NextGen Risk: Team Profile | Humber Polytechnic

John McNeil (advisor)

I’m really happy with the team that we put together. We interview every student that comes through, and we evaluate them. I evaluate their strengths, right down to even the sound of their voice and how it will be interpreted. This is our second time doing this. The first time, we did it with Cookhouse Labs, and we were successful.

Bruna [who was unavailable for the CU interview] is going through nursing. You would know Bruna if you met her, because she’s got a great aura to her. Bruna was on our first-place team that won an award last year, in the entrepreneurship case competition.

Lukas Mykola George

I thought insurance was pretty interesting. It was a pretty cool industry to get into. I’ve always liked the business aspect of insurance. I’ve always wondered, “What actually is insurance? And how does it work?’

I mean, it was quite a shift from my previous program, which was an off-branch of electromechanical engineering. Was a bit of a switch, right? But it was good.

For my final semester of [the electromechanical engineering program], which was sustainable energy and building technologies…we had this giant capstone project. There was an open house at the Humber facility, and you had to pitch your solution to whatever problem you came up with. And that was really fun. I really like trying to sell people on this and getting to explain something really complicated in a way that anybody could understand it.

And I think that carries over into insurance, explaining why a solution is something people need.

Mike Organisciak

My background is actually in marketing and copywriting. I studied English literature. I thought, ‘I want to take a sort of creative path.’ But when I got into copywriting, I did more sales-heavy copy. I thought it would be mostly creative, and it turned out to be a lot more analytical. And, actually, it turned out I enjoy doing that analytical part more as a day job.

I was literally just researching, ‘What’s a stable career option?’ For me, I have a one-year-old, so I need stability. I thought, ‘Let’s find what suits my skills.’

I learned about underwriting as a job, and it kind of felt like a good fit. I learned about it maybe a week or two before the program started. I applied at very last second. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it, and luckily, it turns out that I really enjoy it.

Bhagyashri Sisodia

My name is Bhagyashri, fondly known as “Shri.” I ended up here because my program coordinator recommended me to John for this competition. Just a few months back, I took part in one of the hackathons in which our team won first prize. We were challenged to develop a brand kit for an institution. I really liked how we could make something innovative while working as a team.

My background is industrial business management. I’m a fourth-year student, and I really found my footing in the marketing and communications industry.

Either public speaking or leaning into your analytical skills for the [insurance] case competition is valid and relevant when working in any kind of industry. I’m really thankful to John, because his guidance has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the insurance industry.

Unavailable for an interview: Gena Markous, Bruna de Carvalho Aiala