A conversation with Mustafa Ali: An advocate for diversity and entrepreneurship

Mustafa Ali, MBA ‘22, is the founder liaison and tech lead at Edmonton Unlimited where he supports companies in starting, growing and thriving in Edmonton. During his time in the MBA program, he participated in Net Impact and was a mentor of the MBA Buddy Program. He also co-founded Honeycomb; a platform that brings together Alberta School of Business MBA students, alumni and startups to facilitate collisions that foster collaboration, investment and camaraderie.  

The Alberta School of Business talks with Ali about his decision to pursue an MBA, his experience in the program and journey after graduation, and his commitment to advocating for increased diversity and representation in the business world.

Read on to hear from Ali!! 

*This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

Can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue an MBA at the Alberta School of Business?

M: Many children of first generation immigrants share a similar experience: we watch our parents struggle to navigate new lands, cultures and languages. Our parents rely on us to take on interpreter roles at the doctors office, translate and transcribe government documents, and liaise between parent and teacher. Seeing our parents struggle instills in many children of immigrants a desire to succeed. 

A cursory analysis of my own family’s condition led me to an interest in politics. After all, it was the failings of politics and policy that delivered our family here. This experience inspired work on various campaigns and initiatives, contributing to policy development, leading stakeholder engagement and shaping public relations efforts. Alongside work in politics, I facilitated community programs, organized events and helped foster community development. Much of this work was driven by a desire to make a positive impact and improve the lives of communities like mine. Building on these experiences, I was offered the opportunity to serve as a Stakeholder Relations Manager for the Premier of Alberta, a role where I was able to champion causes near to my heart and engage with and highlight the concerns of underrepresented communities. In particular, immigrant and newcomer communities. 

After political changes and subsequent layoffs in 2019, I was able to travel to the Middle East and Africa where I learned about the far reaching effects of business. The crowd at the bazaars, the supply of fish in the fish markets, and the daily changes in prices of goods and commodities were the primary focus. Scarcity, inflation and profit (or lack thereof) were more commonly discussed. I found myself ill-equipped to speak or understand the language of business. A realization that inspired a renewed interest in business and its potential for good. 

Considering my options for transitioning in the world of business, an MBA seemed the obvious option. From a skill development and career advancement perspective, an MBA offered a valuable opportunity for growth and expanded career prospects. An MBA would also lend legitimacy to an aspiring entrepreneur with a desire to make an impact in the private sector. As an alumni of the University of Alberta with only fond memories of my time there, the prospect of returning to my alma mater for an MBA made perfect sense.  

What did you enjoy most about your time in the MBA Program?

M: One of the primary values of an MBA is the network you develop. This network is often formed through overcoming challenging courses and projects together. Late nights and early mornings spent solving case competitions or collaborating on the capstone help form bonds that, in many cases, last a lifetime. 

One of the unique challenges of taking an MBA during a once in a generation pandemic, however, was the lack of in person engagements as a consequence of remote studies. To compensate for the absence of in-person opportunities, many students hosted virtual and, where safe, in-person events. Trips to Jasper, evenings at Earls and Deweys became the avenues for us to come together to laugh and celebrate the journey.

These casual moments to laugh (and at times cry) formed the bedrock of some of my fondest memories. These brief moments of distraction from statistics assignments and case studies were a welcome reprieve.

What was your experience like as one of the few Black students in your MBA cohort?

M: The summer before I began my MBA journey, the world changed. The brutal murder of George Floyd ignited a global wave of protests against anti-Black racism. This heightened awareness of the challenges faced by Black communities. Prompted by the demands for action, businesses, governments, and institutions promised to do more. They promised to reshape policies and practices to be more inclusive. They promised to be more representative of and responsive to Black communities. 

With so much focus on symbols and rhetoric, that summer I penned an opinion piece with the Edmonton Journal highlighting actions that could be taken to empower Black communities. The timing proved prescient. Arriving at the University of Alberta and discovering I was the sole Black student from Canada in my cohort underscored the need for continued progress. 

