Advertise on podcast: Voices of Western

We got into our entrepreneurial bag with Episode 61 of Voices of Western 💼This week, our host Hossein welcomed Western alumni and current business law practitioner, Mario Nigro!! In our episode, Mario recounted his undergraduate and graduate journey and discussed some of the attributes and characteristics that make a successful lawyer 📊Additionally, Mario gave us a quick crash course on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), a relatively new form of entrepreneurship in Canada that focuses on acquiring and growing companies 📈

This week, our host Yusuf sat down with student musician Naraiyan, who recently released his new EP titled “2004”. We learned more about his musical journey and what it takes to create, record and produce his music 🎶 Be sure to give his new EP a listen and check out all of his other music (our favourite song is HML📲)

Episode 59 of Voices of Western is here and we’ve got a star-studded line-up 🌟Our host Yusuf was joined by four incredible content creators here at Western University, where we learned a bit about their unique creative journeys, future ambitions in content creation and the challenges they’ve faced through it all!

Our senior podcast host, Hossein is back for another episode with Nour Habliza, a London-based business owner and current law student at TMU. During his undergraduate degree, Nour kick-started his own automobile dealership based on his love for cars and his personal entrepreneurial drive. As an active member of the London community, Nour has become a role model through his professional achievements, and his volunteer work with London-based youth basketball programs.

Season 6 of Voices of Western is here! In today's episode, our newest host, Yusuf, is joined by Ava, who is a talented artist and a 1st-year student at Western. Ava's artwork integrates her Afro-Latin Caribbean culture into pieces that tell a story of cultural heritage and pride. Listen for some of Ava's inspirations behind her artwork, the importance of her culture when developing her pieces, and her future career aspirations. Follow Ava's artwork page on Instagram @avajasmineartistry!

In today's podcast episode, our host Greg is joined by student science counselor, Bayton soph and co-founder of Pangea, Noah Matsakawo! The two discuss some of Noah's duties as a student counselor, career aspirations and how he manages his busy schedule!

Season 5 of Voice of Western is here! Join our discussion where our host Gregory sits down with Azam, a computer science student here at Western University. The duo talk about Azam's internship, how life is like living the internship versus student life, as well as a little dive into Greg and Azam's workout routines!

In the season 4 finale of Voices of Western, Hossein is joined by Stephanie Curcio, CEO and Co-founder of NLPatent, a leading AI-based patent search and analytics platform. We talk about Steph's educational journey and her decision to attend law school instead of medical school. Along with learning more about the founder's journey in the early days of a startup, we also gain some insights into the fields of patents and AI. 🚀 Don't miss our 'Hot Takes' section, where Steph and Hossein discuss their hot takes on the portrayal of lawyers in TV shows like Suits compared to the realities of practicing law in the real world 🚀 Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction to Steph’s journey and her upbringing 5:07 - Pivotal moments that made Steph decide to go the Law School route vs. Med School 9:06 - Importance of taking a Gap Year to try new things 13:49 - Law School experience at Western University 17:57 - Favourite Law School memories 22:39 - Hot Takes: What's your take on the portrayal of lawyers in TV shows like Suits compared to the realities of practicing law in the real world? 26:00 - How do you help today’s startups with their IP strategy? 36:51 - What does community mean to you? 40:01 - What is the founder's journey like when building a product, testing initial traction, and finding product market fit? 45:46 - How much savings did you have when you dove into Entrepreneurship? 48:39 - Mystery Question: Who is someone you look up to as a role model or as an inspiration?

In today’s episode, Gregory is joined by Milan Mammen, a third-year BMSc student and our club president. Listen along as Milan offers her thoughts on Humans of Western, her hobbies, and the rewarding experience of being a student mentor. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 06:45 - Milan’s favourite podcast guest 08:19 - Go-to order at the Spoke 16:36 - Growing as a person throughout university 20:14 - Being out of date 29:43 - SRAs 35:00 - Getting into a productive mindset 40:23 - Favourite libraries

