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York grad lands major Dragon’s Den deal with her innovative AI wig platform

Akosua Asare
Akosua Asare

York University Schulich alumna and LaunchYU Accelerator graduate, Akosua Asare, pitched her artificial intelligence (AI) powered wig-fitting platform on CBC’s Dragon’s Den earlier this month and landed a deal with Canadian investor, Manjit Minhas.

Akosua Asare
Akosua Asare

This self-driven entrepreneur captivated the Dragons, receiving a $150,000 business investment for 25 per cent of her company, Essence Luxe Couture; which features the first virtual wig try on. Using the power of AI, customers can use an app to try on a variety of wigs, which fit and look like their own hair, from the comfort of their own home.

The AI used to analyze user facial features, skin tone and facial structure was developed with the support of researchers at York University. The work is supported by a Smart Computing for Innovation (SOSCIP) project with the Department of Math and Statistics Associate Professor Michael Chen, a collaboration that was facilitated by Innovation York’s industry engagement unit. Backed by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), SOSCIP’s Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Accelerated Platforms were able to provide as much as 97 per cent accuracy on face shape classification.

The project provided York University students the opportunity to both apply and build their expertise and research, with far reaching implications for the Canadian technology industry.

“Our mathematics graduate students developed the AI solution for Akosua’s startup,” says Chen. “During development, students were able to gain essential experience developing an AI product with real-world application. Projects like this allow us to provide innovative AI solutions, while training AI talents, who are an essential driver of a thriving AI powered economy.”

Akosua Asare on the Dragons Den
Akosua Asare on the Dragons Den

Coupled with the support from York University research, Asare also received additional assistance from Innovation York’s LaunchYU Accelerator program, where she spent four months fine-tuning her business through hands-on workshops, one-on-one mentorship, investor office hours, and various networking resources.

“Throughout the program, Akosua was not afraid to ask for support and feedback, which is just one of the things that make her such a great founder. Seeing the development of her pitch and watching her land a deal on Dragon’s Den was such a proud moment. It really shows us how far she’s come as an entrepreneur,” said David Kwok, associate director of Entrepreneurship at Innovation York.

Before landing her deal, Asare was named the Schulich Startup Night People’s Champion for her pitch in the alumni category. Her drive and positive attitude continue to motivate entrepreneurs today.

“Akosua is such an inspiring member of our entrepreneurial community,” says Chris Carder, executive director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Schulich School of Business. “She always has a ‘can-do’ energy and commitment to giving her time to the next generation of student Founders and Innovators. We are all behind her in her journey – 100 per cent.”

Asare could not be more motivated to elevate her company given the potential it has. As she explains to the Dragons during her pitch, “the value of the application, it’s limitless what it can be applied to.” The founder and mother of two is on her way to launching her business with the support of York University and the newest member of her team – Minhas.

You can watch Asare’s pitch on Dragons’ Den here.

“Decision Sciences Journal” recognizes paper co-authored by Schulich professor

Finance equipment

A Schulich School of Business professor in the Master of Supply Chain Management program has been recognized for co-authoring one of the top papers in the 50-year history of the Decision Sciences Journal (DSJ). “The severity of supply chain disruptions: Design characteristics and mitigation capabilities,” co-authored by Professor Johnny Rungtusanatham, ranks as the No. 10 most cited paper.

Johnny Rungtusanatham

The article, which was published in 2007, makes the following points:

  • Stop planning to prevent all supply chain disruptions because it is not feasible to identify all contingencies. Instead, plan to avoid being severely affected when supply chain disruptions occur.
  • Supply chain density – firms with dense supply chains are more likely to experience severe disruptions and should move away from geographically-concentrated sourcing.
  • Supply chain complexity – firms with complex supply chains are more likely to experience severe disruptions and should reduce the length of their global supply chains and the number of players within each supply chain.
  • Supply chain node criticality – firms whose supply chains have many critical nodes are more likely to experience severe disruptions and should reduce the number of “important” suppliers within their supply chains.
  • Warning capability – firms with warning capability are less likely to experience severe disruptions and should use emerging technologies to make supply chains more visible and transparent.
  • Recovery capability – firms with recovery capability are less likely to experience severe disruptions and should invest in systems, processes, and people that can be come online immediately at the onset of supply disruptions.

