Smith School of Business at Queen's University

Last Friday, Smith faculty and staff came together to give back to the Kingston community through the United Way KFL&A's Day of Caring.

The day was filled with painting, gardening, landscaping and cleaning projects at an emergency shelter that supports families in need in the Kingston community.

The Day of Caring brought together over 520 volunteers from 38 different workplaces, tackling projects at 50 local agency sites through KFL&A. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to help make a difference.

For more information about the United Way and its Day of Caring, visit: https://www.unitedwaykfla.ca/news/dayofcaring2026/

Last month, our incoming 2027 classes of the Master of Digital Product Management and Master of Management Innovation & Entrepreneurship programs joined us in Kingston for their Smith Innovation Suite opening session..

During the week, the cohorts immersed themselves in classes with Smith Professors Jacob Brower, Abayomi Baiyere, Elspeth J. Murray, Kathryn Brohman, Ph.D., and Ekin Ok. Associate Professor of Digital Technology and Smith's Associate Dean of Research, Shamel Addas, also popped in to deliver a presentation on AI for Business Leaders.

Outside of schoolwork, students engaged in team building with their classmates through various Fit to Lead activities where they practiced their golf swing, got messy painting, enjoyed a paddle on Gould Lake, and got to know campus and Kingston through the Smith Challenge.

Learn more about the Smith MMIE program: https://smith.queensu.ca/grad_studies/mei/index.php

Learn more about the Smith MDPM program: https://smith.queensu.ca/grad_studies/mdpm/index.php

What does it mean to keep moving forward when faced with a chronic illness?

For Smith alumnus Andrew Dawson, BCom’14, it meant taking on one of the world's most ambitious mountaineering challenges. Following a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2020, Andrew embraced a simple philosophy: “Keep Moving.” By scaling the highest peak on every continent, including four summits since his diagnosis, he is helping challenge perceptions of what is possible for people living with chronic autoimmune conditions.

Recently, Andrew reached another milestone, successfully summiting Mount Everest and completing the Seven Summits challenge.

How do you successfully transition an idea into an impactful venture?

At our recent Smith Business x Smith Engineering at Queen's University networking event at SmithToronto, alumni entrepreneurs gathered to discuss exactly that. The evening provided practical insights for founders looking to take their startups to the next level.

Moderated by Arshia Jahangiri, MMIE’23, the panel featured David Hayes, BSc'14, and Mila MacCuish, BCom'21. The conversation added a strong personal dimension to the typical startup narrative, focusing on the realistic steps, setbacks, and strategies involved in building a venture.

Thank you to our alumni for engaging so deeply during the audience Q&A, and to VALID Insurance Services for supporting this evening of community connection.

Congratulations to the Queen's Case Competition Union - QCCU for placing 1st at the 2026 Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition in Thailand!

Competing against 19 of the top business schools globally, the QCCU team, represented by Nicole Steiner, BCom'26; Kieran Carlisle, BCom'27; Yameen Khurshid, BCom'28; Serena Kassam, BCom'28; and team advisor Jean-Paul Roy, had the opportunity to present to company executives and Thai business leaders, ultimately taking home the top prize with their case presentation.

With this win, the Smith QCCU team has earned a spot at the Champions Trophy competition in New Zealand next year. Congratulations to the team for a phenomenal job representing Smith on the international stage.

Twenty-nine years ago, Alex Zhavoronkov, BCom'01, and Jeremy Lui, BCom'01, were classmates sharing a desk at Smith—today, they are innovators at the intersection of biotech and banking. https://www.queensu.ca/alumnireview/articles/2026-05-15/alex-zhavoronkov-com-01-and-jeremy-lui-com-01

Their enduring friendship paved the way for a massive collaboration on Insilico Medicine's historic IPO in Hong Kong last year. In this Queen's University Alumni Review article, they share advice on navigating uncertainty, working across interdisciplinary fields and the enduring power of trust.

Read now at the link above.

Alex Zhavoronkov, Com’01 and Jeremy Lui, Com’01 | Queen's Alumni Review Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder, CEO, and chief business officer of Insilico Medicine (HKEX:3696),

Four early-stage companies will receive financial support and expert guidance to help accelerate their ventures as recipients of the 2026 Dare to Dream Awards. Read more: https://bit.ly/4fbByJn

Delivered through Smith's Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Social Impact, the program helps student and recent alumni founders accelerate early-stage ventures through funding, coaching, mentorship, workspace and access to a vast entrepreneurial network.

This year’s recipients are building ventures across food innovation, cybersecurity, biotechnology and AI-enabled education: Food Web, founded by Justin Andrews, MMIE’25; CyAIber, founded by Syed Turab, MMAI’26; Cloak Biotech, founded by Esther Vlessing, MBA’26; and AcornMind, founded by Mo Saniei and Masoud Farsi, both MBA’26.

Each venture has received $15,000 in support thanks to the generosity of donors including Dany Battat, BCom’78, and the late Gia Steffensen, BCom’78; CIBC; the RLS Foundation; and the Sinkinson Family.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients, and thank you to the donors, mentors, alumni judges and supporters who continue to help foster entrepreneurship and innovation at Smith.

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions, cultures and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Ontario and Turtle Island.

Did you know that the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre (4D) serves as a home away from home for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students at Queen’s University? The centre offers study spaces, laundry facilities, a cozy living room and access to a full kitchen and pantry. The 4D team also facilitates cultural activities such as drumming, beading, feasts and ceremonies, alongside social, academic, and well-being programming. You can learn more here: https://www.queensu.ca/fourdirections/