Executive Team 24-25
Club Mission
We are MBA students who know the value of design to business and are passionate about user-focused innovation. Our club exists to raise awareness about business design and facilitate student-to-industry connections, give opportunities for practical application, and provide an inclusive harbour for the business design community.
Club Vision
To inspire the next generation of business designers who will be able to tackle complex problems.
Negar Farazmand
President
Having navigated both structured thinking in software engineering and creativity through Iranian music, Negar felt at home in the world of design as she embarked on her journey into UI/UX.
Prior to joining Rotman, Negar worked at early-stage startups, where she wore multiple hats and gained experience in digital marketing, project management, product development, and customer support, always maintaining a user-centered approach.
Negar is driven by her goal to apply human-centric design and innovation in the education and healthcare industries to create more inclusive experiences.
Upasana Kagalkar,
VP Case Competitions
With a background in Computer Engineering and over five years of experience, Upasana has collaborated with brands across various business verticals, enabling them with their digital transformation journeys while refining her skills in Sales, Marketing, Project Management, and Business Development. Currently, Upasana is interning at Microsoft in the Customer Success Account Management role, where she is further developing her business design skills.
Her passion lies in crafting effective business strategies, branding, and exploring the interplay between sales and marketing strategies. As a recent business design enthusiast, Upasana is excited to introduce more people to design thinking and help them realize its potential.
Shaumil Poojara,
VP Education
Shaumil bridges the gap between design and business. Prior to Rotman, he was a founding member of a startup supported by Creative Destruction Lab. With over seven years of experience in brand strategy and design innovation, he excels at uncovering market opportunities and driving strategic thinking at the intersection of venture strategy, human centered design, and behavioral science.
Sanchia Pereira,
VP Case
Competitions & Finance
Sanchia is a Chartered Accountant, and graduated with a Master of Commerce in Banking and Finance. Driven by a relentless passion for innovation and exploration, she started her career in the dynamic field of audit, specializing in finance sector audits, deep diving into different business processes, developing a systems thinking approach. Moving into a controller role at Capgemini, while working to understand the needs of different business stakeholders, she also dedicated extensive efforts to innovate enhancing financial analysis processes, leveraging advanced data analysis tools to streamline operations and bolster efficiency.
Sanchia will be honing her skills with human-centered design by pursuing an internship in Healthcare Strategy this fall.
Ameya Purohit,
VP Student Engagement
As someone who joined the Business Design Club because it sounded “cool” to soon starting an internship (as a Product Manager) that integrates Business Design principles extensively, Ameya has had a long journey filled with learning and exploration with respect to this field. He wishes to help people tackle ambiguity around this field and reach a stage of understanding in order to equip them with the ability of looking at problems in a different way altogether.
Bianca Fortunato,
VP Industry Relations
Bianca hasexperience in innovation strategy, having worked in digital transformation in Argentina's beverage industry and currently interning at MLSE in the sports sector. She is passionate about business design and technology, focusing on creating impactful, user-centered solutions.
Bianca believes in the power of technology to bridge diverse teams and ignite cross-functional creativity. Viewing digital transformation as a cultural shift, she is committed to continuous learning and seeks innovative strategies that leverage data-driven insights, paving the way for success in the evolving landscape of business design.
Aakanksha Patel, Director of Marketing
Aakanksha is a tech professional passionate about building creative and authentic businesses. As an Agile coach, she has led projects for global telecom giants and co-founded an event management venture. With marketing experience in hospitality, tech, and construction, she believes in storytelling, empathy, and social intelligence to create innovative businesses. When in doubt, she loves to chat about her recent reads and favorite F1 moments!
Kaavya Kannan,
VP Operations
Kaavya is an MBA candidate at the Rotman School of Management, passionate about blending technology with human interaction. With six years of experience in Sales, Operations, and Strategy at a Unicorn startup, she is inspired to use business design thinking to tackle complex challenges and deliver impactful solutions iteratively.
She aims to make the Business Design Club events more educational, spreading awareness and helping members better understand its principles and use it in their day-to-day.
Viraj Mehta,
VP Communications
Viraj Mehta is an MBA candidate at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. During the summer he interned in the Enterprise Strategy team at OLG.
Prior to Rotman, Viraj spent six years at Deloitte where he served Financial Services clients (primarily Insurers, Digital Banks and Payment Networks) on a range of topics covering Operational & Regulatory Risk, Digital Risk, Corporate Governance, Process Improvement and Business Transformation.
Viraj completed his Master of Commerce degree and graduated with a Bachelor of Management Studies.
Outside of work, Viraj is a big foodie, geopolitics buff and cricket enthusiast!
Sri Manthra K R, MEMBA Director
Sri Manthra is a seasoned professional known for transforming complex data into actionable strategies. Currently pursuing a part-time MBA at the Rotman School of Management while working full-time, she exemplifies dedication to continuous learning and professional growth. In addition to their professional achievements,Sri is an active advocate for enhanced networking and cross-program interaction among students at Rotman. Passionate about creating accessible opportunities for all, she is spearheading efforts to establish a student forum aimed at fostering meaningful connections across diverse programs and schedules.