AMOGH RAO
I work as a solution developer at a people analytics SaaS company. I've had pretty broad and deep exposure to all things people, business and analytics with experiences all the way from people analytics data science and research roles to HR consulting and strategy. My day-to-day is a combination of technical consulting, architecture and design of all kinds of different analytics products and solutions. I also play the drums for a couple of UBC bands in my down time.
1. I love playing the drums and doing sessions/live gigs for musicians.
2. I'm super into video games, mostly AAA but also casual stuff to wind down to.
3. I almost always respond immediately regardless of time, unless I'm away from slack or mail. Don't ever hesitate to text!
4. I absolutely love my job and domain, in fact I enjoy working during my down time as well cause its just so much fun.
5. I'm not wildly outdoors-y but I love a good hike on a nice day.
6. I've known what I'm passionate about ever since early undergrad. I've spent over half a decade thinking about this stuff and building a career around it. So if you're trying to find your way, I'd love to help!
7. I enjoy cooking quite a bit, so I'm always down to whip something up.
TREVOR LORD
I am an alumnus of Sauder (MBA 2006) and an instructor in Computing at BCIT. I teach students about business skills in technology-related roles based on over 16 years in industry. A lot of my professional career was with SAP in post-merger integration. For me, that meant helping to move acquired company systems, processes, data, and people into SAP information systems. Recently, I had an opportunity to work with Microsoft for a year in a customer-facing team working with customers in education.I am basically a Vancouver guy and I live here with my wife and two teenaged kids. Like many people who live here I wasn’t born in Vancouver, but I have lived here for a very, very long time. I love travel and live music, cycling, snowboarding, hiking, and camping.
1. I lived in London - the one in the UK - for two great years
2. I have been in King Tut’s tomb in Egypt
3. My favourite place in the world is anywhere in Hawaii
4. I got married in Las Vegas, but Elvis did not officiate
5. My preferred contact method is email
6. My professional passion is to help demystify parts of the corporate world for students
7. I am building a project management course that uses Minecraft
AMIT ARORA
Hello Everyone. My name is Amit Arora. I currently work as a full time project manager with TELUS and manage capital infrastructure projects. I have been into project management for last 8 years now in various projects. Prior to my MBA at UBC I was an engineer in Telecom industry. I can guide my mentee steer through his/her career path and school challenges. I my free time I love to play tennis, go for swimming in fresh water lakes (BC has so many) or just read my favourite book. The Synchronicity Key by David Wilcock is one of my all time favourites.
1. I love anything outdoors. Hiking, walk by the beach, camping and road-trips interest me
2. I can write from both hands.
3. I am a part time Realtor along with my full time job.
4. I love playing tennis and swimming.
5. I am honest and direct in my conversation.
6. I am outgoing and I like meeting new people in person. I think in mentor/mentee relationship we all learn.
7. Currently I am learning Spanish.
8. I am full of new business ideas.
HARI MAHADEVAN
My name is Hari. I moved to Canada 3 years ago to do my MBA at UBC and have been working in the tech sector here. Before moving, I used to work in media & entertainment, back home in India, producing festivals and digital content for platforms like Netflix and Amazon. After the MBA, I worked as the Marketing and Financial lead at a Marketing Tech startup in Vancouver and I currently work as Manager, Supply Operations at Toptal. In my free time, you’ll probably catch me practicing the drums, listening to records, volunteering or watching Manchester United.
1. I can talk endlessly about music and concerts. I loved working in that space and I'm incredibly passionate about all things music.
2. I'm a huge sports fan too. On the weekends, you'll find me at the local Manchester United supporters club watching games or watching the F1 races.
3. I place huge importance on being on time. To me, it is a reflection of the amount of respect you have for the other person. Life happens sometimes and that's absolutely fair, but I will do everything I can to be on time for anything we have scheduled.
4. I'm a big fan of constructive feedback. If there is anything I can do better to help you, please feel free to bring it up and I will be sure to adapt and do the same (as long as you express the same respectfully)
RAHUL RAO
Experienced entrepreneur, passion for learning and technology. Vancouver Canucks fan, Dallas Cowboys fan, strategy-game enthusiast.