In today's episode, Hossein is joined by Bita Pejam, a seasoned community organizer with experience in public policy advisory and strategy. She earned her undergraduate degree in political science at Western and went on to get an MBA at McMaster. Her previous experiences include working on trade policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs, serving as a municipal economic advisor, and working as a management consultant in KPMG's advising division. She is currently the Manager of Operations and Stakeholder Relations for the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern ON on Parliament Hill. We discuss Bita's schooling at Western and beyond, how she got exposure to politics, and get an insight into the day-to-day responsibilities that come with this unique profession. 🚀 Don't miss our 'Hot Takes' section, where Bita and Hossein discuss their hot takes on how social media's increasing influence is shaping political narratives, and the pros and cons that come with it.🚀 Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction to Bita’s journey 4:06 - How were you introduced to politics growing up? 7:39 - How did you nurture your interest in politics at Western? 10:47 - Insight into what it’s like to volunteer on a campaign for a Political Candidate 14:26 - Hot Takes: What's your take on social media's increasing influence in shaping political narratives? Is it improving our political conversations by including more voices, or do you see it causing more problems by making people more divided? 21:20 - Pursuing an MBA degree and landing a full-time job offer while in University 26:22 - How was your exchange experience in Germany? What did you learn about their culture? 32:16 - What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities in your current role? 35:05 - How has your Persian heritage served you in your role? 39:04 - What are some of the myths people think about when thinking about politics? 42:33 - Mystery Question: If money weren’t a factor, would you still be pursuing the career that you currently have? If yes - why do you think that’s the case? If not - what else would you be doing?

In today's episode, Emmanuel is joined by Sophie Bouquillon, a fourth year Psychology student at Huron, Senior Photo Editor at the Western Gazette and two-time nominee for Canadian University Press’ Student Photojournalist of the Year award. We explore Sophie’s passion for photography, her personal and professional aspirations and inspirations, and how her role at the Western Gazette has helped accelerate her photojournalism career. Check out Sophie’s portfolio: Website: https://www.momscamera.com/ Instagram: momscamera

In today’s episode, Gregory is joined by Jen Jang, a third-year residence don at Delaware and a cello player. Join us as Jen shares her wide range of community involvement in EthnoUSC, Western heads East, TedxWestern and her work for SHAD! Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 01:20 - Jen’s commitment to the Cello and her involvement to Western Chamber Music 04:50 - Burnout and other challenges with learning an instrument 08:40 - Other clubs and commitments 10:22 - Involvement in EthnoUSC  12:50 - Involvement in Science Student Council International Outreach Committee 14:52 - SHAD experience and their cultural night  17:58 - Favorite SHAD projects 22:50 - Personal and professional development from extracurriculars 24:50 - Being a Residence Don 27:28 - Intramural dodgeball 29:00 - Residence Donning and Don Rooms 33:11 - Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone

In today’s episode, Hossein is joined by Savio Joseph, an award-winning entertainer with over a decade of experience in the event space. He hosts engaging and memorable events through the use of magic, hypnosis, and mentalism. Chances are that you have seen him perform at Western during O-week or on a much larger scale, at Canada’s Got Talent (CGT) 2022 Finals on national television. We talk about his journey growing up, getting introduced to magic, behind the scenes of CGT, his outlook on life, and the day-to-day lifestyle that accompanies this unique profession. 🚀 Don't miss our 'Hot Takes' section, where Savio and Hossein discuss their hot takes on how people could explore life after graduation. Are we in too much of a rush to grow up after finishing university? 🚀 You can find Savio on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram @Saviojosephtv and follow his journey.

In today’s episode, Hossein is joined by Ben Jones, a seasoned startup leader and proud Ivey HBA graduate with a passion for helping emerging companies reach new markets and solve new problems. We cover insights into today’s hiring dynamics, what goes behind the scenes when working with Venture Capitals, and a deep dive into Ben’s side hustle projects and his experience running for the USC presidency during his time at Western. 🚀 Don't miss our 'Hot Takes' section, where Ben and Hossein discuss their hot takes on the office vs. work-from-home heated debate 🚀 Feel free to follow Ben on YouTube (@bentalksbusiness) and TikTok (@businessofben) for all things business.

In today’s episode, Gregory is joined by Elvy Arifaj, a second-year residence soph at Bayton and a water polo enthusiast. Join us as Elvy offers some philosophical insights on his approach towards balancing his life between school, sophing, and hobbies!