.

2024 Co-op Employer of the Year – Treaty One Nations Inc.

Nominated by Asper MBA co-op student Ryan Nykvist, Treaty One Nations Inc. is the 2024 Co-op Employer of the Year. Jolene Mercer (Executive Director) accepted the award.

Nykvist completed his co-op term as an Environmental Planner at Treaty One Nations Inc., a unique role in which he contributed to the organization’s sustainability initiatives and strategic planning. During his co-op term, Nykvist developed environmental policies, conducted impact assessments, and created a sustainability management toolkit.

In his nomination, he shared that he expected to apply what he had learned throughout his MBA and gain some experience in environmental planning. “But Treaty One surpassed these expectations by providing me with opportunities to lead initiatives, engage with diverse stakeholders, and contribute to high-level strategic planning,” he wrote.

Nykvist described a supportive environment that encouraged learning and a team that allowed him to take the lead but was always there if he needed guidance.

“Treaty One Nations Inc. is an organization where your ideas are valued, and you’re given a real responsibility to make an impact,” he wrote in his nomination. “The work is meaningful, contributing to important goals in sustainability and First Nations economic development.

“Co-op is an excellent opportunity to gain diverse skills, work with passionate professionals, and contribute to significant initiatives.”

Manitoba’s top business co-op program

Accredited by CEWIL Canada, the Asper School of Business Co-op Program is the largest business co-op program in the province. Co-op placements offer students a chance to gain practical experience in the workforce while pursuing their studies.

According to 2023 Asper Employment Report, 89% of BComm co-op students were employed full-time within three months of graduation, bringing their practical experience, strategic insights, and passion into the workplace.

The program is committed to connecting talented Asper co-op students and employers in Manitoba, Canada and around the world. Celebrating Co-op is an opportunity to renew this commitment and honour these connections.

The Co-op Student and Employer of the Year demonstrate the transformative experience of co-op. It’s not just about work experience. Co-op students get to see the impact of their work beyond their team, department, and the organization. Co-op employers connect with top talent, seeing them grow as leaders while making meaningful contributions to their organization.

Connect with the Asper Co-op Program today and learn what experiential learning can bring to your organization.

In 2024, the Asper Exchange Program signed 12 new partnerships, continuing to expand options for students with over 60 business school partners in over 30 countries around the world.

For the first time, Asper students can study in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and have not one but two options in Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow). They also have access to new partner schools in France, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Spain.

The language of home

Helin Emre may be one of the first Asper students to attend Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, but for her, it was a return home.

Emre moved to Canada from Turkey as a child and wanted to experience living there as an adult while advancing her studies.

She describes her wonder at the famous Cappadocia hot air balloons, the liveliness of Istanbul, and the gravity of the Blue Mosque. She wandered Mardin, marveling at the architecture against the backdrop of conversations in Kurdish (her native tongue).

Emre explains how the enriching cultural exchange impacted her studies in actuarial mathematics as well. “In terms of academics, the biggest opportunity was learning about my field of study in a different light and cultural lens, allowing me to access new perspectives and a global knowledge,” she says.

“I would definitely recommend doing an exchange to other Asper students. Not only do you learn tons about yourself, but you meet incredible people and are put in an environment where it’s necessary to learn and grow as both a student and individual,” she adds.

From the islands to the city

As the first Asper student to study at Taylor’s University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sophia Ali was nervous but excited.

“It felt scary at first because I didn’t know what to expect,” she recalls.

But Ali had done her research, selecting Taylor’s in part because of cost-effectiveness and because she had a loftier goal in mind for her exchange trip.

“I saw it as an opportunity to broaden my perspective on different cultures and to gain the knowledge of what it’s like to live in another country,” she says.

Once she arrived, Ali felt her apprehension dissipate as she connected with exchange students from other countries and explored the country. She navigated the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur and found ease amid the country’s many islands and beaches.

Having returned from her exchange, Ali looks forward to sharing her experience—the nerves of the first few days and the subsequent exploration and enjoyment—with her peers.

“It honestly was exciting to be the first student to go to Taylor’s as I am now able to help future students who someday want to study in Malaysia,” she says.

