In Query

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss windsurfing, engineering and autonomous vehicles with David Hayes. David is the CEO and founder of AVO, the autonomous vehicle organization, a Toronto-based startup. AVO is building the world's first fully connected and autonomous construction site. David competed in the world cup in the Olympic windsurfing discipline for 8 years, he placed top 5 at the Miami World Cup and won a world championship in 2005. Additionally, he built an international team of elite athletes, trainers, and coaches who pushed the limits for sports science and performance on the water. Currently based in Toronto, David and his team at AVO are building a truly innovative technology company with a focus on the autonomous vehicle industry, specifically in the vehicle-to-pedestrian segment. AVO intends to increase security and safety within the industry by developing reliable, intuitive, and scalable V2P technology.

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This episode is part of our new #TechFromSquareOne focus series where we interview people from various startups around the country. 

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David's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-k-hayes/

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

AVO - Autonomous Vehicle Organization

2:40 - About the company

4:21 - What was the first thing that got you interested in technology?

5:56 - Out of everything you have done, what interests you the most?

University at Queens

7:05 - Experience at Queens University

14:29 - How did windsurfing and being an engineer affect your career?

18:34 - Where did you head after graduation?

Career

24:10 - Where did you head after working for Cisco?

31:30 - What were some initial failures you faced when starting AVO?

35:57 - How did you find others who were interested in autonomous vehicles?

38:17 - Where are you now with AVO?

41:09 - How did the pandemic impact AVO?

45:40 - What is it like in the autonomous vehicle industry?

47:55 - Any other trends in the technology industry?

50:02 - What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

52:59 - Any advice for upcoming entrepreneurs who are looking to start in the tech space?

54:21 - Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss the CS program at UCLA with Bill Liu. Bill is a 3rd-year Computer Science student at the University of California, Los Angeles. Last summer, Bill was a Software Engineering Intern at Facebook, where he worked on Facebook for iOS, and Bill is currently taking a quarter off school to return to Facebook, where he’s currently working on Instagram for iOS. He will also be working as a Software Engineering Intern at TikTok this upcoming summer. Outside of school and work, Bill enjoys painting, fencing, and playing chess.

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This episode is part of our #TechAfterHighSchool focus series where we showcase different tech programs from around the country. 

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Bill's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-liu-profile/

Leetcode: https://leetcode.com/

Facebook University: https://www.facebook.com/careers/students-and-grads/students

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree and Life 

2:27 - Why did you decide to make the switch to computer science?

6:08 - Are you still looking to go to law school after CS?

6:35 - How can you transfer programs at UCLA?

8:12 - How would you describe the application process as an international student?

9:27 - How were the SATs, ACTs for you and any advice for students?

11:00 - What are the grades that are needed to have a competitive application?

12:28 - Were there any supplementals that helped your application aside from grades?

13:12 - What was the biggest benefit from the IB program?

Would you have any advice for students who are applying to a university abroad?

18:06 - How was your experience at UCLA so far?

20:20 - How would you compare American college life to a Canadian university?

Career 

21:45 - How did you get interested in tech?

24:42 - What kind of projects do you enjoy taking on?

28:06 - Are you more interested in a particular sector of the tech industry?

Internships

31:55 - Could you tell us about some of your past internships?

37:01 - How would you describe a typical day for an intern?

41:03 - Which past project did you enjoy the most?

42:09 - Do you have advice for students looking to secure a tech internship?

Day to Day as a Product Manager

47:23 - What are some activities outside of school that you enjoy doing?

50:06 - What is a piece of advice that you would give to aspiring youth looking to go into the tech industry?

52:26 -  Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss business, technology, and becoming a CTO with Nastaran Bisheban. Nastaran is a passionate, energetic and seasoned Technology leader. A software engineer and computer scientist by education, a certified Project Manager that holds an MBA in Leadership with Honors and Distinction from the University of Liverpool. A public speaker on various disciplines of technology strategy with a Harvard Business School executive leadership program training to round it all.

Challenges status quo and conventional practices, a risk-taker and an alert decision-maker with a proven “Make It Happen” and “keep all happy” personality.

With multiple computer software and project management publications, she is a strategic mentor on various non-profit organizations and is the former Chair of Canadian Women in Technology South Western Ontario

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Nastaran's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nastaranb/

1Q84 (Book): https://www.amazon.ca/1Q84-Haruki-Murakami/dp/0385678029

Connectome (Book): https://www.amazon.ca/Connectome-How-Brains-Wiring-Makes/dp/0547678592

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

7:20 - What got you into technology?

