Alumni Profile Abdullah

Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit 

Through his Rotman classes, Abdullah developed an interest in entrepreneurship. One course in particular assigned students to come up with an idea for a start-up and, in groups of four to five, go through each stage of a startup. He and his peers learned how to get seed funding, find a mentor, create a business plan and more in order to simulate working for a startup. In another class, RSM459: "Business Design," he and his peers learned how businesses are developed - and gained critical consulting skills - working for Skip the Dishes, one of a few “clients” that was brought in to work with students. Working in small groups, students spent the semester conducting interviews, examining key demographics, and applying other strategies they’d learned earlier in the term to find ways to increase revenue numbers and market share for the company. For their final, students presented findings to business executives from the client companies. This developed Abdullah’s knowledge of business development and entrepreneurial strategies in the early phases of running a business. 
 

Outside of the classroom learning

U of T’s Rotman Commerce buildings weren’t the only place Abdullah learned during his undergrad years. As a member of the Varsity Football team, he gained valuable leadership, time management and teamwork skills playing on a tight schedule. With over 25 hours of practice a week on top of a full course load, media days and film reviews to enhance strategy, Abdullah had to learn how to balance his priorities while being part of a team. In addition to this, he found time to fulfill his responsibilities as a Rotman Commerce Ambassador, refining his communication skills, building a report with students, and learning how to advocate for the university. This experience also strengthened his leadership skills, collaborating with other ambassadors to facilitate tours and promote the Rotman program.

Equity and outreach: From student to alum

While in undergrad, Abdullah sought to combine the leadership skills he’d gained from entrepreneurship courses and Football, with his passion for equity. He did this through joining Black Rotman Commerce, a student group focused on academic and professional development of black Rotman students. As a member of the executive team, he helped plan events and reach out to partners like Black Founders Network (BFN) and McKinsey & Company for funding. Eventually, he led the group’s esteemed Black Career Conference, which is the only student-led conference of its kind in Canada. The two day conference consists of panels, pitch competitions and networking opportunities to promote career exploration. Proud of the impact he’d made, he translated these skills to his current job he got shortly after graduating, working on the Equity and Outreach team in U of T’s Office of Student Recruitment. Now, he leads promotional information sessions for the university, works school fairs in equity-deserving areas of the GTA, and helps to run U of T’s Enrichment Academy for local high school students from historically underrepresented communities.