Say hello to the Current NHBC 2018 leaders!

Shagun Maheshwari

My name is Shagun, I am 15 years old, and I am extremely passionate about cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. I have developed a few machine learning algorithms myself and I am looking to apply my knowledge in this field to industries such as healthcare, business and self-driving cars.

Yahya Rao

I am a high school student in my junior year in the International Baccalaureate Programme. I am an ambitious student looking to be a leader in the community and excel in the fields of technology. I possess out-of-the-box thinking and am a great problem solver.

Karam Bambawale

My name is Karam Bambawale and I attend the tenth grade at Upper Canada College. I am an aspiring 15-year-old business student skilled in aspects of enterprise risk in the consumer electronics and retail industry. I have travelled extensively throughout the world and lived in several different countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. Presently, I am the VP of Risk, Co-founder, and leading executive of my company, PowrPac. I am also interested in several parts of Business, in particular, corporate law.

Riya Karumanchi

Riya is a 16-year-old entrepreneur passionate about harnessing technology to better people’s lives and make a positive impact on the world.

She currently has a startup company called SmartCane, an assistive device for orientation and mobility for the visually impaired.

A chance encounter at a friend’s house with their visually impaired grandmother pushed her to come up with a solution to help enable independence and mobility.

The SmartCane is an enhanced version of the common white cane that was never updated to take advantage of new technologies.

Starting as just a science fair project, her team has now received $40,000 in funding and in-kind services and assistance from companies like Microsoft, Inertia Engineering, Arrow Electronics, ICUBE & UrTech.

James Quinlan

James Quinlan is a university student with a strong interest in business, specifically marketing and consulting. Having been a member of DECA -a student business organization- for four years, James quickly discovered his passion for case competitions and networking, and this past year, he served as a Provincial Officer for DECA Ontario. James also founded Socialseed, an organization that provides free social media consulting services to youth businesses and not-for-profits. Outside of business, James plays the trumpet, is a Summer Camp Counsellor, volunteers at his church, and plays tennis. He is more than excited to serve as a National Leader/ Ambassador for this year's NHBC, and cannot wait to network with students from across Canada!

Dhruv Sharma

Dhruv a 15-year-old tech enthusiast that attends Upper Canada College. He is part of Canada's leading innovation program, The Knowledge Society (TKS) in which students are put in real world situations unlike school and also exposed to exponential technologies. An example of this is partnering with large companies such as TD to help improve the students consulting abilities. In the TD challenge, TKS innovators showcase their solutions to the problem that TD bank has of garnering more users in the new immigrant sector. He is currently interested in Quantum computing and it's many implications on the world and especially the drug industry. He is taking a course on edx by UC Berkeley to further learn about this exponential technology.

Hong Yi Chen

Hong Yi Chen is attending university with a passion for technology and entrepreneurship. He is an active leader in multiple youth ventures, tech organizations, and STEM initiatives. He has interned for RBC on their entrepreneurship team, launched an enviro-tech company called Greenback, and is an international DECA Champion. He hopes to help and empower others and create an environment for passionate individuals to thrive. Through his relentless dedication and hard work, he has gained many achievements academically and in the business world. Ultimately, Hong Yi aims to spark significant change in the world and continue to learn and innovate.

Ben Jones

Ben Jones is a Serial Entrepreneur with a passion for Business and Technology. Currently, he is working on creating Blockchain based Derivative Backed Equity products. His previous experience in Education startups, as well as his experience running a Micro Clothing Brand, give him a wide range of skills and experiences. His personal website featuring his work is https://benjones.work

Luke Piette

I'm a high school student, passionate about science, more specifically into curing Alzheimer's disease using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). My journey started at The Knowledge Society (TKS), an innovative learning program for teens that focused on exponential technologies and teaching real-world skills. After months of research, I've moved towards the programming side of technology, and am now coding my own artificial neural networks. In the future, I hope to use the skills I've gained over time to build my own products and change the world.  

Gaurav Dogra

I'm a 15-year-old student/entrepreneur with a passion for innovation and personal development. I'm currently a high school student in Toronto, Ontario. Through various programs for youth in Toronto, I've developed strong interests in fields like augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. I've built applications in AR and had opportunities to go to conferences like Go North, SingularityU Summit, and ElevateTO where I've further my interest in these fields. I'm looking forward to getting further into other innovative fields and build in them as well!