Career as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) 

15:32 - What were some of the struggles you faced?

19:38 - What does your job entail?

22:33 - Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome?

Women in Tech

24:48 - What are some of the initiatives you are in?

28:31 - What is the best way to get a young woman into tech?

31:05 - Do you have any tips on how to hone your skills?

35:56 - Where do you see the future of tech going?

38:06 - What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

40:03 - Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss product management, conquering self-doubt and thoughtfully shaping your career with Amy Zhou. Amy is a Senior Associate in Capital One’s Process Manager Development Program. Amy (who graduated from Queen’s Commerce in 2019) leads the digital channels product roadmap for the Hudson’s Bay Canada Partnership. In human talk, that means she manages the online banking and digital alerts products and she spends her days championing the best possible user experience on her products.

Outside of work, Amy is an adventurer by nature and she’s travelled to & studied in 20+ countries across Europe, Asia and Africa, (though these days she’s staying safely at home wondering whether her passport feels lonely). She loves to continuously grow and help others in their development journeys so you’ll often find her trying new things (most recently, calligraphy) and working with her mentees and buddies. 

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Amy's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyzhou4/

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree 

3:20 - As you started out pursuing a business degree, what made you change your mind to transition towards a math degree?

4:40 - When did you first become interested in tech? 

5:54 - With tech in mind, did you try to participate in any tech-related clubs or activities in university?

7:56 - What is the impact that your commerce degree had on your career right now?

Career - Product Management 

 - When and how did you decide to pursue product management?

10:20 - As a product manager, how do you decide on which features to prioritize?

13:50 - How long does a new feature usually take, from brainstorming to integration?

15:49 - Agile vs waterfall methodology 

17:15 - As time goes on, users will want change so how do product managers stay on top of the changes?

19:00 - What do you think is the most efficient way to gather the users’ opinions?

21:16 - What are some traits that a good Product Manager should have?

25:00- How important is having technical knowledge for product management?

Day to Day as a Product Manager

25:56 - Did coming from a business background help you?

27:40 - What are some technical skills that you think are the most critical for your role?

29:40 - What are some struggles you faced throughout your career?

32:33 - Imposter Syndrome 

37:20 - Are product managers the CEO of their project?

40:40 - What is the favourite feature/project you have rolled out so far?

47:20 - What is your favourite part of the workday?

52:19 - What are some trends that are happening in the Project Management industry?

57:16 - Did you enjoy any aspects of working from home?

59:55 - Do you have any further advice for students looking to go into product management?

1:06:24 - Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss management, IT and cybersecurity with Chris Whalen. Chris is an experienced technology professional with a passion for cybersecurity and is currently the Director of IT and Cybersecurity at Solace, a Canadian high-tech company. His experience includes leading various cybersecurity programs, mentoring colleagues, performing deep technical analysis, and adopting new technologies that have consistently been proven a success.

Chris has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Ottawa and is involved in recreational hockey both as a player and a coach.

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Chris's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriswhalen7/

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

2:00 - How did you first become interested in the field? 

University Degree 

10:02 - Why did you choose math over all the other stem programs available in university?

13:46 - What was the impact of a math degree on your career?

14:56 - Would you recommend someone interested in a role in IT to take on a math degree?

15:46 - Where did you head after graduating from university?

Career

17:53 - Did you ever consider going into video game creation?

19:38 - What were some struggles you faced throughout your career?

24:56 - Why did you choose to transition into leadership and managing roles as to software?

28:41 - What are some skills that are crucial to be successful in the tech industry?

32:08 - Why did you get interested in cybersecurity?

34:06 - What was the biggest change in the cybersecurity industry since you started?

Day to Day as the Director of Cyber Security

38:50 - How would you describe the day-to-day of a director of cybersecurity?

39:43 - What is the most rewarding part of your job?

40:36 - What advice would you give to a student that is looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity?

45:19 - What do you think is the next big thing for the technology industry?