1. I was born in Hong Kong 🇭🇰
2. I had a bunny named Floppy for 9 years (whileI was at UBC Sauder) 🐰
3. I’ve traveled to more than 50 countries ✈️
4. Built and operated businesses in India 🇮🇳
5. Currently fantasy football champion in my home league 🏆
6. Magic the Gathering collector and player 🎴 🎲
7. Enjoying Warriors championship summer 🏀
8. Currently watching House of the Dragon 🐉 📺
ANSEL HARTANTO
I am a BUCS 2021 graduate currently working as a software engineer for a US-based sports betting startup called Wagr. Previously I was a software engineer for a background check SaaS company called Certn. I live in Toronto with my partner and our cat named Fred. In my spare time, I play intramural dodgeball and pickleball, as well as trying out food places. Happy to give insight on the world of software engineering in medium and startup type companies, or about settling into life after graduation!
1) Got a ginger cat named Fred, super cuddly boy
2) loves very spicy food
3) Currently based in Toronto after moving post-grad
4) Text, Messenger, or WhatsApp good ways to contact me
5) Looking for a mentee that is interested in software engineering as a career
6) looking for a mentee that is not afraid to ask lots of questions (I’m an open book!)
Ash Esmaeili
Ash obtained his BSc in Computer science in 2009 and joined the Artificial Intelligence lab at the University of Calgary where he obtained his MSc in Computer Science in 2012. Ash joined a world-class research lab at the University of Calgary and led a team of developers and managed the future direction of research, developing and recommending technologies. He was directly involved in developing technologies on multiple projects in artificial intelligence in areas such as computational media design, architecture and bioinformatics. Ash published numerous articles in highly ranked international journals and conferences as it related to agent based systems, evolutionary algorithms and other disciplines.Ash is fascinated with data visualization, artificial intelligence and crypto. He is always the guy who tries the new things including unstable beta Softwares! Ash joined a tech start-up in 2012 as a AI Developer where he worked on a recommendation system. Later in 2013, Ash co-founded Aimsio.Ash focuses on motivation, scalability and nurturing at Aimsio. He is also accountable for Aimsio's growth and ultimate success.
Dustin Tysick
Hey I'm Dustin! I'm currently the VP of Revenue at Testimonial Hero. We're a video production and strategy company that makes testimonial videos for B2B SaaS companies like HubSpot, Meta, Salesforce, Google, and hundreds of others. In my current role I manage the sales, marketing, and customer success teams.Before working at Testimonial Hero I spent a bit of time at Govenda, a Board Management Platform, building out their marketing team. Prior to that I spent 6.5 years at Jostle, an Employee Success Platform, and built their marketing team from just me to a team of 7.I've also spent time in sales and sales management, launching my own small e-commerce business, and a bit of time as a business analyst so I've done a bit of most things.
1. I'm honest, direct, and pretty casual. I'm here to help and have open conversations with you about any questions that you have.
2. I'm a big hockey fan. Growing up in Vancouver I cheer for the Canucks but it's been a rough go the past few years.
3. I trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for about 7 years. I haven't done it much the past couple of years though after having kids.
4. Always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. I know we'll have scheduled times \smaller companies (start-ups and series A).
Dariya Chzhan
Dariya is an Implementation Consultant with expertise in providing services and solutions to organizations to meet their goals and objectives in the field of utilities. She has a track record of establishing credibility and trust among clients and teams to achieve exceptional results. Dariya is skilled at finding and fitting the best technical solution to customer challenges.I enjoy helping people in their professional and personal development journeys while building meaningful relationships throughout the process. In particular, resume, CL, and mock interview practices have become a common part of the process.
1. I love taking my cat Mako on "dog walks" at least once a day!
2. I am a fan of all meditation and self-development practices. I also love reading lots of psychology and philosophy related books.
3. Helping friends and mentees with business Resume, CV, mock Interviews is my specialty.
4. I am open to meet both virtually and in-person with safe practices:)
5. I can speak Russian, Mandarin, and English - just in case you'd want to communicate in another language.
6. Never hesitate to reach out! Don't be afraid to
Jerry Jim
I have been in the IT profession for over 30 years and nearly all in the Financial Services sector. Currently, I am the VP, Enterprise IT at Central 1 Credit Union and I have been involved in this biztech mentor program for about 6 years. I enjoy the program and am still in contact with some of my past mentees who have established careers at organizations such as Microsoft and Accenture. I am past Alumni in what is known as the BUCS program today and I also lecture part time in the Computer Science faculty.