Places shaped by time

Moving between the Kenting coastline, the peaks of the Alishan Range, the serenity of Sun Moon Lake, and the urban centre of Taipei, Shiloh Liu spent her exchange familiarizing herself with both the natural and cultural landscapes of Taiwan.

Studying at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan, Taiwan, Liu hoped to expand her understanding of Taiwan’s political and cultural history.

With aspirations of pursuing her CPA designation, Liu also wanted to bolster her knowledge from a global point of view. She recounts courses that brought in high-level professionals from industry, academia, and government.

“This allowed us to understand how theoretical knowledge is applied in the real world, particularly in the field of accounting and data management,” she says.

She shares how she wasn’t just the first Asper student to study at NCKU, but also the only Canadian student there that term.

“I felt honoured to be part of such a diverse exchange program. While most exchange students were from France and Germany, only three of us were from North America—two from the US and me, representing Canada.

“It was a unique and enriching experience to interact with students from different parts of the world,” she says.

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With new partner schools and more relationships built each year, the Asper Exchange Program brings the best in experiential learning around the world, giving students the chance to deepen their business knowledge, test out their independence, and make incredible global connections.

Applications for Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and Winter 2026 are now open until January 31, 2025. Visit the Asper Exchange Program page to learn more about applying today.

She isn’t thinking about the hours of practice and case preparation; she isn’t worried about being “too much” (a holdover from a lifetime of being a big talker); she isn’t fixated on the ideas that didn’t make the cut; and she isn’t second-guessing her delivery.

No, as Francis puts it, when she is presenting, everything else goes away.

“I honestly hit a state of flow,” she says. “It feels like I’m just having a conversation with the judges.”

When she finishes a strong introduction or a persuasive pitch, she knows when she has crushed it. Looking to coaches for the confirmatory thumbs up is all she needs.

“I feel on top of the world and like I can do anything after public speaking,” she says.

This year at the Business and Management Case Competition (BMCC), hosted by the Universidad Panamerica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Francis’ gift of gab earned her an individual honour as the 2024 competition’s Best Presenter.

“I always joke that I’ve been practicing for this for 20 years,” she says. “Anyone who knows me—certainly my parents—know that I am always talking; if someone will listen, I’ll talk.

“Earning that recognition was very cool because sometimes being talkative can be viewed as a negative, but with case, you’re rewarded for being good at communicating. People listen to hear you talk, and they’re very engaged.”

Since her first case competition last year, Francis has been feeling this fit with case competitions (although case found her rather than the other way around).

After her instructor, Rakesh Mittoo (Sessional Instructor, Business Administration) recommended her for the 2023 Intercollegiate Business Competition (Smith School of Business), Francis dove into case, participating in the 2024 selection weekends, earning a place on the BMCC team, and dedicating hours to preparing for this dynamic international competition.

“We did a lot of research into the Mexican business environment to understand what was unique about this context and how it might be different from what we know about the Canadian business landscape,” she explains.

Months later, she and her team of fellow BComm students tackled problems like how to help a Mexican candy company expand into Chinese markets, how to grapple with the ethical quandaries of animal welfare in farming, and how to get Lucha Libre wrestling culture into digital markets without losing the in-person intensity.

Francis shares the highs and lows of case, the sum total of which keeps her coming back since her first competition last year. Her tips for success? Prioritize sleep even in crunch time, eat well, take that 10-minute break (especially poolside in Mexico), don’t take things too personally, and most important: remember what you practiced and focus on the goal.

“When it gets hard, keeping your eye on the prize is important. We haven’t done all these practices for nothing, and we’re here to work together to present the best possible case we can,” she says.

Post-competition, Francis has had time to see the real impact of her case career so far as she works her way through law school applications.

“I had no clue that it would help me so much, but here I am writing these applications and being able to lean on all these experiences and see how everything—case, my BComm, public speaking—ties perfectly into my journey,” she says.

In those moments when Francis was presenting in Mexico, when doubts and anxieties fell away, all that was left was a talented, passionate public speaker who learned through case to trust her practice, her process, and her delivery. It was just her and the judges, and as one judge said of her award-winning delivery, it was ‘captivating.’

