OIC 2010 Participants

 

Alex Barankevych
@oleksabublik

Alex Barankevych, an Ottawa University electronic business technologies graduate student, got his bachelor degree in English and German from Kiev State Linguistic University and his Masters degree in Journalism and Communications from Ball State University (Muncie, Ind., USA).  Over the past 10 years, Alex has held a number of managerial positions in traditional and new media as well as in corporate communications. He also led an active role in several electronic media start-ups in his native Ukraine.

Alex is co-founder and CEO of TurnItOn.ca, an Ottawa-based consultancy that helps businesses, organizations and individuals establish an online presence.  Alex is an avid blogger, a big fan of the internet and a passionate technology advocate.

Martin Cayouette
http://martinmobile.ca/
@MCayouette

Martin Cayouette is Founder of MartinMobile. He is currently studying Software Engineering at Carleton University, Ottawa. He has experience in the area of software design, development and some experience in testing. He is an outdoor enthusiast, loves whitewater kayaking and anything that has to do with the outdoors.

 

In the summer of 2008, Martin worked at Peerium in Cambridge, MA where he had the opportunity to lead the development and launch of his first mobile phone software application. During the first half of 2009, he worked at FaveQuest in Ottawa, ON. This software start-up develops online video portals for customers with a need of social interaction. His time at FaveQuest allowed him to develop professional contacts in the Ottawa region and learn more about what is required to be an entrepreneur in the software industry.  Martin also has significant experience in Software Engineering from his various projects and classes at Carleton University.

Jimmy Desai
@sleepydj

Jimmy Desai has an interest in making a difference, a change for the good in the world. Jimmy began his engineering studies at Mumbai University and later graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa. In university, he co-founded a robotics team that won awards in international competitions.  He also developed an award winning control system for an autonomous helicopter.

Combined with his love for the environment, Jimmy chose to work in the environmental sector. He currently works at The Delphi Group, a leading environmental consultancy in Canada.  There he works in providing services in the areas of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sustainable development.  He has developed models to help large companies understand the impact of their carbon footprint on their financial bottom line. He also performs quantitative analysis, develops emission reduction project documentation and reports. He also investigates an assortment of issues in the areas of climate change, clean energy and environmental technologies.

Before joining Delphi, Jimmy was the co-founder of a small clean-energy project development firm. The firm was actively engaged in identifying opportunities for developing wind, solar and hydropower projects. He also worked as a software developer at Bridgewater Systems.  In his spare time, Jimmy enjoys playing a variety of sports. He is also an avid glider pilot and winner of the Best Student Pilot award.

Amanda Emmanuel
http://www.amandaemmanuel.com/
@amandaemmanuel

Amanda Emmanuel Amanda Emmanuel recently graduated from Bachelor of Information Technology joint degree-diploma program from Carleton University and Algonquin College. She has strong entrepreneurial ambitions and is an avid contributor to the social media world. She is people centric, hard working and a creative individual, a combination which has worked well with her keen interest to find innovative solutions for real problems for real people. Having recently won the Carleton University Undergraduate Award for Leadership in Leadership Development as well as having her own design company she is a self-starter not only in getting initiatives off the ground but also to collaborate and encourage others to do the same. As a highly engaged individual her involvements include: Impact Entrepreneurial Group, Social Media Ottawa, BIT Blog, TalentBridge and more. But aside from business, she has a wide variety of interests including fashion, medicine, new technology, real estate, HGTV and good food!

 

Ahmed Fathy
http://egyca.ca/
@FathyAhmed

Ahmed Fathy is currently a master of Engineering Management student at the University of Ottawa and holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University. His past work experience includes an internship with Maple Leaf Environmental Equipment as well as a postgraduate position at Mechtronix Systems. There he had the opportunity to design remediation systems as well as perform testing and integration of flight simulators. These experiences increased his passion of entrepreneurship and brought him to TBridge where he works in a technical and marketing capacity at Martello Technologies, a local high tech company specializing in remote monitoring and access service for small to medium size enterprise VoIP networks. Ahmed is co-founder of EGYCA Autos, dealing in the resale of used cars here in Ottawa.  In his spare time, he enjoys football, tennis, sailing, reading and photography.

Dimitri Giller
http://rnentertainment.com/
@RnInc

Dimitri Giller is a final year Bachelor of Commerce student concentrating in Finance and Information Systems. His education is primarily obtained from Carleton University but also with Queens University through the Bader International Study Centre in England. In addition, he has also completed the Mindtrust Leadership development program. Dimitri has held two Executive positions and one council seat with various Sprott School of Business clubs and societies including a presidential term with CarletonSIFE and also was responsible for starting and running one other club at Carleton University.

 

 

Khaleel Jivrai
http://www.shapingexcellence.com

Khaleel Jivraj is a communication expert who is currently in training to become a Trainer of Neuro Linguisitic Programming. His seminars focus on giving people tools to develop confidence and comfort within themselves. His training focuses on how to network effectively using a four step process. In addition, he employs a strategy of using stories and language to assist people in learning more about themselves so they can be more effective at work and in their personal lives. Khaleel also works as a sales success coach, giving people tools so they can live the life they have always desired.

 

 

Nigel Kay
http://kaylomarketing.com
@kmarketing

Nigel is completing his studies in Marketing with an emphasis on the design and implementation of online marketing strategies. He has been a frequent public speaker and lecturer on Entrepreneurship inside and outside Carleton University, which has earned him a number of important distinctions including a recent Entrepreneurship Award from the Canadian Jeux Du Commerce. He pairs these accomplishments with important practical experience as a seasoned entrepreneur and consultant for local business in the areas of internet marketing and search engine optimization.