“It is gratifying to know that our research is so relevant today, especially with supply disruptions triggered by COVID-19,” said Rungtusanatham, the Canada Research Chair in Supply Chain Management. I have shared the managerial advice from this research with supply chain managers and leaders through Supply Chain Canada.”

Schulich earns place in top 25 world ranking in finance, marketing and operations management

An image depicting the logo for Schulich School of Business

The Schulich School of Business at York University was ranked among the leading business schools in the world for MBA students wishing to pursue careers in finance, marketing and operations management.

QS MBA ranked Schulich among the top 25 business schools in the world in the Finance, Marketing and Operations Management category, which includes supply chain management and logistics. Schulich placed 17th globally in Finance, 21st in Operations Management, and 22nd in Marketing. Schulich was also the top-ranked MBA program in Canada in Marketing and in Technology, where it ranked 38th globally.

The QS MBA Careers by Specialization ranking looked at three key factors:

  • Career placement – the percentage of a school’s graduates going into a particular industry or function;
  • Employer reputation – a rating that asks employers to identify the business schools from which they recruit the “most competent, innovative, and effective graduates”; and
  • Research strength – a score that measures research productivity in various disciplines.

“We are extremely pleased to be ranked among the leading business schools in the world in three major industry sectors that are very important to our students,” said Schulich Interim Dean Detlev Zwick. “The rankings are based on research strength, career placement and an employer rating of a business school’s graduates. As such, this set of rankings provides a powerful statement about the expertise of our faculty, the quality of our programs, and the very positive views of the global companies that hire our MBA graduates.”

For complete details, visit https://www.topmba.com/mba-rankings/specialization.

Schulich announces George Weston Ltd. Centre for Sustainable Supply Chains

An image depicting the logo for Schulich School of Business

The Schulich School of Business has announced the creation of the George Weston Ltd. Centre for Sustainable Supply Chains. The new centre, made possible by significant support from George Weston Ltd., will become a global leader in management education and research related to supply chain management, and a hub for industry outreach and collaboration.

“Supply chains are the heart of Canada’s economy and provide the food, medication, and other items Canadians need by connecting communities from coast to coast to coast,” said Galen Weston, chairman and CEO of George Weston Ltd.

“We are delighted to partner with the Schulich School of Business to deepen our country’s expertise and develop sustainable supply chains that will contribute to a stronger, more resilient Canada,” he added.

Schulich Professor David Johnson will be the Centre’s inaugural director (image: Gordon Hawkins)

The centre’s inaugural director will be Professor David Johnson, who is the program director of Schulich’s Master of Supply Chain Management Program. Johnson’s research focuses on innovation and collaboration in the management of sustainable supply networks, healthcare systems and industrial health and safety.

Building on Schulich’s unique Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) program and George Weston Ltd.’s world-class expertise in sustainable supply chains, the centre will play a fundamental role in creating the strong and sustainable supply chains increasingly needed in a post-pandemic world. Schulich Interim Dean Detlev Zwick said the new centre “will become a leading global hub of research in a sector that is vital to our social and economic well-being.”

“At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing challenges related to the flow of goods and services, the George Weston Ltd. Centre for Sustainable Supply Chains will create new opportunities to grow and support inclusive, prosperous and healthy economies and communities,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “We are grateful to be partnering with industry leaders like George Weston Ltd., who share York’s commitment to driving positive change in Canada and the world through innovation.”

The partnership between Schulich and George Weston Ltd. resulted from Schulich’s Leading Change Campaign, which concluded in June 2020. Leading Change was the School’s most comprehensive and ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign to date. Under the leadership of Dean Emeritus Dezsö J. Horváth and the Leading Change Campaign Cabinet, the campaign raised more than $65 million.

For more information, visit https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty-research/george-weston/.

‘Financial Times’ ranks Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA No. 1 in Canada

writing notes schulich

The Financial Times of London has ranked the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA (EMBA) at York University the No. 1 EMBA program in Canada. The 2020 Financial Times ranking marks the 13th time that the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program has been ranked No. 1 in Canada during the 14 years it has participated in the ranking.

The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program was ranked 37th globally and placed 10th among programs based in North America in this year’s Financial Times ranking. The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA program finished ahead of Stern and Michigan, and behind UCLA and Cambridge.

