Our Team

We are a group of aspiring knowledge brokers passionate about bridging the gap between Science and Business.
UW iGEM

The Inspiration

The BizBricks idea was inspired by the 2012 University of Waterloo iGEM team. The Human Practices team came forth with concepts and solutions that demonstrated the need of tying revolutionary ideas emerging within synthetic biology to traditional business tools that would support the field’s growth and sustainability. For the past three years, the University of Waterloo iGEM team has been comprised of students who come from multidisciplinary programs, including Biotechnology & Economics, Science and Business (with specializations in various scientific fields), and Arts and Business. These programs have given students the ability to build very versatile mindsets that allowed us to achieve the design of a portal that conveys customizability for the synthetic biology community.


Diljot Chhina

Diljot is fourth year student at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Biotechnology & Economics. She has been a part of the University of Waterloo iGEM team for three years as a member of the Human Practices Team and the current team lead for the entrepreneurial team. Diljot has a strong interest in leveraging her skills in strategy and marketing to introduce new business tools tailored to entrepreneurs developing technologies within the synthetic biology and biotechnology space. Outside of iGEM she is also the Director of Marketing for Nspire Innovation Network, and developing marketing strategies to encourage students to attend one of the largest Business & Technology Conferences held in Canada. After graduation, Diljot hopes to remain a part of the iGEM Alumni network, and take her experiences to pursue a career in management consulting.

Angela Biskupovic

Angela is a fourth year Biotechnology and Economics student. Her work experiences include being a Clinical Programs Coordinator at Cancer Care Ontario, a Business Continuity Management Coordinator at Research in Motion, a Knowledge Management Assistant at Millennium Research Group, and a Retail Service Intern at Suncor Energy. She has been a member of iGEM for three years as a Human Practices representative. She has a passion for bringing business knowledge to the world of science. She would like to pursue a career in sales and marketing.

Robert Yun

Robert Yun is a second year student studying Biotechnology and Economics, and this is his first year being a member on the University of Waterloo iGEM entrepreneurial team. He is very interested in the field of microbiology and their uses in everyday life. Robert Yun plans on continuing further education in the field of science, and he would like to pursue various practical uses in which microorganisms can be beneficial in fields such as medicine and agriculture.

Mark Mugwe Kiragu

Mugwe is a second year student studying Biotechnology and Economics at the University of Waterloo and is a recent addition to the iGEM Entrepreneurial team having been a member for under a year taking on an on-campus co-lead role as of January 2012. He thrives in an environment where scientific ideas require a broader business perspective with interests particularly in biotechnology. His work experience includes a stint on Research Attachment at the Biotechnology Centre at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. He hopes to continue to contribute constructively to the iGEM community for years to come.

Harsh Naik

Harsh is currently a second year student at the University of Waterloo, studying Biotechnology and Economics. This is Harsh’s first spell on the iGEM Entrepreneurial Team however he plans on extending his involvement in the organization in the upcoming years. His employment experiences include working at an independent pharmacy as well as in Coca-Cola Refreshments. Harsh plans on continuing his education in fields that integrate science and business ideas and his current aspirations are to work in a corporate environment.

Kevin Chen

Kevin is a second year student studying Biotechnology and Economics at the University of Waterloo. Kevin has been on the iGEM Entrepreneurship Team for less than a year and is currently a co-lead. In the short term plans and goals, he wishes to continue his contributions to the iGEM Entrepreneurship Team and be of value to the team. While in the long term, he plans on going to a MBA school and pursue a career of management in a biotechnology environment.

Ronak Saluja

Ronak is a second year University of Waterloo student studying Honors Biology with a minor in Economics. This is his first year as a member of the UW iGEM Entrepreneurial team and he is currently a co-lead representing the commercialization division. He has a passion for everything sciences and he strongly values the importance of entrepreneurship in the scientific world. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in medical research. Ronak is determined to continue his involvement with the UW iGEM team in the years to come, and is confident that he will consistently provide a positive contribution to the team.