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Experiential learning is a cornerstone of any Asper School of Business Bachelor of Commerce journey. From a robust internal and external case competition season to co-op work placements, international exchange, entrepreneurship, and the Price student-managed investment fund, there is something at Asper for every student and every career path. Learn more about undergraduate programs at Asper today.

He prefers to group his management classes into late-morning blocks, leaving time to study, hit the gym, and dedicate hours to his entrepreneurial ventures. UM students may have spotted Theriault in UMSU University Centre, discussing a soon-to-be-launched app called eleven59.

An idea conceived with fellow Asper students Todd de Groot and Hazel Nguyen, eleven59 is an AI-driven calendar tool designed for students by students.

Is eleven59 your first venture? When did your entrepreneurial journey begin?

AT: “Technically everything started with magic. I’m a magician, and my first entrepreneurial experience came from being a performer and doing shows around the city.

“I was really passionate about collecting playing cards because magicians use all sorts of cards, but some were really hard to get in Canada. I thought, there’s got to be a better way, so I started my own playing card shop, Kingdom Cards.”

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Theriault has taken this entrepreneurial spirit into his Asper degree, connecting with de Groot and Nguyen in their Introduction to Entrepreneurship class, where they first devised the idea for eleven59 before taking it to the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship and engaging with the Start Up Coach program.

Could you talk a bit about taking eleven59 from an idea in class to the 2024 Stu Clark New Venture Championships and now to tabling throughout UM?

AT: “I remember seeing the 2023 Stu Clark New Venture Championships advertised online very early in my first year, and I saw it and thought, ‘I don’t have a new idea… how would I ever be able to do that?’’ And yet, the next year, we were there competing. That has a lot to do with the Stu Clark Centre because if you have any idea—big or small— they are there to help take it to the next level, whatever that means for you.

“They are there to ask, ‘how can we make this an even better idea?’”

“So much has changed in under a year with eleven59. The app is actively in development with ACE Project Space at Red River, and Todd, Hazel, and I are getting feedback from UM students with our on-campus booth.

“At our booth, we want to start by making a connection and learning about what students want and need from an app like ours. It’s not about getting someone to stand there for our spiel; everything starts with a conversation.”

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Theriault emphasizes that collaborative entrepreneurship is all about the people with whom you work and consult. At their booth, they invite all feedback, determined to surround themselves with thoughtful, curious, even skeptical, perspectives, rather than with only ‘yes.’

What makes this team of Asper students work so well together?

AT: “Of course we all bring important skills to the table—Todd knows his numbers and is very good at financials and strategy, and Hazel is really good at getting work done and crafting our B2B approach.

“So, there’s obviously those tangible skills, but I think more of it also comes down to dedication. Ben Isakov [Startup Coach], from the Stu Clark Centre really instilled in me that good people can be taught skills, but it’s not easy to find someone that has the right dedication or motivations.

“With our team, we’re just so motivated to support each other and to help students.”

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With eleven59, Theriault, de Groote, and Nguyen have embraced innovation driven by a desire to respond to needs, drawing from their own experience as students to guide their creativity. It’s this kind of entrepreneurship that lives at the Stu Clark Centre and the Asper School of Business.

For aspiring entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, the Asper School of Business offers a unique Entrepreneurship and Innovation major. Learn more about infusing your Bachelor of Commerce with an entrepreneurial mindset and read more about our programs here.

Adam Flatt [BComm(Hons)/24]

New Bachelor of Commerce alum Adam Flatt completed his undergraduate degree with a double major in supply chain management & logistics and international business. Despite a degree interrupted by pandemic closures, Flatt is grateful for the networking opportunities he had throughout the program, connecting with colleagues and business leaders.

He also completed co-op terms at The Dufresne Group (TDG) as a logistics coordinator, all while balancing his career as a competitive curler.

Flatt shares how the Asper co-op program allowed him to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to the workplace in a way that fit his life and priorities.

“The flexibility of the Asper Co-op program, combined with the support from TDG, enabled me to balance my work with my competitive curling schedule. As a competitive curler traveling across North America to compete in World Curling Tour events, I was able to train and compete at the highest level while still participating fully in the co-op program and gaining valuable skills on the job!”