47:00 - Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss software development, engineering, and leadership development. Ania Halliop is a technical senior leader with expertise in driving engineering and data strategy and organizational change. Recently she has been working as a senior Engineering Manager at Uber ATG R&D Engineering, leading teams for the productization of deep-learning algorithms for self-driving vehicles. Prior to that, she was a Senior Director of Engineering at FreshBooks where she led data engineering and infrastructure. A graduate of Queen’s University, Ania has been working in software for almost 20 years, first as a software developer and then as a technical leader. Throughout her career, Ania has made contributions to networking, security, and web development, and has helped develop new leaders, grow software development teams, and drive technical and organizational change at companies such as Siemens, Blackberry, and FreshBooks. Over the past 5 years, Ania has been involved in the Toronto tech scene to provide opportunities and mentorship to new speakers with the goal of encouraging more women to speak at technical events and conferences.

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Ania's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ania-halliop/

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree 

6:24 - Which program did you end up in?

8:40 - What impact did your program have on your career?

11:43 - Where did you head after graduation?

Career

14:56 - What were some of the biggest struggles you have faced in your career?

18:25 - From software to management, what was your transition like?

22:31 - What is the biggest difference between a software developer and a manager?

24:38 - To get into a manager role, would you have to start as a software developer?

26:54 - On the software side, what are skills that would be required to be successful?

29:35 - How easy would it be to switch roles in the tech industry?

32:10 - How could you display your adaptability on a resume?

34:34 - As a student, how would you find which area you are more inclined to work in (frontend/backend)?

Students

37:05 - Do you have any advice for students that are looking to go into university?

38:24 - Do you have advice for students who are looking to find their first co-op position?

40:40 - What are some things a high school student can do from an early age to test out the tech industry? 

Day to Day as a Senior Developer

48:48 - What is the main difference between a junior and a senior developer, how do you transition?

50:48 - What is your day-to-day as a senior leader?

54:48 - Do you have any general advice for students who are looking to pursue a career in the tech industry?

56:27 - Do you have any advice for people who are looking for mentors?

57:30 - What would you say is the most rewarding part of your job?

59:31 - Outro & Ending Remarks

In this episode of the In Query, we discuss project management, failure and, making an impact with Sana Abou-Shaaban. Sana is currently an IT Project Manager for the Federal Government of Canada and strives for diversity and inclusion for Women in Tech. For many years, Sana has been recognized for her initiatives, extensive volunteering and extracurricular work, and her passion for making a difference in society. She is the co-founder of the very first Woman in Tech/IT network at her department, the Secretary for North America Board of ComSoc, the Treasurer of IEEE Ottawa Section, a director of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, and a board member of many other engineering associations and organizations. In her spare time, she also teaches coding for girls that come from underserved families and mentors girls in Technovations – where they create phone apps that are aimed to make a difference in society.

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Sana’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanaaboushaaban/

Technovation: https://technovationchallenge.org/

IEEE Ottawa: https://www.ieeeottawa.ca/

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

4:38 - University Life and Degree

13:00 - Woman in Tech (Technovation)

31:04 - Day to Day as a Project Manager

48:05 - Outro & Final advice

In this episode of In Query, we discuss the Shopify Dev Degree Program at Carleton University with William Wang. Will is currently a back-end developer at Shopify and a part of the Dev Degree Intern Program with Carleton. In his spare time, he likes to partake in competitive math and compete in hackathons. 

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This episode is the eighth in our #TechAfterHighSchool focus series. Each episode in this 8 episode series will showcase a different tech program in a Canadian university. Make sure to follow us to stay in the loop!

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Dev Degree https://devdegree.ca/

Dev Degree Admission Dates https://devdegree.ca/pages/admissions

Carleton's Application Dates https://admissions.carleton.ca/deadlines/

CS Internship at Carleton https://carleton.ca/scs/future-students/bcs-internship/  

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree

2:02 - Could you tell us a bit more about the program?

2:57 - Why did you pick this program?

Application Process

4:27 - What are the requirements of the application?

5:43 - Why Carlton over York?

6:57 - What grades do you need?

9:01 - What are the supplementals that are needed?

10:31 - Advice for students looking to apply to this program.

Campus Life @ Carleton

11:57 - How have you found your experience on campus?

15:05 - How did you balance studies and work at Shopify?

16:53 - What does a typical day look like?

18:28 - Is your program challenging?

Shopify Intern

19:32 - Placements at Shopify

22:13 - Do most students in the Dev Degree program work full-time at Shopify?

22:59 - What topics in Computer Science interest you the most?

24:06 - Outro & Final advice

In this episode of In Query, we discuss the Computer Engineering program at the University of Waterloo with Keith Choa.

Keith is currently a second-year Computer Engineering student at the University of Waterloo. He recently moved here from the Philippines and he has long-term career goals of working in tech.