Nigel is founder of Legendary Lawns, a landscaping company in Ottawa, that he started at the age of 19. Challenging conventional marketing, his goal was to generate 80% of his business through free inbound marketing.  He achieved that goal in less than a year by leveraging the power of blogs, social networks and search engine optimization; the company is now the first ranked result on Google for “Lawn Care” in the local business results. In 2010 he won the Wes Nicol Entrepreneurship Competition for Carleton University for his second business, KayLo Marketing. Kaylo Marketing implements online video marketing and search engine optimization strategies to help you grow your business without spending more money on advertising. His marketing agency has worked with both local businesses including lawyers and tradesmen as well as larger Universities and National Charities.

 

 

Heine Mar
@HeineMar

Heine (Heineken) Mar received his B.Eng. in Communications Engineering from Carleton University. During his undergraduate studies, he was a recipient of the Nortel Networks Scholarship of Excellence and an Executive Officer of Carleton IEEE. Past work experiences include Nortel Networks, where he worked in a client-oriented environment. He interfaced with Internet Service Providers to develop Quality of Service (QoS) for MPLS (Multiprotocol Labeling Switching) network in order to enhance the end users’ experience in accessing information on the Internet. At Communications Research Centre, he focused on the development and verification of antennas, which were equipped in the smart phones, including Research in Motion’s Blackberry.

Heine is also very passionate in helping people, especially to those who are in need of medical attention. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering at Carleton University. He is researching and developing a novel medical system to detect breast and skin cancer.

In addition to technical expertise, Heine has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Collaborating with Huawei Technologies Ltd., the largest networking and telecommunications equipment supplier in China, he is building Internet and mobile service providers in South East Asia, including Myanmar.In his spare time, he loves to get involved in the Carleton and Ottawa communities. He enjoys golfing, snowboarding and dancing salsa.

 

 

Filip Mares
http://www.filipmares.com
@filipmares

Filip Mares is a recent graduate of the Computer Systems Engineering program at Carleton University. He follows the tech industry very closely and is interested in the future of how people interact with one another on the Internet and mobile devices. Filip has a strong technical background and entrepreneurial aspirations.  As his 4^th Year Engineering Project he developed an online Social Media Marketing Platform. Alongside to developing the software, Filip also built a strong business plan with which he competed in a number of entrepreneurial competitions. He received 2^nd place at the Wes Nicol Competition and is currently a semi-finalist in the Tech Venture Challenge.  Filip plans on continuing through with his business plan and will be starting his own company in the summer of 2010. In addition to his entrepreneurial achievements, Filip is involved in community work: participating in programs such as Habitat for Humanity and other causes on campus. Filip Mares will be pursuing a Masters of Engineering at Carleton University in the Fall of 2010.

Paulina Masson
http://www.paulinamasson.com
@paulina7m

Paulina is a fourth year student at Carleton University, with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Business.   She has a passion for problem solving, and is proud of her ability to stay focused on a task for as long as it takes.   Her work experience includes software developer roles at IBM and EA Games, a research assistantship at Carleton University, and product planner at Siemens Lithuania. During her first year at university, she was the Vice President External for the Carleton Computer Science Society and Carleton U representative for the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference. She enjoys business strategy coming up with new creative ideas and is always looking for new things to learn. Paulina is an aspiring entrepreneur and is in the process of starting her own company.

Aron Mrugalski
@aronmrugalski

 

As an inquisitive, clever and creative child, it was often clear to others that Aron Mrugalski would one day choose to be an entrepreneur. It only really became apparent to Aron however during his time at Carleton University where he joined the local chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

In this group of likeminded and driven individuals, Aron was not only given the opportunity to apply course material in the real world, he was also inspired by the positive social benefits that could be achieved through business. So much so, near the end of his freshman year, Aron and another member co-founded their first business, Speed of Sight, a small business consulting and marketing firm.

As an International Business student, Aron’s third year of study sent him overseas to Lyon, France. It was there that he met a team of journalists interested in developing an online resource meant to revolutionize their profession. Their concept and industry experience, combined with Aron’s business acumen and web development experience, led to the creation of TVNewsFix.com.

Enjoying staying busy, Aron also worked traditional jobs throughout university, one of which was with Doro Safety & Security. As a SME, Doro allowed Aron the flexibility to ‘wear many hats’ and learn all the ins and outs of business; experience that has been invaluable to Aron.

Today Aron is working on a new venture in the corporate team-building space and continues to provide consulting, marketing and training services to small businesses, including Doro.

Jean-Pierre Simard
http://www.jpsim.com
@SimardJP

 

Jean-Pierre Simard is a 4th year Electrical Engineering student at the University of Ottawa.  He has been involved in Ottawa’s entrepreneurship scene since early 2009 and has since participated in a few competitions including the Engineering Innovation Endowment Fund competition (7,500$ 2nd prize) and the recent Elevator Pitch competition hosted by the Telfer Entrepreneurship Club.  He was an organizer for the Strat-24 Engineering and Telfer Case Competition that took place in February of this year.

He is currently leading a group of 3 other engineering students in developing an innovative product called LightTrak, enabling current stage lighting solutions to automatically track performers, providing new possibilities for automation in the live entertainment industry. Having completed the design and hardware research phases, they are currently in the prototyping stage of LightTrak’s development with a demonstration expected to be ready in late 2010.

When not at school or working on LightTrak, he is organizing events for the Engineering Students’ Society as their Vice-President of Social Affairs.  This position has been an excellent way to develop his leadership and management skills by organizing a broad range of events, with anywhere from 50 to 1,000 people participating.  JP also plays the saxophone in a jazz quartet in local bars or for corporate and private events.