Flatt recently accepted a new role as Operations Supervisor at Larsen’s Memorial.

Adrian Barreda Rosell [MSCM/24]

Graduating with a Master of Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Adrian Barreda Rosell enrolled in the program to advance his manufacturing background with a focus on improving processes across the workplace. While he looks forward to bringing refined technical knowledge back to work, he also notes that the program offered key leadership insights.

“I really enjoyed the people-oriented courses such as Managing People in Organizations, Executive Leadership Responsibilities, and Negotiations,” he says. “A good understanding of communication and motivation is essential for any leader.”

He is excited to continue his career in manufacturing, bringing an enhanced global supply chain view to his work.

“Being conscious about the unique demands of procurement and manufacturing departments will help me influence collaboration within the organization to increase the competitiveness and agility of the organization and the supply chain I am a part of,” he says.

Gagan Pahuja [MBA/24]

Recent MBA alum Gagan Pahuja has lofty goals of leading in the supply chain management industry in Manitoba, with a particular focus in procurement (a fitting aspiration given his MBA focus areas of supply chain and leadership).

Pahuja joined the MBA program in Fall 2022 and got involved quickly, joining the case competition team for the MBA Games 2023/24, benefiting from the mentorship program, and balancing work as a procurement advisor at Manitoba Hydro for a year during his full-time studies.

As he celebrates convocation this Fall, he reflects on how his varied Asper experience has set him up for success.

“The MBA program has been a rewarding journey that has advanced my career goals by enhancing my business acumen and leadership skills. Through coursework and networking opportunities, I’ve developed valuable analytical and problem-solving abilities. My experiences in case competitions and team projects have further equipped me with the confidence and skills needed to excel in my career path in the supply chain management industry,” he says.

He is already putting his procurement acumen to work close to home in his current role as a Purchasing Consultant with Procurement Services at UM.

Julie Xue [MBA/24]

After beginning her MBA at the Asper School of Business in Fall 2022, Julie Xue found plenty of experiential learning opportunities to enrich her in-class work. This October, she receives her MBA with focus in finance, and she reflects on how the program helped move her professional goals forward.

“As a newcomer and woman in my late thirties, it felt impossible to break into the finance industry in Winnipeg before I pursued my MBA. However, after my Asper experience, anything feels possible. The program has opened a lot of doors for me already!”

Xue completed a co-op term with Grant Thorton and participated in prestigious case competitions (Creative Shock, CFA Research Challenge), where she could develop her critical thinking skills and ability to work under pressure. She graduates feeling ready for more after learning from distinguished guest speakers in her executive leadership course and connecting to the Asper alumni network as well as The Associates and Young Associates.

Marissa Troia [BComm(Hons)/24]

Marissa Troia will receive her Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree at Fall Convocation, concluding her Asper student experience even as she stays connected as an alum and debate coach.

Troia, who majored in accounting, filled her years at Asper with involvement through volunteering, co-op, and debate competitions. “The most impactful part of my Asper journey were the extracurriculars I participated in. Not only did they get me out of my comfort zone, but they also enabled me to meet some of my closest friends,” she says.

These experiential learning opportunities seem to have informed Troia’s next steps as a new alum. During her degree, Troia completed three co-op terms with MNP, where she now works as a full-time associate in assurance services, and she will start the CPA program this month.

An avid competitor for ASBAA’s Internal Accounting Case Competition and JDC West, Troia will also join a team of coaches in support of the Team Asper JDC West debate team.

Maureen Agwuncha [MFin/24]

Graduating with a Master of Finance, Maureen Agwuncha is now a member of KPMG’s Corporate Finance team in Winnipeg, where she will be providing financial advisory services to businesses across Canada.

She completed her professional graduate degree in just under a year, taking advantage of the flexible, concentrated programming while still getting involved with Asper Professional Graduate Student Association (APGSA) events and competing in the CFA Business Valuation Case Competition and Creative Shock.