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This episode is the seventh in our #TechAfterHighSchool focus series. Each episode in this 8 episode series will showcase a different tech program in a Canadian university. Make sure to follow us to stay in the loop!

IG @projecttechconferences

LinkedIn @ Project Tech Conferences

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Waterloo Co-op Dates https://uwaterloo.ca/co-operative-education/important-dates

CE at Waterloo https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/programs/computer-engineering

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree

1:39 - What is Computer Engineering?

2:12 - How is Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo?

4:27 - Why did you choose Computer Engineering at Waterloo?

5:45 - What type of student would you recommend this program to?

6:39 - How can students learn the difference between Computer Engineering and Computer Science?

Campus Life at Waterloo

7:51 - How has your experience been at the University of Waterloo?

9:19 - How does staying at a university college work?

11:08 - Do you recommend incoming students to live on campus?

12:34 - How was living in university college compared to living off-campus?

13:33 - Would you have any advice for students who are looking to live off-campus?

14:43 - What sort of clubs are you currently involved in?

17:06 - What are the requirements for someone who is looking to join these design teams?

17:19 - Are these teams limited to students in engineering?

Academics at Waterloo

18:11 - How would you describe the academics at Waterloo?

19:12 - Does the IB program help in university?

20:57 - Were there any other benefits of the IB program?

21:37 - How was the transition from high school to university?

22:19 - What kind of courses did you do in the first year?

24:41 - Do you have any general advice for students who are looking to get into this program?

Co-op Education at Waterloo

26:11 - How would you describe finding co-ops through the university?

27:44 - Did the University of Waterloo provide you with resources and help?

28:44 - What is the typical timeline for applying to coop in your program?

29:42 - With a co-op, are you limited to just applying through the school's portal?

30:13 - What were some of your co-op experiences?

31:50 - Do you have any advice for students going into their first co-op term?

32:35 - What sort of jobs do students from the Computer Engineering program typically go for?

33:31 - Do you know where you want to head after graduation?

34:05 - Do you have any general advice for students going into a co-op?

34:21 - Given that everything shifted, are you currently completing your co-op online?

34:47 - What are the biggest differences between working in person and remotely?

35:28 - Do you have any tips on how to get over that struggle?

35:50 - Outro & Final advice

In this episode of In Query, we discuss the Business and Computer Science Double Degree program at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University with Shi Han Qin.

Shi Han is currently a second-year Business and Computer Science student at the University of Waterloo. Currently, she is looking for a job to complete her internship next term in January. 

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This episode is the sixth in our #TechAfterHighSchool focus series. Each episode in this 8 episode series will showcase a different tech program in a Canadian university. Make sure to follow us to stay in the loop!

IG @projecttechconferences

LinkedIn @ Project Tech Conferences

Waterloo Applications dates https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/applicants/important-dates

CS/BBA at Waterloo https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/programs/business-administration-computer-science-double-degree

CS/BBA at Laurier https://www.wlu.ca/programs/business-and-economics/undergraduate/business-bba-and-computer-science-bsc/index.html

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro & Background

University Degree

2:35 - Could you tell us more about your program?

4:28 - Why did you choose this program?

5:44 - Is your coursework already established?

6:47 - What classes you had to take in your first year?

7:22 - Which classes did you find the most challenging?

8:54 - Since you are at the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier, do you have two university portals to choose your courses from?

10:11 - What would you say are the pros and cons of a double degree?

Application Process

12:59 - What are some requirements for the application?

14:57 - Did you have to write any essays for the application?

15:21 - What are the grades to have a competitive application?

16:16 -  Would you say extracurriculars are also important?

16:42 - Would you have any advice for students who are interested in applying for this program?

17:26 - How have you found your experience at Waterloo and Laurier?

Experience attending Waterloo and Laurier

18:36 - What would the daily life of a student on res look like?

20:21 - Were you a part of any clubs at Waterloo?

22:30 - How would you describe the academic portion of your program?

Co-op Program

24:30 - How has your experience been with finding coops through your program?

27:27 - Do you feel supported by Waterloo and did it help you find your summer jobs?

28:58 - What sort of co-op experiences have you had in the past?

30:50 - Where do the graduates from your program typically head?

31:36 - Where are you headed after graduation?

32:07 - For your upcoming co-op, do you have any ideas of what you would like to try out?

33:16 - Do you think you still have the opportunity to go into business and tech?

34:14 - Outro & Final advice