Three Â鶹AV MBA candidates took home top prize at this year’s Global Goals Jam case competition. The competition, hosted by Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, challenged students to find an inclusive approach to boost staff diversity at Smith.
Thirty teams from 11 universities across Canada took part in the two-week competition. Â鶹AV was represented by “Team Desaustainable,” comprised of second-year MBA candidates Brett Kwan, Simranpreet Kaur, and Ricardo Restrepo. The team’s presentation, “Diversity Driven by Design,” proposed using design thinking to better understand a problem and how potential solutions could impact community stakeholders.
“The competition made us think about the difficult issues organizations face when it comes to diversity and inclusion,” says Ricardo Restrepo (MBA’24). “It's not just something one organization can fix on its own; it’s a collective effort that involves multiple institutions and society as a whole.”
After advancing to the finals, Team Desaustainable traveled to Kingston, Ontario, to face off against teams from the University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario, McMaster University, and Queen’s University.
“We were excited and confident about our work, and equally eager to connect with MBA peers from different schools, sharing and gaining new perspectives,” shares Simranpreet Kaur (MBA’24).
The panel of judges included global equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) advisor Karen Craggs-Milne, startup advisor Norman Musengimana, Smith Professor Kate Rowbotham, and Royal Bank of Canada Senior Vice President John Stackhouse.
Following the presentations, participants shared their strategies and approaches before settling in for a panel discussion on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) trends and career opportunities.
“We assembled high-level executives from various industries, each representing distinct facets of the ESG landscape,” says Kathryn Durando, Smith Net Impact Club President. “The diverse views were enlightening and captivating, especially for an audience of individuals poised to make a difference and drive positive change.”
The day culminated with the award ceremony. After careful deliberation, Team Desaustainable was declared winner. Judges described the presentation as “calm, thoughtful and intellectually engaging.”
“It was a complex case that required an unconventional approach. It was a great learning experience and a testament to our collective team effort,” says Brett Kwan (MBA’24).
