To read the full interview, please visit Toronto Star.

PSLP is an annual, cohort-based program that selects students across disciplines and backgrounds from UM as well as the other major Manitoba postsecondary institutions: University College of the North, the University of Winnipeg, Red River College Polytech, Université de Saint-Boniface, and Brandon University.

The program currently seeks the latest cohort of changemakers and innovators across disciplines and at any level of post-secondary study. Students with existing leadership impact and experience, formal or informal, are invited to apply by March 9, 2025.

Successful applicants join a cohort of peers to participate in a core week of workshops, site visits, and leader talks in June 2025. Participants then plan and complete a summer service leadership project in diverse teams, continue the program in the fall with two dedicated days of workshops, and participate in a field trip to northern Manitoba in winter 2026.

The program is supported by a network of senior leaders from different sectors who participate as one-on-one mentors to PSLP fellows for the year. Concluding each year with a graduation celebration, PSLP has seen many graduates go on to lead in their careers and communities in any field.

Applications for the seventh cohort of the President’s Student Leadership Program are now open. Learn more about this immersive and inclusive leadership opportunity today, and read more about the most recent community projects below.

Leadership shaped by community

This summer and fall, the sixth and current cohort of PSLP fellows worked with community organizations to advance initiatives including access to official ID for newcomers, engagement with Indigenous teachings for international students, a fundraising strategy for non-profits, and a food security information program for the elderly.

“The summer projects help build our PSLP fellows’ connection to their communities and leadership commitment, regardless of what profession or field they will go into,” said Dr. Suzanne Gagnon, Director of the Burns Leadership Institute and Associate Dean of Research at the Asper School of Business.

The sixth cohort of the program completed the following community projects:

Paint Your Teachings

Mackenzie Ferguson, Jory Thomas-Blanchard, Olamide Collins-Longe, and Alejandra Diabb Sanchez devised “Paint Your Teachings,” a paint night dedicated to the seven sacred Indigenous teachings. Hosted by the UM International Centre, the team conceived of and facilitated the event in partnership with Nancy Hamilton, a Knowledge Keeper.

Participants gathered to learn about Indigenous culture and beliefs while expressing their talents through art. After Hamilton guided them through the seven sacred teachings, participants were prompted to paint these teachings on rocks. As the workshop continued, they were encouraged to continue sharing their learning and the values that resonated most with them, bringing teachings to their communities.

Collins-Longe reflects on the impact of the project. “Our community project taught me the importance and power of communication and community, knowing when to step in and when to step back,” she said. Expanding on the impact of PSLP as a whole, Collins-Longe shares that the program “shifted my perspective on life and leadership.”

Identifying Boundaries

Oluwafemi Awopegba, Logan Basarowich, Madison Bonnefoy, and Kiera Butterfield’s project “Identifying Boundaries,” worked to lessen the barriers of obtaining identification for newcomers.

Working with community organizations NEEDS Inc, SEED Winnipeg, and the Me-Dian Credit Union, the group focused on the MPI Identification Card and the Social Insurance Number card. They determined that the most impact could be made by reducing financial and language barriers to accessing these important IDs.

In their project summary, the team writes, “by listening to the communities, we were able to reduce the gaps of access and help newcomers in Winnipeg with their pursuit of a happy life.”

Together, they created a step-by-step guide of how to obtain these forms of ID and translated these guides from English into Tigrinya, Arabic, and Ukrainian with support from the Ethiopian Society of Winnipeg, Islamic Social Services Association Inc, and Ukrainian community members.

KidSport Storybank

Laura Effinger, Craig Hillier, and Faye Vaquilar completed a project with KidSport Manitoba to help increase fundraising and marketing efforts. They created a Manitoba KidSport storybank to collect impactful stories and testimonials to inspire and engage the community in fundraising and marketing matierals.

The team developed a blueprint for listening generously and capturing KidSport family stories. To help build this competency and resource, they emphasized strengthening connections with KidSport members and staff through engaging events and staying flexible with both phone and in-person interviews with stakeholders and community members.