Detlev Zwick
Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick

Among Canadian-based programs, the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA placed ahead of the Cornell-Queen’s EMBA, which ranked 46th; the Rotman School of Management, which ranked 50th; the Ivey EMBA, which ranked 60th; and the Queen’s EMBA, which ranked 81st.

For complete details regarding the 2020 Financial Times EMBA ranking visit http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/executive-mba-ranking-2020.

Other survey highlights

The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA also ranked among the top 25 in the world in the following categories:

  • 16th in the world in the “International Course Experience” category, which measures the percentage of classroom teaching hours that are conducted outside the country in which the business school is located;
  • 19th in the world in the “Research” category, which measures the number of articles published by the faculty in leading academic and business practitioner journals; and
  • 24th in the world in the “Work Experience” category, which measures the seniority and years of work experience of the EMBA program’s students.

The Kellogg global network of EMBA partner schools collectively performed very well in this year’s ranking, with the Kellogg-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) EMBA Program placing first overall, the Kellogg-WHU Beisheim EMBA Program based in Germany ranking 16th, and the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA Program placing 37th.

“We’re delighted to have once again been ranked the No. 1 EMBA program in Canada and one of the top EMBA programs in the world,” said Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick.

The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA Program has also been ranked No. 1 in the world and among the top 10 in the world by The Economist in the three global EMBA rankings it has conducted, and was the top-ranked program in Canada in each of those rankings. The Kellogg-Schulich EMBA Program was ranked No. 4 in the world among joint programs by QS Global EMBA in its 2020 global ranking.

York faculty members recognized with Awards of Excellence

trillium featured

York University is a diverse community of change leaders working to create a better future through learning and research. In fact, one of the hallmarks of the University is that its staff, students and faculty are passionate about serving their communities and building a more innovative, inclusive and sustainable world.

That passion has been evident during the pandemic, as faculty stepped up in the fight against COVID-19. In recognition of this service, five York University faculty members received the Minister of Colleges and Universities’ Awards of Excellence for their commitment to guiding the province of Ontario through the pandemic. 

“The Awards of Excellence celebrate educators who have responded to the pandemic with ingenuity, tenacity and compassion,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor. “From developing innovative online learning techniques to creating a United Nations COVID-19 recovery roadmap, these York teaching and research leaders are going above and beyond to support the University community, while finding creative solutions to the challenges associated with pandemic recovery and rebuilding locally and in the world.”

Recipients of this award have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the people of Ontario, taking action to support those in need and working to bring an end to the pandemic while kickstarting an equitable recovery.

Award recipients 

Henriette Gezundhajt, a course director and lecturer in the Department of French Studies, demonstrates a spirit of collaboration and an exemplary concern for professional life in French within Ontario. As the pandemic hit the province, Gezundhajt leveraged her expertise in using York University’s online learning platform, Moodle, to offer workshops and informal consultations to Francophone colleagues, helping to ensure a smooth transition to distance education. Not only did Gezundhajt create more than 35 video tutorials to assist in this transition, but she also translated York University’s Going Remote website, which is designed to facilitate the transition to distance and online learning. Her contributions have been essential for Francophone colleagues, including those teaching at the Glendon Campus, and to the Francophone students served by York University.

York University microbiologist and “germ expert” Dasantila Golemi-Kotra is a leading researcher on viral and bacterial infections and an associate professor of biology in the Faculty of Science. Given the increase in competing and sometimes inaccurate health information, scientists play a vital role in debunking misinformation with factual and evidence-based guidance. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Golemi-Kotra has expertly guided Canadians looking to get through the pandemic safely, offering advice on how to effectively clean and sanitize homes and workplaces, correctly use personal protective equipment, and take necessary safety precautions when out in the community.

Steven Hoffman is the Dahdaleh Distinguished Chair in Global Governance and Legal Epidemiology, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Global Governance of Antimicrobial Resistance and the scientific director of the Institute of Population and Public Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Hoffman has been appointed by the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General to lead the development of a United Nations Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery. The UN Roadmap engages researchers, implementers, funders and citizens around the world in identifying key areas of focus for research and study to rebuild after the pandemic. Central to this research is fulfilling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and informing national and international strategies for the recovery period with rigorous evidence.