Agwuncha is excited to continue building her career in finance, stating that the Asper MFin has already greatly supported her career goals. “The MFin program has significantly enhanced my visibility on the job market and provided hands-on experience in applying and understanding key finance concepts. I received coaching on navigating the Canadian job market, building meaningful connections, and leveraging existing relationships,” she says. She also plans to pursue CPA exams to further enhance her expertise.

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With nearly 100 new BComm alumni, and over 70 new alumni from the Stu Clark Graduate School, the Asper School of Business’ alumni community of 22,000 continues to grow. Stay connected as an alum no matter where your education and career take you.

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UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. 1,429 degrees are being awarded at Fall Convocation, bringing the number of graduates in the class of 2024 to just over 5,500. Many of these new alumni will stay in Manitoba, contributing high-demand skills to the labour market and injecting nearly $300 million into the province’s economy each year.

Toasti Bean has become a staple on the market circuit, selling bags of infused coffee: carefully sourced beans that are locally roasted, then ground and infused with spices and extracts that capture the flavours and feelings of everything from the aforementioned desserts to lavender dreams and pumpkin spice.

Lam shares that one of the best parts of running Toasti Bean with business partner (and best friend) Johnston are these moments of love at first taste. “It’s cool seeing how pleasantly surprised people are when they try it,” she says. “We hear, ‘I don’t usually like coffee, but I really like this,’ or people immediately think of a loved one who might like it too.

“That’s what’s so special about our coffee: it allows people to share an experience.”

Lam and Johnston know a thing or two about shared experiences, meeting while they pursued their Bachelor of Commerce degrees at the Asper School of Business, sharing the same first job at Paquin Entertainment after graduation (two years apart), and starting an entrepreneurial journey together as business partners and co-founders at Toasti Bean.

In 2020, Johnston, who always had a love of baking, started to experiment with different recipes of coffee, extracts, and spices. These bags of small-batch flavoured coffee were, at first, a fun and unique gift for friends and family. Drawing on their backgrounds in leadership, marketing, and accounting, Johnston and Lam set up a website to meet the demand that was quickly growing beyond their own circles.

“It was a hit,” says Johnston.

Four years later, Lam and Johnston have upgraded to their own food handling facility, scaling up those original flavour experiments and producing larger batches to sell at markets and retailers in Manitoba.

In an interview with The Winnipeg Free Press, Johnston explains how Toasti Bean does flavoured coffee differently. Flavoured coffee, she says, gets a bad rap when the flavour is covering up bad coffee. With Toasti Bean, Lam and Johnston believe that the foundation of their product—coffee beans—should be superior in quality and more.

“We source our coffee beans from women producers, mostly in South and Central America,” Lam explains. “It’s about women empowerment,” adds Johnston,

“It’s gratifying to sell our product knowing that we are running a women-led initiative and supporting women coffee producers.”

The flavours at Toasti Bean complement, rather than cover, an exceptional foundation of carefully sourced coffee. As best-friends-turned-business-partners, Lam and Johnston are each willing to acknowledge that life does imitate coffee.

“Thao definitely grounds me because I am very type A and tend to run about a hundred miles an hour,” says Johnston. “She is more patient and helps balance that energy out.”

Lam, in response, commends Johnston’s drive. “Hayley’s type-A-ness is great because as a creative, I can be more head in the clouds. She is super organized and methodical and has an amazing attention to detail. She makes sure that we are always forging ahead,” she says.

Speaking of strong foundations, Lam and Johnston emphasize how their studies at Asper have informed their success today.

“I feel like I owe everything in my career to my BComm education because it provides that foundation for success,” says Lam while Johnston recalls the power of connecting to other aspiring entrepreneurs and the joy of seeing fellow Asper ventures at markets.

They each note that entrepreneurship and running a business introduce surprises that even the best business textbook couldn’t write, but that their business education gave them the tools they needed to respond, to adapt, to succeed in full-time roles, all while recognizing and taking seriously their shared entrepreneurial spark.

In speaking with The Winnipeg Free Press, Lam and Johnston explain that finding the right flavour formula isn’t a matter of devising a one-to-one match. Instead, they work to create recipes that go beyond the thing itself—a bag of Toasti Bean caramel stickybun coffee will have notes brown sugar and icing, but it will also evoke memories of fresh baking in the morning, trying a new local bakery, or returning to an old favourite.