Rising Together through Story

Halem Hrizai, Noor Imran, Tobi Olanipekun, and Kezia Wong worked on a community project called “Rising Together through Story.” This storytelling workshop, in partnership with Newcomer Employment and Educational Development Services (NEEDS), aimed to help NEEDS students feel empowered to share their backgrounds, connect with their peers, and deepen their sense of belonging.

The workshop comprised two interactive, art-based activities that asked students to share the story of their name and reflect on what makes them feel at home. To ensure this workshop could be offered by others in the future, the group prepared a manual for NEEDS that outlines activity instructions and further recommendations for facilitators.

Mission Possible

Kelly Laybolt, Briana Oliver, Erin Sinclair, and Tooba Razi devised a community project that aims to address food insecurity among older adults (55+) in Manitoba. They partnered with Norwest Co-op Community Health and created a comprehensive, accessible resource pamphlet that lists local food programs and services.

Laybolt explains that despite the simplicity of the solution, the impact and learning were significant for this project. “It is important to listen to the needs of your target group. Had we approached our stakeholder with a completed plan and remained married to that idea, our leadership project would have been ineffective,” he says.

Through meaningful conversation and reflection, the team executed on a clear, targeted project to help centralize information about food resources to community members in need.

Fantastic Four Community Cookbook

Jenel James, Sahil Lekhi, Ayushi Pattharwala, and Ariel Wilcox worked together to create a cookbook that showcases a diverse collection of healthy, affordable, and simple recipes, all contributed by members of Manitoba’s immigrant communities. In addition to recipes, the cookbook provides practical resources for newcomers, including tips on navigating local food marketing, understanding nutritional labels, and making sustainable food choices.

The group is excited to continue this culinary work with a cooking class in collaboration with the Immigrant Centre that features contributors from the book.

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Housed at the Asper School of Business, the James W. Burns Leadership Institute at UM has been shaping the next generation of leaders through this flagship program since 2019. Learn more about PSLP, Manitoba’s premier postsecondary leadership program, today.

Schaubroeck [MBA/17] was drawn to entrepreneurship during his time in the Asper MBA program, looking for a way to enact change. The unpredictable, always dynamic terrain of entrepreneurship has kept him solidly in this space as he moved from the launch and acquisition of his first venture, ioAirFlow, into his latest project.

Today, he is Principal and Founder of Leverage Point Consulting, where he works with start-ups and founders seeking to pursue business that has a positive impact on the world—fellow entrepreneurs with the drive not just to start a business but to do business differently. The role is a natural fit for Schaubroeck, a founder who thrives in the execution.

“I’m not necessarily the ideas person, but I can help turn other people’s ideas into reality because I can parse it through and ask the tough questions to figure out an execution plan,” he explains.

“I get to work with brilliant people—visionaries—who just might not know how to build a three-year financial projection, for instance. I also get the opportunity to ask them, what are we doing from an environmental or social lens? How are you considering your team and what company culture looks like for you? What values are you hoping to bring to this venture?”

While he emphasizes the brilliance of his clients and his current passion for enabling fellow entrepreneurs to succeed, Schaubroeck has logged some pretty impressive headlines himself.

Winnipeg Jets Whiteout Street Party media relations lead (for which he received the 2019 Canadian Public Relations Society Communicator of the Year award), a featured speaker at TEDxWinnipeg’s 2024 post-lockdown return, the youngest individual to run for provincial office in Manitoba, and the Co-Founder/CEO who launched and led ioAirFlow into a successful acquisition in 2022.

He describes the acquisition of the company as “a coda on a really exciting experience,” recounting how this software startup (focused on increasing energy efficiency in commercial buildings), all started in an MBA class.

Schaubroeck and classmates were instructed to come up with an idea and then take that idea to as many people as they could—high-level executives and decision-makers across sectors. Classmate Mandeep Saini [BSc/10, MBA/18] had an idea, a decentralized smart thermostat, that he and Schaubroeck started to shop around. Honouring the aforementioned NDAs, Schaubroeck can share one resounding piece of feedback they received: build it and come back to us.

Soon after, Schaubroeck and Saini were travelling to a conference in Hanover, Germany, with a prototype, which he refers to affectionately as a “just slightly more improved science project” at that stage. They pitched their prototype with the confidence befitting any successful entrepreneur (by necessity, as the device had blown a fuse in the hotel and was no longer functional).