Vita Lin

Vita Lin is currently a university student. Throughout her high school career, she has been studying business-related courses and participating in extensive extracurricular activities. Her work experience includes doing cooperative work with Haier Group Co., Web International School, Capital Basketball League, etc. She hopes to continue her post-secondary school in the Mathematical and Business discipline. As a National Leader for 2018 NHBC, Vita is dedicated to providing teams with the best resources possible.

Cindy Zhang

Cindy Zhang graduated as an IB student at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School from Mississauga. She enjoys the little spontaneous moments in life – whether that be piercing her cartilage or dying her hair at 2 AM in the morning. Due to her spontaneity, she often tries to do something or go somewhere new, and loves meeting new people! She has also recently made a huge life discovery; despite hating seafood for all 16 years of her life, she has discovered that she may be obsessed with sushi. She is excited to be attending this NHBC conference to develop her business skills and meet new people!

Krishna Bambawale

Krishna is an aspiring 15-year-old student who is currently in the 9th grade at Upper Canada College and seeks to learn new skills, especially those regarding his development as a Business Professional. Thus far, he is already a Co-Founder and CFO of a consumer electronics company, PowrPac. Krishna has a very diverse set of expertise including in the field of Accounting/Finance which he acquired through his current post at Junior Achievement company, PowrPac. Additionally, Krishna is a well-travelled, culturally sensitive, and hard-working student who has a growth mindset and a passion for pursuing a career in Business or as an Entrepreneur. Some of his hobbies include playing soccer, watching sports, participating in extracurriculars and learning more about what the future of Business will be.

Kate Lau

In her final year at Bayview Secondary School, Kate Lau is passionate about community involvement and youth empowerment. She demonstrates these values through volunteerism and an open mind to trying new things that push her out of her comfort zone, which has led her to pursue endeavours in the dynamic world of business. Intrigued by the expanding role of technology in business, Kate is eager to learn more about how this evolution will transform the way in which we conduct business! Her other interests include creative writing, videography, curating playlists on Spotify, and she can often be found scrolling through social media, staying up to date with the latest news, particularly indulging in some entertainment news. With great excitement, Kate looks forward to sharing what NHBC has to offer!

Kene Ochuba

Kene Ochuba is a student at Upper Canada College. He has participated at many business events and even competed at the DECA Provincials event earlier this year. He participates in the Model United Nations Club and has placed well at these conferences. He enjoys reading, playing trumpet and many sports. He volunteers his time and is currently a Youth Auditor for Volunteer Toronto. He is well known in his community and always promotes positivity.

Tanisha Bassan

Hi, I am Tanisha, a student leader who is passionate about social change, STEM and entrepreneurship. I have a love for science and technology and leveraging new innovations to create an impact on the world. I advocate for youth empowerment in STEM-related fields. My interests lie in Quantum Computing, a technology I believe can change the world. I strive to use my passion and knowledge to empower others and do the unthinkable.

Sloan Sobie

My name is Sloan Sobie and I am in grade ten at Upper Canada College in Toronto, Canada. I play lots of sports in and outside of school, including basketball, football, and soccer. I also participate in lots of school clubs, such as Model UN, robotics, aviation, science, and engineering. I have a lot of interest in learning outside of school too such as space and artificial intelligence. I'm currently working on creating an app using artificial intelligence. When I am older I would love to work somewhere like NASA, Space X or start my own space company. 

Karen Yueng

A self-motivated grade 12 student, I have strong aspirations to pursue a career in the field of law. I am extremely passionate about community involvement, as well as public speaking, debate, and business. I am a strong believer in opportunities for youth to develop and strengthen their leadership skills. NHBC is an amazing opportunity to do so, and I think that there should be more opportunities just like it! Through the National Leader Programme, I hope to motivate other youth to get involved in similar initiatives!  

Ruqing Pei

Ruqing is currently a senior student enrolled in a regionally enhanced program at The Woodlands Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. Ruqing is a 4-time DECA ICDC qualifier and most notably has placed 1st overall at ICDC 2018 in the category of Sports and Entertainment Marketing. As an aspiring hedge fund portfolio manager, Ruqing is an active investor that specializes in tech, biopharma, and finance stock trading using technical analysis. In his free time, Ruqing enjoys playing competitive and recreational sports, and binge-watching clips on YouTube. He will be attending the University of California, Berkeley as an economics/business major and computer science minor this coming fall.