A successful recipe, perhaps like a certain business partnership, is transformative; it’s all in how it comes together.

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Coffee connoisseurs can find Toasti Bean online or sample coffee at The Scattered Seeds Market (October 25-27), Inspirations Market (November 9-10), Third + Bird (November 22-24), and Third + Bird Winter Pop Up (December 13-14) in the coming months.

A Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the Asper School of Business is your ticket to a successful, meaningful future. Whether you want to work with people or numbers, turn ideas into thrilling business ventures, or make a difference in the world around you, an Asper BComm gives you the business knowledge, leadership skills, and networking opportunities you need to achieve your dreams. Learn more. 

At the University of Manitoba, Bisons are at the centre of health care, finance, Reconciliation and so much more. Wherever there’s a challenge, you’ll find UM alumni leading the charge. Explore the Bisons at the Centre campaign and meet the alumni shaping Manitoba and beyond.

With core courses in sustainability and Indigenous business relations, the curriculum is designed for the future of business—one that is invested in EDI, sustainability and Truth & Reconciliation.

As the School continues to expand the possibilities of business for Manitoba, Asper’s leadership works to ensure that the knowledge, experience and career path of business is accessible for more students with key program developments.

Robert Biscontri, associate dean of undergraduate and international programs, shares some exciting updates, including new and refreshed articulation agreements with post-secondary institutions across the province, more flexibility for Asper students choosing an academic minor, a new winter intake and a dedicated direct entry pathway for Northern Indigenous students.

Reducing barriers with a direct entry pathway for Northern Indigenous students

Biscontri highlights the new direct entry pathway, open to Northern Indigenous applicants who likely would not have had access to the program’s required high school pre-calculus requirement in their local high schools.

“In my first meeting with then-director of Indigenous Business Education Partners, Zach Unrau [BComm(Hons)/17], he flagged the pre-cal requirement as a potential barrier for Northern Indigenous students. We got to work right away creating a solution that would not just reduce this barrier, but also ensure that these students are supported in completing their math credit when they join the Asper School of Business,” he says.

The new pathway offers support, requiring that students be registered with the School’s Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), and flexibility based on student need.

Biscontri notes that the relationship-building involved in the memorandum of understanding between the Asper School of Business, Norway House Cree Nation and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak offered valuable consultation and insight throughout the process.

Connecting to Manitoba with new and renewed articulation agreements

Via articulation agreements, the Asper School of Business once again offers entry pathways to students who have completed academic credits at Red River College Polytechnic and University College of the North and is also now offering pathways to students who have completed academic work at Assiniboine College and L’École technique et professionelle.

“Many students living outside of Winnipeg may not have the means to come to the city to study right out of high school,” Biscontri explains.

These agreements allow students to begin their studies closer to home in many cases and have their credits count towards their BComm, reinforcing the Asper School’s commitment to offer exceptional business in Manitoba, for Manitoba.

Encouraging interdisciplinary study with more flexible academic minors

Asper School of Business students, who already have the option to graduate with two majors, can now pursue their minor in any faculty at UM.

For Biscontri, this update does more than simply allow students to pursue an additional academic interest.

“Management exists in every discipline—from film and the arts to law, sciences and engineering. This new policy allows our students to create their own niche, to design a BComm that carries all the prestige and value that the Asper School of Business has offered for decades, and is also suited to their individual career goals, interests and aspirations.

“It means that students who begin in one discipline and discover a love of business can have more credits recognized when they enroll, allowing them to apply for experiential learning opportunities like international exchange and co-op without having to make up additional credits that they’ve already completed in another faculty,” he says.

Offering more opportunity for the Asper experience with winter intake

The Asper School of Business now offers a winter admissions intake, allowing advanced entry students to apply by October 1, 2024. For this winter intake, all requirements must have been completed by the end of April 2024.

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From business competition teams and student leadership opportunities to international exchanges and work-integrated learning, the Asper School of Business has something for everyone, for Manitoba.

Ready to start creating your future? Learn more about Asper School of Business programs today.