Murat Kristal is the director of the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence program at York University’s Schulich School of Business. Along with colleagues at Schulich’s Centre of Excellence – Big Data and Analytics Leadership, Kristal has developed an analytics dashboard that gives daily insights into the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using publicly available data from the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering GIS platform and GitHub, Schulich’s COVID-19 Dynamics dashboard can predict, with 90 per cent accuracy, the number of new COVID-19 cases over the next five days in each country around the world. These predictive numbers support policymakers, healthcare administrators and public health officials as they make evidence-based, informed decisions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe.

Jianhong Wu is the director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation and a professor of mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Science and Canada Research Chair in in Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He is a trailblazer in several renowned national interdisciplinary projects, including the federally funded national infection dynamics modelling project and the geosimulation of disease spread. Building off his pivotal role during the 2003 SARS outbreak, Wu is leading the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences – a national COVID-19 math modelling team – as it advises public health officials assessing the transmission risk of COVID-19 and the trajectory of potential future outbreaks. Wu was previously recognized with the 2019 CAIMS-Fields Industrial Mathematics Prize in recognition of his contributions to research with public health professionals that leveraged his expertise in infectious disease preparedness and mitigation strategies.

“Congratulations to each of York’s recipients of the Minister of Colleges and Universities’ Awards of Excellence for their leadership, hard work, and essential contributions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and build toward a just recovery,” said Lenton.

The challenges facing humanity now, and those still on the horizon, are growing ever more complex. York University will continue to play a leading role in the global fight against COVID-19 through the ground-breaking contributions being made by its faculty, researchers, and students.

Schulich faculty, alumni publish multi-stakeholder research paper on sustainability reporting in Canada

Research York University
Research York University

A research paper written by a Schulich professor, current students and alumni was recently featured in Accounting Perspectives, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA).

Charles Cho
Charles Cho

Professor Charles Cho worked with seasoned alumni Kathrin Bohr and Katharine Partridge from Stakeholder Research Associates (SRA), as well as Tony Choi, a current Schulich PhD student, and two MBA 2019 graduates Jhankrut Shah and Ada Swierszcz, to complete the academic peer-reviewed version the academic peer-reviewed version of Advancing Sustainability Reporting in Canada: 2019 Report on Progress.

“This research paper is the perfect example of a fruitful, productive Schulich multi-stakeholder collaboration via different activities and programs,” said Cho.

The study examines the progress of Canada’s largest companies in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. Results suggest that challenges persist, Canada has new reporting sectors that must mature to survive the scrutiny of the markets, and provide food for thought for companies interested in continuous improvement.

Bohr is a senior partner at SRA, as well as an alumna of the MBA Business and Sustainability specialization and a member of the Schulich COERB Advisory Council. She frequently appears as a guest speaker in Cho’s Sustainability Accounting and Accountability class, which Shah and Swierszcz took in Winter 2019.

“I love being around students,” said Bohr. “The ones at Schulich are the pick of the crop and are all so smart and engaging. Those interested in sustainability in particular have a real passion and drive to them.”

Working with current students on the report was very rewarding for Bohr and her company, as well as the students involved.

“Jhankrut was able to secure a job in the field after graduating and he attributed getting the job in part to the experience he gained working on this project. What could be more rewarding than that?” Bohr shared.

Bohr is open to working with Schulich students again. “This kind of work is a win-win-win situation for everyone involved. There are so many of us sustainability program grads out there now working in companies or consulting on sustainability,” she said. “Schulich can be a great hub for that kind of synergy between the academic and the corporate worlds.”

Schulich contributes to research showing COVID-19 risk mitigation shifted to consumers

ecommerce online shopping FEATURED

New research shows that governments and corporations shifted more responsibility for COVID-19 risk mitigation onto the shoulders of consumers as the pandemic continued over time.

The research findings are published in the article “Passing the Buck vs. Sharing Responsibility: The Roles of Government, Firms and Consumers in Marketplace Risks During COVID-19” forthcoming in the next issue of The Journal of the Association for Consumer Research (The University of Chicago Press).

Charles Cho

The paper is co-authored by three Canadian researchers: Charles H. Cho, the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at York University’s Schulich School of Business; Aya Aboelenien, assistant professor of marketing at HEC Montréal; and Zeynep Arsel, associate professor of marketing at the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University.