1. I tend to be a detailed person.
2. I love diversity at work from attending a staff meeting with my team, then a budget meeting, then an architectural meeting, then specific project meeting, Production incident etc.
3. I don't think there is enough women in IT and hurts the industry as there is less gender diversity.
4. I enjoy skiing
5. I prefer to be contacted via email.
6. I also mentor in the computer science department and currently have 2 BUCS students as my mentees.
7. I believe in hard work and being smart is just table stakes.
8. I am also a AMS industry advisor.
Lucas Lemanowicz
I graduated from the BUCS program in 2011. Currently in NYC as a software engineer at Levro (founded by a UBC alum!) where I’m working on improving global business banking. Previously spent 10 years at Palantir working on projects ranging from fraud prevention, to fiber optics sensor processing, to aircraft routing. I like building things, and occasionally participate in hackathons.
1. I grew up in Vancouver, graduated from the BUCS program in 2011, and currently living in NYC.
2. Easiest way to reach me is by email / text / Messenger / Slack. I have LinkedIn notifications turned off on my phone
.3. Interested in startups & startup ideas (both serious ones and joke ones)
4. I enjoy building things, and will occasionally participate in hackathons.
5. Relevant technical experience: Java, Python (incl. Pandas), Javascript, Typescript, React, Redux, SQL, Spark
6. I like traveling off the beaten path, and going on long road trips.
7. I also like drinking tea and making my own iced tea.
8. If I don't respond to an email, please follow up. Don't feel bad about it.
Derek Ng
Currently a software engineer at Tableau with an interest in real estate. I spent most of my life in Vancouver before moving down to Seattle 6 years ago to start my tech career at Microsoft and later HBO. My mentees can expect candid conversations about growing your career in the tech industry and investing in yourself personally and financially. On weekends, I enjoy spending time with friends and family and hitting the slopes!
1. I'm honest, direct, and pretty casual. I'm here to help and have open conversations with you about any questions that you have.
2. I'm a big hockey fan. Growing up in Vancouver I cheer for the Canucks but it's been a rough go the past few years.
3. I trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for about 7 years. I haven't done it much the past couple of years though after having kids.
4. Always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. I know we'll have scheduled times to chat but sometimes it's best to just get an idea, thought, or question out there while it's fresh.
5. I've spent most of my career working with smaller companies (start-ups and series A).
Emily Chee
Currently a Senior Manager in the KPMG Risk Consulting practice specializing in Data Analytics, Fraud Investigations, and IT Audits. I'm happy to chat with mentees about career goals, life goals, or any other topics they would like. My hobbies are baking and reading.
1. I like baking and challenge myself to make healthy substitutions where I can.
2. I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction, so will most likely always have a book or two on the go.
3. I am an avid gamer and am interested in most type of games.
4. I enjoy watching stand-up, sci-fi shows, and a myriad of other shows on streaming platforms.
5. I have been coaching JDC MIS for a number of years but on behalf of SFU.
6. I encourage mentees to make the most of the mentoring relationship. It can be as formal or as informal as they want it to be. I've even had some of mentees become close friends over the years and been the MC for their wedding.
7. I am a lover of all things taro, matcha, and coffee-flavoured, but I don't drink coffee.
8. I am originally from Taiwan, so if you ever need recommendations on what to do there should you visit, let me know!
Allen Funston
Allen is Professional Engineer, management consultant, and business leader turned full-time dad to three and Founder of Sentient Future Consulting Inc.Allen has saved individuals and organizations 296.2 years and $4.7B NPV by helping them define, weight, and apply what they value, to empower fulfilling, regret-proof decisions.
