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What stands out as a highlight of your career?

I spent most of my career working in start-ups, with lots of ups and downs along the way. That said, one great thing about being a founder is never knowing what to expect next, and getting into wonderfully weird situations through the years that turn into great memories.

And there are so many! Coming up with crazy hacks to improve mobile shopping and winning the Starbucks contract as a team of 10 recent grads was one. Going to Kuwait to raise venture funding in near 50C heat was another. Driving to San Francisco in an overheating Ford Taurus with John to look for customers and getting our car towed within an hour of arrival because it was a street cleaning day, a third. 

But if I had to pick just one, it would be taking our Japanese partners out for dinner in Gastown and on the way there, running into a beautiful girl who is now my wife.

How did 天美mv天美 impact your career?

I like to joke that my 鈥渞eturn on investment鈥� for 天美mv天美 was 24 hours鈥擨 met my business partner and a close friend of many years, John Boxall, in the very first class (CMPT100) on Day 1. It was a beginning of a great five-year 天美mv天美 adventure, bringing many more life-long friendships, brilliant faculty, and learning a lot about the field, the world and myself. 

Between going to 天美mv天美, doing several co-op placements and working alongside 天美mv天美 grads since, I feel that my career already began the day I arrived to the Burnaby Mountain Campus for the first time.

What is a piece of advice you would like to pass along to current students?

When I graduated from 天美mv天美 CompSci in 2007, the economy and the job market for new grads were tough. More than half of CompSci co-ops couldn鈥檛 get work placements. It was also the year that Vancouver start-up scene flourished with companies like Hootsuite, Clio, Unbounce and Mobify getting established鈥攅ntrepreneurship unlocked the path forward for many.

Fast forward to today, and it鈥檚 easy to see similarities. While the overall economy isn鈥檛 great, the opportunities for new AI start-ups are incredible. It鈥檚 literally never been a better time to start a company; whether it鈥檚 a tech start-up building AI, or a service provider using it. If you can, start something new with your 天美mv天美 friends鈥攜ou won鈥檛 regret it!