The researchers examined how policymakers, firms and consumers managed risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, researchers analyzed government and corporate communications to Canadian consumers during the first five months of the pandemic. They found that once the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus as a pandemic, firms and policymakers began actively managing risk by putting concrete measures in place. The messages from governments and companies then quickly shifted from ownership of responsibility to requesting consumers act responsibly by complying with new directives such as keeping physical distance and limiting time spent at stores.

According to the research paper, “as the pandemic escalated, the expectations and roles shifted: consumers were pushed to the centre stage to protect themselves and other marketplace actors.”

The co-authors say several key takeaways for governments, corporations and consumers emerged from their research. First, when facing highly volatile and unknown risks such as a pandemic, corporations should be pro-active rather than reactive. The authors give the example of Loblaws as one company that kept communication lines open and took immediate action. Second, governments and policymakers must be aware of the evolving nature of expert knowledge regarding new and unknown diseases and should err on the side of being overly cautious. And lastly, even though the government might have made mistakes, citizens must bear some of the burden of trying to contain the spread of the virus.

The one clear lesson that we learned from our collective responses to the pandemic, say the authors, is that “it takes everyone to protect everyone.”

Schulich partners with non-profit to provide free program to Black community

Two Black women talk together

Two Toronto organizations are teaming up to teach business know-how and entrepreneurship skills to members of Toronto’s Black community.

The Schulich School of Business at York University, Canada’s pre-eminent business school, and A Different Booklist Cultural Centre (ADBCC) – The People’s Residence, a non-profit hub and destination that provides opportunities to experience the culture and history of Canadians of African and Caribbean ancestry, have launched an “Introduction to Business” webinar series.

The eight-week business certificate program, which is free of charge, covers topics that range from marketing and accounting to leadership and human resources management and concludes with a session on how to develop a business plan. Each webinar is 75 minutes in length and includes a lecture from a Schulich professor, a discussion with a Black entrepreneur, and a Q-and-A session to conclude.

Guest entrepreneurs include Michael Jobity, co-founder of 2Unify; Akosua Asare, founder and CEO of Essence Luxe Couture and a Schulich graduate; and Granville Mayers, owner of Athletic Leaders. Registration for the program is full but individuals can add their names to a waiting list.

The idea for the “Introduction to Business” program was conceived by Ashwin Joshi, director of the MBA program at Schulich.

“We’re delighted to be able to partner with ADBCC to create community-based learning that will help people grow their businesses and turn ideas into new business ventures,” says Joshi. “The certificate course will provide participants with the basics of running a business, while also giving them the opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs and draw inspiration from their success.

“It’s important for our School that we reflect the diversity that is Toronto. This webinar series is part of a more sustained and purposeful engagement between Schulich and the Black community in Toronto.”

“ADBCC – The People’s Residence is pleased to share this collaboration with Schulich as it brings community and academia together,” says Itah Sadu, managing director. “Innovation and change take place when academia is located in its very essence – the community. The course strives to open doors to the business and corporate world and, as former MLA Rosemary Brown said, ‘to hold those doors open so others can come through.’”

Participants who complete all the webinars will receive a Certificate of Completion.

For more information on the webinar series, visit https://adbcc.org.

Schulich professor earns Minister’s Award of Excellence for developing COVID-19 dashboard

Image announcing Awards

Schulich School of Business Professor Murat Kristal has received a Minister’s Award of Excellence from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. He was recognized for developing an analytics dashboard to provide daily insights into the spread of COVID-19 in countries around the world. This vital information helps policymakers, healthcare administrators and public health officials make evidence-based decisions.

Murat Kristal
Murat Kristal

“I was honoured to receive this award,” said Kristal. “This was a team initiative that was supported by our Deloitte Cognitive Analytics and Visualization Lab.

Kristal is director of the Master of Business Analytics (MBAN) Program and the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence (MMAI) Program at Schulich.

“Both Hjalmar Turesson, PhD (Deloitte data scientist) and David Elsner, MBA (instructor with the MBAN and MMAI programs) played an important role in building and developing this dashboard and we should acknowledge their efforts as well,” Kristal said.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities’ Award of Excellence recognizes educators for their dedication to their local community, their students and the broader postsecondary education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.