1. The ONLY thing I care about is saving you time
2. I have scheduled and tracked 100% of my time and attention (24/7/365) for 5 years so far
3. I've already lived a "Fully-Given Life" and could die happy tomorrow
4. I'm an open book - you can ask/discuss any topic in confidence
5. I've suffered from depression before and aim to de-stigmatize it
6. I feel 95.5% fulfilled now. Yes, you can measure it!
7. I am decoding life -
http://link.sentientfuture.earth/TheoryDaphne Tse
I am currently an Operations Manager for the Customer Success department at Trulioo. I manage a team of six that works to strategically identify and solve operational weaknesses in order to effectively help the team in delivering a world-class customer onboarding experience that builds trust and sets up long-term revenue growth. Previously, I was a tech consultant at Deloitte and Product Marketing specialist at SAP. At UBC, I graduated with a BTM degree, while leading the CUS as President and have been a part of BizTech since 2017. Outside of work, I'm an avid reader (21 books this year, 100 books in 2020-2021) and am a big fan of cats.
1. I love reading! As of August 25, I've read 31 books so far this year. I enjoy books of all genres, but generally avoid business self-help books as I think most of these books are better off as lists or short blogs. Two of my favourite books that I read just this year are 1) Convenience Store Woman and 2) How We Get Free. My Goodreads is here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/67673372-daphne
2. Currently I'm spending my time in Vancouver, and my schedule is relatively open. Please feel free to contact me through email or Linkedin -- whatever you prefer. If we're meeting, I'd love for you to email me a calendar invite just so we both have it on our schedules :)
Phil Cawdery
I am a Senior Customer Value Architect with Celonis and have 13+ years experience in management consulting, IT transformation and digitization. My previous experience includes leading the automation practice at Coast Capital Savings, working at KPMG as a Senior Consultant in IT strategy and as a Business Analyst Lead at HSBC. I am passionate about helping young professionals shape their dream business technology consulting careers. I love to travel and work on my Spanish having lived previously in Costa Rica (MBA exchange) and Colombia.
1. I always have a book on the go. Right now I'm reading Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford. I am always happy to give and receive book recommendations.
2. My career path has been circuitous but rewarding. I graduated with a BA in Political Science and started my career in marketing which evolved into business technology consulting after my MBA.
3. I am Canada's #1 Jacksonville Jaguars fan.
4. I love documentaries and docuseries. I haven't watched one in a while so I am in search of recommendations.
5. My favourite colour is purple.
Shiner Yang
Shiner’s interest in data and its applications within businesses started during his undergraduate studies. He had pursued a degree in Statistics initially during his first year of university because he believed big data is the future and knowing statistics would be integral. As time went on, he begin to realize while understanding of data is valuable, it would become invaluable when combined with a keen understanding of its business applications. It was then he expanded his degree to include Economics and Commerce to broaden his knowledge of the world. It is not until the end of his fourth year undergraduate studies he begin embarking on his 20 month long Co-operative education journey. During this time, Shiner had worked in various positions applying statistics & machine learning techniques for a wide ranging set of industries within the private and public sectors. The accumulation of experiences with creating data driven solution lead Shiner to work for a real estate company developing housing price models post graduation and cybersecurity solutions for a financial technology firm. On his spare time, he enjoys hiking around BC, going on food adventures, taking a dive swimming, and playing various videos games just to name a few.
Albert Cherng
Hello! I am a recent BTM graduate and this is my 4th time being part of the BizTech Tri-Mentorship Program. I always enjoy coming back to the program because I learn something new every time.I'm currently waiting to start a new role in technology consulting. For the past few years, I've dedicated my time to explore various roles in very different organizations (size, culture, product type). I??ve had the pleasure of working in industries ranging from High Tech to Education. You can visit my Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/acherng/) for a list of places I've worked at.You can talk to me about anything! I.e. choosing a specialization, career paths as a non-technical student, making the most out of your University career.
1) I am a huge car guy! I love everything car related. Lately I've been thinking about converting a 4x4 into an off-road camper car.
2) I enjoy endurance sports. I recently picked up cycling and I've been loving it so far.
3) I ran a non-profit for 7 years teaching 2500+ seniors how to use consumer technology. My favourite part is helping seniors connect with their close family via video chat.
4) I really enjoy cooking. Lately I've been really into kitchen tools.
Ken Yeung
More than 10+ years in project management, business analysis and QA. Experienced in both waterfall and agile/Scrum way of product delivery. Currently as an IT consultant with clients from Crown Corps.
1. Love pet
2. Love milk tea too much
3. Love to share honest feedback to others
4. Love to hear honest feedback from others
5. Love to recognize my own mistakes
6. Love to help others
7. Love to be helped as well!