Students from Ivey’s MSc, MBA, and HBA programs put their knowledge of data and digital assets to work to help a real-life organization seize the power of emerging technology at the newly created Ivey Digital Innovation Conference presented by Adobe.
This inaugural conference, initiated and founded by MSc '23 candidate Ziana Nathoo from the Digital Management stream, was a collaborative effort involving fellow MSc Digital Management students Kyle Edmonds, Joseph Lau, Zach Ongaro, Raksha Seeburun, and Abdulla Said. More than 150 Ivey students came together to exhibit their skills related to digital transformation, innovation, and design thinking.
Spanning two weeks, the conference featured a case competition and a series of workshops led by Adobe Digital Strategy’s team focused on topics including, personalization at scale, content supply chain, and personalized insights and engagement. These sessions were designed to assist participants in honing their presentation skills, discussing current market challenges, and sharing customer success stories.
Naqaash Pirani (Head of Digital Strategy at Adobe Canada) and Shuhrat Shabham (Digital Strategy Consultant) played a key role in shaping and executing the conference.
A student-led initiative
"As a student in the Ivey MSc Digital Management program, I quickly recognized the need to engage with clients to solve real-world problems and engage in experiential learning. With the program being so new at Ivey, I saw an opportunity to develop a formal conference and case competition for students that would allow us to utilize the core skills taught in classes,” said Nathoo. “Together with my executive team, we are excited to shape the future of the conference by building new relationships with organizations focused on digital transformation, creating a cornerstone for the Ivey MSc program.”
The challenge
The challenge set forth by Adobe’s Digital Strategy and Cloud Solutions Team was both innovative and demanding. Students first attended tech talks on Adobe Solutions and sales plays. They then used this knowledge to develop comprehensive solutions, aiming to advance the digital goals of a Canadian Financial Services organization using Adobe’s AI and digital experience tools.
Through immersion in Adobe's innovative digital strategies, cloud solutions, and exploration of the Canadian financial services industry, students gained a deeper understanding of available products and features. This understanding empowered them to creatively pair these elements, crafting solutions that showcased demonstrable value in their case presentations.
Networking with Canadian leaders in business and technology
The case competition and conference culminated with six teams being selected to attend the finals at Adobe’s Toronto office. This event served as a platform for students to display their creative and innovative ideas, presenting them to a panel of judges comprised of senior executives from Adobe, Canadian Tire, CIBC, and TD. The event also featured a fireside chat with women leaders in finance and technology and concluded with an exclusive networking session at Bar Chica, attended by senior executives from Adobe, Canadian Tire, CIBC, TD, OMERS, and TMX.
Having seen Ivey students in action before in case competitions and classroom discussions, I had extremely high expectations of the participants in the Digital Innovation Conference. I was pleased, but not at all surprised, to see that they exceeded these expectations, and truly impressed our panel of executive judges. The thoughtful analysis, innovative applications of AI, and presentation design and delivery all contributed to a day of highly engaging presentations, and a very tough decision in selecting the winning team. Huge congrats to the competition winners and all finalists and participants for a job well done!”
– Naqaash Pirani, Head of Digital Strategy at Adobe Canada
Joseph Lau, an MSc in Digital Management candidate, said he was excited about partnering with Adobe.
“Getting to work with Adobe added a crucial layer of depth to our conference. Not only did their expertise enrich our understanding of their digital solutions, but students were taught practical insights into industry best practices," he said. "By building relationships with giants like Adobe, our conference can continue to bring real-world relevance to Ivey’s Digital Management program, bridging the gap between in-class learning and industry demands."
Adobe Canada's Solution Consulting team is a leader in the world of marketing technology. The team specializes in delivering cutting-edge solutions to a diverse range of industries, helping businesses of all sizes thrive in the digital era. With a strong presence across Canada, this team collaborates closely with clients from various sectors, including retail, finance, health care, and entertainment, to name a few.
A cornerstone event for Digital Management students
Nathoo's vision for the event was centred around utilizing the expertise gained from the Digital Management program to create innovative solutions for a prominent technology company. Representing the third cohort of the Ivey MSc Digital Management program, she aimed to showcase how skills in digital transformation, innovation, design thinking, and analytics are needed in the business world today.
While in the planning stages, she recognized the value of extending the conference's scope beyond just the Digital Management program. By opening the conference to all Ivey programs, there was potential for a more comprehensive approach where students from all Ivey programs could collaborate, combining their diverse skill sets to develop more effective and multifaceted solutions. The conference not only fostered practical knowledge related to digital transformation and innovation, but also equipped students with the latest digital tools and insights for success in their academic and professional endeavours.
Kyle Edmonds, a member of the event’s founding team, expressed his enthusiasm about the conference's future.
“As our team envisions the future of the Ivey Digital Innovation Conference, I am genuinely excited to witness the growth of our students and how their evolving skill sets will mould them into influential leaders. They are set to drive innovation and shape the digital landscape of tomorrow,” he said.
Nathoo said this sentiment resonates with the overarching goal of the conference, preparing future leaders for the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.
Special thanks to everyone involved
Event leads: Naqaash Pirani (Head of Digital Strategy, Adobe Canada) and Shuhrat Shabnam (Digital Strategy Cloud Solutions Consultant, Adobe Canada)
Workshop leads: Fernando Alfaro, Kristi Bethune, and Jonathan Robson (Cloud Solution Consultants, Adobe Canada)
Judges: Shivani Oberoi (Enterprise Digital Strategy Leader, TD), Danoon Alwan (Director, Enterprise Digital Strategy at CIBC), Zhen Jiwa (VP Product, Growth and Acquisition at Canadian Tire), Carrie Lee (Senior Enterprise Sales Regional Director, Adobe Canada), and Peter Goedegebuure (Ivey Executive in Residence)
Organizing team: Ziana Nathoo (President), Kyle Edmonds (VP Logistics), Joseph Lau (VP Logistics), Raksha Seeburun (VP Marketing), Zach Ongaro (VP Finance), Abdulla Said (VP Finance)
Congratulations to the winners
First place: Aylene van den Eijnden, Corey Chan, Jacey Vi and Maria Sushcheva – $375 each
Second place: Dalton King, Eden Frost, Laura Haupt, Wasan Haider and Wesley Hackl – $150 each
Third place: Mani Mehrotra, Mishita Kodani, Sandy Chang, Sarang Kumar and Ozlem Gorkan – $50 each
The winning team (l-r: Jacey Vi, Corey Chan, Aylene van den Eijnden, and Maria Sushcheva)