“I think that’s one of the qualities of a good entrepreneur—that tenacity,” he quips.

But beyond learning more about different voltage requirements between North America and the EU, Schaubroeck felt again the pull of entrepreneurship in this pitch—what that tenacity can do and serve.

“You see something in the world that is not working the way it ought to be working, and you have the audacity to say, you know what, I’m going to fix this.”

And it’s the process of following that instinct, making the prototype, building something capable of making a change, that drives him today. The acquisition of ioAirFlow was big news, an impressive feather for an entrepreneur’s cap, but the years before that moment stand out to Schaubroeck.

“It was the journey to get there, to building something worth acquiring, that I think I’m most proud of,” he says.

The journey, the path of the entrepreneur, is not without its disappointments (blown fuses and the like), but it’s all part of having the audacity and tenacity to do something differently, to imagine business as regenerative, a way to leave things better than you found them.

“The path between that long-term vision and executing it is a long road filled with a lot of no’s and discouragement and late nights and all of those things,” says Schaubroeck.

“But if this is your path, and if you really are an entrepreneur, you’re going to love it all.”

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The Asper MBA program is designed to meet the market-driven needs of today’s industry professionals. With one of the most flexible and adaptable programs in Canada, the Asper MBA program is designed to help students build their leadership skills in any field. With functional and specializing concentrations in entrepreneurship and innovation, sustainability, and more, the Asper MBA program provides the opportunity for career transformation in any industry.

Interested in the tech? Check out Schaubroeck’s TEDxWinnipeg presentation on YouTube!

“I enjoy collecting souvenirs as keepsakes from my international exchange experiences. Throughout my degree, I have completed two international exchanges, which have enriched my International Business major,” says Mohamed.

With each new country she visits, Mohamed keeps train tickets, postcards, and keychains. When she gets back home, she arranges them carefully into a single scrapbook page, a glimpse of another Asper adventure.

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When you think about your Asper journey so far, what are the experiences that stand out?

HM: “I was always involved in Student-Action Groups (STAGs) at Asper, which can be a lot of work but so rewarding.

“I gained so many skills in such a short period of time—whether they be organizational skills like event planning, or communication skills from speaking with different partners and industry leaders.

“One of the most involved initiatives I got involved in was in my fourth year, when I rejoined the Commerce Students’ Association (CSA) as one of The Commerce Week (TCW) co-chairs. This involved multiple events, so we had to get many different permits and coordinate a lot of stakeholder engagement. That was really influential in terms of the skills and core competencies that I gained from that.”

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During her time at Asper, Mohamed has been a part of the CSA as a member of the First Year Council and TCW, VP of Academic Programming for the Asper International Management Society, Director of Finance for the World University Service of Canada, and VP of Corporate Relations for the University of Manitoba Supply Chain Organization, where today she is Director of Finance.

With all that involvement and busy-ness of student life, are there moments that you are particularly proud of? What are some of the moments that would make the scrapbook page?

HM: “My co-chair and I introduced the food truck event to TCW, which had not been part of the orientation week in previous years. We specifically wanted to do something that was not alcohol-centered. We know that many students don’t drink, and we wanted to create an event that was enjoyable but also a bit more inclusive.

“If I really had to zoom out and think about a moment… it would probably be during Commerce on the Quad, the last event of the week—I think it was a Friday. It was just really nice to see new Asper students having fun and making friends. We had a beach theme, so people were throwing beachballs in the air and having a good time. It was cool to see all that work we had put in all summer materialize into an actual event.”

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For as many moments as Mohamed can recount, she thinks of the people who have influenced her journey.

She mentions recruiters—Verna Kroeker and Kyle Lougheed—who inspired her move from Vancouver to Winnipeg to join UM, professors—Kelsey Taylor—who sparked her interest in supply chain management as a major, and former managers—Mai Gagujas and Krista Olafsson—whom she meets with monthly for mentorship check-ins, as well as Amber Pohl, Lead of International Experiential Programs at Asper.

“All of these interactions and moments, events and opportunities, they all kind of contribute to the bigger picture and help you along the way,” says Mohamed.

“One conversation can lead to learning something that you didn’t even know was possible or an opportunity that can change your life.”

