Ruma Bose
Spring 2022 Honorary Degree Recipient
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa)
The life and career of Quebec-born Ruma Bose (MBA’99) has been shaped by several transformative experiences, perhaps none more so than the eight months of her early 20s she spent volunteering with Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity in India. Ever since, the Â鶹´«Ã½ MBA graduate has strived to find ways to link business and entrepreneurship with social impact. This was true from the very first company she founded: a floor-finishing business that sought to make tangible improvements in the lives of its largely immigrant workforce. And it’s continued to hold true as she’s helped national and international companies discover the positive change they can make on the world around them.
Bose is currently co-founder and managing partner of Humanitarian Ventures, an investment fund linking high-growth technology companies with opportunities to benefit the humanitarian sector. Earlier in her career, she helped top-selling Greek yogurt brand Chobani expand its social mission with Chobani Ventures and the Tent Foundation, which works to respond to the global refugee crisis. In 2017, Bose co-founded and launched the Canadian Entrepreneurship Initiative with Sir Richard Branson and authored its flagship report Entrepreneurship: Canada’s Golden Opportunity. An in-demand speaker who’s been featured in the world’s top business publications, Bose’s awards and honours include the 2020 Â鶹´«Ã½ Scotiabank Ethical Leadership Award