Stephanie Boutari (BAS ’11, MArch ’14) blends her passion for painting with architectural knowledge to create vibrant murals. But this career path wasn't a natural step for the UWaterloo architecture alum. In this episode, Stephanie shares her story of taking a brave leap into the world of art. We also discuss her meticulous design process and the landscape of career possibilities for artists.

Read more of Stephanie's story in Waterloo Magazine.

In a deeply personal conversation, Brian Orend (BA ’94) opens up about his frustrating journey of medical misdiagnosis after having his first seizure at age 30. Brian's anger motivated him to research happiness and share his findings in a book, which offers practical tips for a more positive life. As a philosophy professor at the University of Waterloo, he's now teaching a course on happiness.

Read more about Brian and other stories about happiness in Waterloo Magazine.

After completing her co-op terms at the University of Waterloo, Alice Chu (BA ’18) felt a corporate career was no longer the right fit for her. On this episode of Uncharted, she shares her journey from the Honours Arts and Business program to a thriving career in the food industry, then pursuing a second career in law. Alice opens up about her transformative co-op terms, how an exchange to Singapore ignited her passion for food and how she’s committed to lifelong learning and pursuing new interests. 

In May, the University of Waterloo launched a new alumni chapter in Ottawa. As part of the event, alumni from the Ottawa region joined an expert panel to explore happiness.

Moderator: 

Salman Jivani (BA ’11, MA ’17), associate vice-president, office of advancement, University of Waterloo 

Panelists: 

Dr. Linda Duxbury (BSc ’75, MASc ’77, PhD ’83), professor, management, Carleton University 

Niraj Bhargava (BASc ’86), founder and CEO, NuEnergy.ai and The New Energy Group  

Robert Beamish (BA ’15), senior officer, transformation team, Global Affairs Canada 

Michelle Li (BSc ’05) has always been interested in sustainability and took a leap in 2017 to become vegan when she wanted to do more to decrease her own carbon footprint.

Today, she’s the founder of Clever Carbon, a playful educational website with the goal of increasing carbon literacy amongst consumers. 

“When we don’t understand the impact, it’s easy to ignore it.”

Michelle is also passionate about empowering other women working in climate and has founded a global network of over 4,000 people.

On the podcast, Michelle shares how her dream of studying optometry brought her to the University of Waterloo, an interest in business drew her to Silicon Valley and a side project to make a user-friendly carbon footprint quiz grew to a successful career in sustainability. 

It can be daunting to decide what schools you want to apply to and what you want to study when you’re only a teenager in high school. But it’s important to remember that what you choose to study doesn’t always dictate what type of career you’ll have. 

And it didn’t for Ahmed Mezil (BASc ’14). He’s one of many alumni who have taken an unexpected career journey. How do you start in engineering at the University of Waterloo and end up becoming the CEO of the cleaning company Hellamaid? That’s what we’re going to find out. 

Think back to when you got your first bank account. What year was it? How did you deposit cheques, pay for items or check your balance? I bet a lot has changed since then. Today, you can do all of this from your phone, in any location you choose. 

Thanks to the financial technology (or FinTech) industry, more is changing every day. Our banking apps are constantly being updated with new information and tools. Do-it-yourself platforms are giving more access and control than ever. And AI has the power to improve security, giving way to new services and products. Ben Janetos (BA '08) joins the podcast to talk about the latest updates in FinTech and what the future might hold. Ben has worked in the financial sector for more than a decade, and eventually jumped into the world of FinTech startups. Today, he's an advisor at Frank Mortgage, a company transforming the broker industry in Canada.

Exclusive Frank Mortgage offer for alumni: https://uwaterloo.ca/alumni/frank-mortgage

It happens every spring. You might not want to, but you have to file your income taxes. Collect your documents, file through an accountant or online platform, and through some magical math you'll discover your fate: payment or refund. 

If income taxes seem like a mysterious government equation, this episode is for you. Andrew Bauer (BA '03, MAcc '03, PhD '12) is a Canada Research Chair in Taxation, Governance and Risk. He's also an associate professor in Waterloo's School of Accounting and Finance, where he researches corporate tax and teaches courses in taxation and personal finance. He joins the podcast to tell us why we need to file our income taxes, the factors that could reduce the money you owe, and why you might not want a refund. 

Money is personal. And we have a lot of feelings about it. How could we not? Our financial situations directly affect our lifestyles, health and even our self-worth. On top of that, our financial situations as children can change the way we deal with money later in life, leading us to avoid opening bills, overspend or take unnecessary risks. 

So, how can you improve your relationship with money and build good habits? Lianne Hannaway (BMath '02, MAcc '02) joins the podcast to explore the personal side of money and offer insights that will help you parse through your relationship with your finances.

Lianne is a Chartered Professional Accountant, finance executive, investor, financial podcast host, and the founder of Wealthnuvo, a financial education and coaching platform for women building generational wealth. Lianne's mission is to help women, especially Black women, reach their financial goals and live better.

Listen to Lianne's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yVYV99VdahDIjJ3chw34S
Learn more from Lianne: https://www.liannehannaway.com/

Life can be expensive. Between rent, debt payments, savings and personal expenses — it can be hard to keep track of what's going in and out of your bank account each month.

If money feels overwhelming, don't worry! Michelle Hung (BMath '08) joins the podcast to break down all the components of a budget, so you can create a monthly practice that works for your needs today and in the future.

After Michelle graduated from Waterloo, she spent seven years working in investment banking and venture capital. An avid investor herself, she used the knowledge she gained in that career to build a six-figure investment portfolio by the time she was 29. Today, she is a financial planner, financial educator and author of two books about personal investing.

Follow Michelle on Instagram: @thesassyinvestor
Follow Michelle on TikTok:@thesassyinvestor
Learn more from Michelle: https://thesassyinvestor.ca/