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The award is given to an accomplished local thought leader who has directly – through business, professional, and/or community endeavours – made an outstanding impact on Manitoba.

Gail’s unwavering commitment to philanthropy – including her pivotal role in the creation of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – has ensured that Winnipeg is known across Canada as a locus of cultural significance.

“I am delighted to be joining the other community and business leaders who have received the IGNITE Award. Our family is proud of its long association with The Asper School of Business and are committed to supporting the students who will be the business and community leaders and IGNITE Award recipients of the future,” Asper said.

“Congratulations to Gail Asper on this fitting honour! With close ties to the school that bears her father’s name, Gail is truly an inspiration, setting a high standard by investing in community, supporting the youth of this Province with pathways to success at the I. H. Asper School of Business, and helping to fuel Manitoba’s economy through a world-class business education right here in Manitoba. What an excellent selection for the 2025 IGNITE Award!” said Dr. Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the Asper School of Business.

In addition to her passion for community philanthropy, Gail has been an enthusiastic champion of the arts. She has served on the board and as President of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre; as well as serving on the board – including as Chair – of the National Arts Centre
Foundation from 2013 – 2017.

“Gail Asper’s contributions to Winnipeg through community advocacy and leadership are nothing short of inspiring. With deep family ties to the Asper School of Business, she continues to champion values of education and progress, making her an excellent local thought leader to receive the IGNITE award.” said Connor Egan [BComm(Hons)/23], the IGNITE committee Chair.

Through fulfilling her father Izzy’s dream of establishing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, her distinguished legal career, and her efforts in enriching Winnipeg’s artistic communities – Gail has done her part to ensure that Winnipeg is one of Canada’s most vibrant cities. The Young Associates are excited to honour this legacy with IGNITE 2025.

“As a renowned philanthropist and corporate lawyer, Gail Asper is well-deserving of the 2025 IGNITE award. The Asper name represents business excellence, hard work, and community. Gail Asper has made her mark through leading the monumental project of fundraising for, and launching, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. I am excited for Asper students to benefit from her wisdom and inspiration at IGNITE 2025.” said Young Associates Chair Corinne Gusnoski [BComm(Hons)/17].

Asper joins previous IGNITE honourees Ash Modha [BA/98], President & CEO of Mondetta Clothing, in 2022; Dayna Spiring, past President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, in 2023; and Mark Chipman, Executive Chairman & Governor of the Board of Truth North Sports + Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club in 2024.

The IGNITE award dinner is an opportunity for the school and business community to welcome new-to-Asper students and encourage them to excel during and after obtaining their degrees. Tickets for members of the Associates, Young Associates, and new-to-Asper students are
complimentary.

IGNITE 2025 will take place on September 17, 2025, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Young Associates are up-and-coming leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs dedicated to building a thriving and dynamic business community in Manitoba. Comprised of 210 rising stars of the business world, the Young Associates have been making an impact since 1993.

The Young Associates are committed to their three pillars of Learning, Connecting, and Giving Back. All three of these are accomplished through their strong involvement with the I.H. Asper School of Business, where the Young Associates contribute through classroom presentations, mentorship, and facility upgrades

Sholeth Art and Seduta Art

Photo by @wdyd.series

When building on art collection, you can start small—or as our first gift guide star might say, tiny. An artist, entrepreneur, and Asper alum, Sholeth Choquette [BComm(Hons)/22] creates tiny art, capturing miny moments of calm and ambiance using a mix of oil, alcohol marker, and linocut prints, and presenting them in ornate vintage frames. These pieces and other stationary are available from Sholeth Art.

You can also find her work at Seduta Art, co-owned with fellow Asper alum and business partner Paul Sogeke [BComm(Hons)/19]. While Seduta is stocked online, Sholeth recommends a visit to the Exchange District location itself, where shoppers can peruse arts, crafts, and stationary supplies—testing the feel of sketchbooks and finding their next favourite fountain pen.

“My vision is to bring joy and creativity into people’s lives through unique and thoughtfully designed stationery, artwork, and art supplies,” she says.