In professional and academic settings there is an additional burden placed on individuals from minority groups to represent their entire group and speak on behalf of diverse communities, to educate others on a broad set of cultures and communities and to navigate stereotype bias. When discussing topics of bias and racism, I am the object of consolement and simultaneously the resident expert. I am a lone voice advocating for Black History month events. Calls to support Black-owned businesses find little audience. References to Black communities or Africa globally are rare. This can be remedied by simply increasing recruitment of Black students and particularly in Alberta.  

How important is representation in the business world?

M: Representation is not simply a question of morality but is crucial to business success. More diverse companies are more innovative, outperform financially, and have an easier time recruiting talent.

Businesses with employees with diverse backgrounds bring broader perspectives, ideas, and experiences that contribute to more resilient and effective organizations and initiatives. Underrepresented groups are a rapidly growing consumer base and companies that understand how to build and market products to them are poised to be more successful. 

A Boston Consulting Group study shows diverse leadership and organizations are more innovative. They found that companies with more diverse management teams have 19 per cent higher revenues due to innovation. This is especially significant in tech companies, start-ups and high growth industries where innovation is especially fundamental to success. A McKinsey study found that ethnically diverse organizations are 35 per cent more likely to outperform the competition. This is largely due to the fact that greater representation results in more viewpoints and diverse ideas, and, in turn, better products and services. Simply put, businesses with a diverse workforce will have a competitive advantage over those that don't. Finally, prospective talent, particularly millennials and gen z, report diversity in the workplace as an important factor when considering potential employers.  

You indicated your desire to support the school’s recruitment efforts. In what ways do you believe universities can better support and attract students from underrepresented backgrounds?

It's important in all recruitment efforts that institutions are intentional about delivering on their values. Especially values like diversity and inclusion. We need to examine what is working and what is not working, and why. Understanding which channels and spaces have greater reach with diverse communities can be an important step in raising awareness and increasing representation of underrepresented groups. 

Additionally, meeting people where they are is an important step in recruiting students from underrepresented communities. Practically speaking, the Alberta School of Business could consider targeted ads using language and area as a proxy and expanding outreach efforts to include visiting schools, community centers and spaces with diverse audiences.  

Since graduating from the MBA program, what have you been up to professionally? Can you share a bit about your long term goals?

I joined the MBA program with the goal of transitioning into the world of business and entrepreneurship. Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to serve as the Founder Liaison and Tech Lead at Edmonton Unlimited (formerly Innovate Edmonton). In this role, I support technology and innovative companies in starting, growing, and thriving in Edmonton. I work closely with founders, helping them partner with the City of Edmonton to pilot their technologies in a live environment. Ultimately, at the core of my role is the goal of supporting and connecting founders as they pursue their dreams inside one of the fastest growing startup ecosystems in North America.

Concurrently, I am working on developing my own startup in the proptech space. Unsurprisingly, entrepreneurship has proven a uniquely challenging but intrinsically rewarding experience. 

Additionally, I am a co-founder of Honeycomb; a platform to facilitate meaningful alumni-alumni, alumni-student, and student-industry relationships through venture investing. We bring together Alberta School of Business MBA students, MBA alumni, and startups to facilitate collisions that foster collaboration, investment, and at the very least camaraderie.  

Long term I hope to continue to support founders in whatever capacity I am most capable of serving. Optimistically, I hope to invest in founders and companies I believe in. In that same vein, I hope to continue to explore business opportunities for myself, and build community.  

What advice do you have for current MBA students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, who are navigating their academic and professional paths?

Put yourself out there and grow your network. Engaging with peers, professors, alumni, and business leaders is far more important than getting an Aon every assignment. Marks are, of course, important, but networking opens doors to opportunities that a letter grade cannot. 

Focus on building bridges and opportunities, rather than tearing down barriers. Create spaces for yourself and welcome others. What we build has greater impact and more staying power than what we destroy.

Compensate for perceived weaknesses. Recognize stereotype bias is real and address any perceived weaknesses by seeking additional training or support where necessary. Use these challenges as opportunities for growth and development.

Don’t surrender your agency by allowing other people’s actions define or shape you. Stay focused on your goals, and you'll be better equipped to navigate your academic and professional paths successfully.