Toyin Olawale

Toyin is a second year student studying Science & Business at the University of Waterloo with a specialization in biotechnology. His experience in the program has enlightened him to the importance of understanding the business side of the science world. Although he is a newcomer to the iGEM Entrepreneurial Team, his short time with the team has left a desire to continue with this group in future years. Toyin hopes to pursue a career on the corporate side of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry; making it easier to get life saving technological innovations from the science labs to the general public.

Anne Lor

Anne is a second year candidate for a Bachelor of Science in the Science and Business Program at the University of Waterloo. This is her first year as a member of the iGEM team and hopes to continue contributing to the project in the future. iGEM has enlightened Anne’s understanding of the entrepreneurial opportunities in the synthetic biology and has provided an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and skills developed in Science and Business workshops. Anne aspires to pursue a career in the corporate sector in a position where she can apply her scientific background.

Starr Liang

Starr Liang is a second year student at the University of Waterloo, currently working towards a degree in Science and Business, specialization biotechnology. Her enrollment in the Science and Business program has given her a greater perspective towards the integration of science and business in today’s current economy. Though she is a recent addition to the iGEM team, the project has captivated her such that she hopes to continue contributing in the years to come. In the future Starr hopes to pursue a career in the medical field while still maintaining a strong business background.

Duane Kailas

Duane is currently a second year student at the University of Waterloo, studying Economics with a Specialization in Finance. This is Duane’s first experience on the iGEM Entrepreneurial Team however he plans on extending his involvement in the organization in the upcoming years. His employment experiences include working for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario as an Audit Analyst and as a Bookkeeper at Accounting Pros Inc. As his experience and educational background evidently implies, Duane’s interest in iGEM stemmed from the business side of Biotechnology. Namely his interest for potential investment opportunities in developments pertaining to the field of Biotechnology. Duane plans on pursuing a career in Finance and hopes to link his current and forthcoming experiences with iGEM to help integrate himself as an individual with diverse experience in a corporate environment.

Our Competitive Advantage

The University of iGEM Team is comprised of students that who are enrolled in multidisciplinary programs. The strength of our program is the curriculum itself. Within our undergraduate program, we are taught to apply a range of economic tools, conduct different forms of industry analyses, and define the feasibility and value a product or service could potentially bring to the market. Students are encouraged to challenge the status quo, bring forth a depth of creativity and present their findings in an engaging manner. Given that the team is comprised of students mainly from programs that include Science and Business, Biotechnology & Economics, Arts and Business, students have the ability to act as knowledge brokers. Our skill-set is versatile in that we are taught to develop a dual mindset; translating the technological language of Science, utilizing our business acumen, and continually demonstrating the integration of Science and Business.

To learn more about the Science and Business Faculty at the University of Waterloo, please visit the link below. https://uwaterloo.ca/science-and-business

Attributions

The business plan was created by the 2012-2012 University of Waterloo iGEM Entrepreneurship Team:

Diljot Chhina
Andjela Biskupovic
Mugwe Kiragu
Kevin Chen
Harsh Naik
Ronak Saluja
Anne Lor
Starr Liang
Karthic Kailas
Bobby Yun
Toyin Olawale

The idea was inspired by individuals on the 2011 University of Waterloo iGEM Team

Diljot Chhina
Andjela Biskupovic
Simon Burru
Ekta Bibra
Peter Hong
Brandon Wang
Hillary Yeung

We'd like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their mentoring and assistance throughout the process in developing our business plan

Kashif Memon
Advisor, Coordinator, Lecturer
Science & Business- University of Waterloo

Andrew Hessel
Singularity University

Jennifer Hill- Alberta Innovates
Sarah Lee- Alberta Innovates

Brian Ingalls
Associate Professor Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo

We'd also like to thank our sponsors:


Paulom Shah

Web Developer

Web Sharx, www.websharx.ca

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