Give the gift of making and art this year and follow along for market appearances and new products on Instagram (@sholeth.art) and (@seduta.art), the online storefronts Sholeth Art and Sholeth Art, or by visiting in-person at 91 Arthur Street.

Miranda Dawn Bakes

Precision and indulgence come to mind looking at a box of Miranda Dawn Bakes treats or one of her sculptural cakes. Offering cookies, macarons, cake pops and more, Miranda Harder whips up perfect personalized gifts for the sweet tooth on your shopping list this holiday season (and all year!).

An Asper marketing student, Harder didn’t initially plan to start a business, but since she began selling eight years ago, she slowly branched out to take on more custom orders and sell at local markets.

Shoppers who suddenly feel hungry after reading the phrase “double chocolate mocha drip cake,” can find Harder’s baking on Instagram (@mirandadawnbakeswpg) and Miranda Dawn Bakes.

Ethereal Stones

If you’re looking for something with a little more sparkle, look no further than Ethereal Stones. From polished rose quartz bracelets and romantic goldstone heart-shaped earrings to dramatic onix necklaces, creator and founder Paula Robles offers bold, expressive, and of course, ethereal handmade jewelry.

When Robles isn’t crafting unique and colourful pieces, she is keeping up with her studies in pursuit of a BComm at Asper. “My dream has always been to make my business grow and make is a recognized brand one day,” she says.

Get a little ethereal this holiday season and find Robles’ handcrafted work on Instagram (@ethereal_stones_) and at UM through the Students Organized Market Initiative (@uofm.somi).

Kingdom Cards

Why not give 52 pieces of art (and a couple of jokers) this holiday season? With Kingdom Cards, you can choose from over 350 different decks of unique and original playing cards—from your favourite franchises and cinematic universes to meticulously crafted illustrated sets.

Run by Asper BComm student Anthony Theriault, Kingdom Cards offers products that are beautiful to look at and perfect for your next game of cribbage, rummy, or even Go Fish. They’re also a favourite among magicians (Theriault would know as a practitioner himself), and sure to be a memorable gift for everyone on your shopping list.

Deck the halls with a deck of cards (and grab one for yourself) by shopping at Kingdom Cards and follow along on Instagram (@kingdomplayingcards) to keep up with new releases and upcoming pop-ups.

oxokat

Wear your personality on your wall, backpack, laptop, water bottle, favourite notebook, and more with oxokat’s adorable illustrated stickers, keychains, embroidery, and prints. A project from Asper BComm student Katherine Bardelas, oxokat specializes in the cute and cartoony.

Bardelas primarily sells at markets at the university, working with UM SOMI, and popping up with a pastel booth of tiny treasures. Living out her dream of selling her creations, Bardelas hopes to open an online storefront next year, all while she pursues her ambitions of becoming an actuary.

In the meantime, shoppers can find oxokat on Instagram (@oxokat) to see her latest illustrations, products, and market dates!

Boligrafo Bonito

For the writers and diligent notetakers in your life, check out Boligrafo Bonito’s handcrafted wood pens. You can find BComm student Jamie O’Neill [BA/24] dusting off oak, elm, and cherry wood chips as she works in the fabrication lab, turning wood and crafting unique ballpoint pens perfect for everything from your most pressing correspondence to your everyday writing needs.

Boligrafo Bonito uses sustainably sourced wood to create shapes that are comfortable in the hand and beautiful to look at, offering a spectrum of warm tones that show the organic wood grain.

Whether you need a gift for the difficult-to-buy-for friend or you need a pen to write down your shopping list, check out Boligrafo Bonito on Instagram (@boligrafobonito) and at the North Forge Makers Market (@northforgemb).

Asper School of Business students and alumni bring bold ideas to life every day, whether in the classroom or the marketplace. Be part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders. Learn more about Asper programs of study today!

Browse the Asper Gift Guide archive for even more gift ideas!

“I wouldn’t say necessarily that … all brick-and-mortar store closures are terrible,” said Divya Ramachandran, a University of Manitoba marketing professor. “I would rather have the business continue, even if it’s just continuing online.”

Ramachandran teaches mostly Gen Z students. Many prefer shopping on the internet. Some eyeball goods in store before returning home to check if it’s cheaper online.

To read the entire story, please visit The Winnipeg Free Press. 

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.

VIBE is hosted by Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), a unit at the Asper School of Business dedicated to offering a welcoming community and academic services to Indigenous students as they explore their leadership potential in the world of business.

The 2024 VIBE Awards are on November 14, 2024, celebrating this year’s recipients: Emilie McKinney, founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo, and Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc.

This prestigious annual event combines celebration, networking, and philanthropy and will highlight the incredible contributions of VIBE Award recipients McKinney and Vincent, who have each led with ingenuity, passion and a vision that goes far beyond their respective industries. Says IBEP director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19],

“everyone can find inspiration from the stories of resilience, courage and dedication of our award recipients.”

2024 VIBE Award Winner – Anishinaabe Bimishimo

2024 VIBE Award recipient Emilie McKinney

Emilie McKinney’s entrepreneurial journey began when she learned that her go-to jingle cone supplier in Swan Lake First Nation no longer offered jingles, the ornamental metal cones sewn into traditional jingle dresses.

Alongside her mother, Natalie Foidart, McKinney founded Anishinaabe Bimishimo in 2017, which has since grown into North America’s largest jingle cone manufacturing company.

With over one hundred retailers across the continent, Anishinaabe Bimishimo has thrived thanks to the care that McKinney brings to her work—hand-rolling jingles in the brand’s early days, securing custom machinery to meet demand and working with steel and paint manufacturers to produce unique, high-quality jingles in Manitoba.

McKinney has written about how the jingle dress represents healing. “The jingle cones are meant to hit each other to awaken the creator so that prayers and healing can be heard,” she wrote in 2019. She has developed special coloured cones that promote awareness and community healing, creating red cones in honour of MMIWG2S and turquoise cones to recognize the impacts of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities.

McKinney is also a member of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization Youth Council, working to promote awareness about water treatment and water-related issues in Manitoba. In addition to the 2024 VIBE Award, McKinney is the recipient of the 2018 Youth Entrepreneur of the Year by Start Up Canada, 2022 Top 6 Bear’s Lair Business Pitch Competition on APTN and the 2024 NACCA Youth Entrepreneur Award of Excellence.

2024 VIBE Award Winner – Vincent Design Inc.

2024 VIBE Award recipient Shaun Vincent

Founder of Vincent Design Inc., Shaun Vincent is an artist, graphic designer and entrepreneur who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent.

Working in the design industry, Vincent saw the need for representational design and struck out on his own to build a branding and marketing firm focused on promoting Indigenous communities, organizations, and companies. Today, Vincent Design Inc. has grown to a team of close to 40, serving clients from Manitoba to California.

Vincent has designed hundreds of logos, specializing in those that require a deep understanding and sensitivity to the people and stories they represent, including the Survivors’ Flag, a design created for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in honour of residential school Survivors. The Flag was introduced during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation federal holiday in 2021 and raised at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

He has worked with organizations across Canada, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization on branding and marketing around their acquisition of the historical, flagship Hudson Bay Building, branding and web presence and for Indspire, and branding and layout for Canadian Geography on the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.

As an entrepreneur and business leader, Vincent also invests in a future where more Indigenous artists and designers can pursue their dreams. The Vincent Design Scholarship Program awards up to two scholarships each semester to Indigenous youth pursuing college or university studies in graphic design and fine arts in Canada.

Investing in future Indigenous business leaders

IBEP Director Riley Proulx emphasizes the unmatched student experience of the VIBE Awards.

IBEP Director Riley Proulx

“Every year, we hear from our students how much they look forward to attending the next VIBE Awards. Our students notice the organizations and leaders who back up their commitments to Reconciliation by supporting Indigenous programs like IBEP, and these are often the first places our students look when considering career opportunities,” he says.

More than an opportunity to inspire future business leaders and connect Asper School of Business students with the business community, the VIBE Awards also directly benefit Indigenous students pursuing business at Asper. Each year, 100% of event proceeds go toward scholarships, bursaries, academic support, and more for IBEP members.

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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. The annual VIBE Awards Gala is IBEP’s largest fundraising event for these services Learn more about 2024 VIBE Awards sponsorship opportunities and IBEP’s services for Indigenous business students here.