Lisa Huang
MASTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION GRADUATE
Creating opportunities for Canada’s rural and remote communities
ENVIRONMENT
Lisa Huang
MASTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION GRADUATE
Creating opportunities for Canada’s rural and remote communities
Following her purpose led this master’s graduate to economic development
When you’re guided by purpose, the destination can look a little unclear. You know your “why,” but not necessarily how to achieve it.
Lisa Huang, a recent graduate of the Master of Economic Development and Innovation program in Waterloo’s School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), knows the feeling. Over the last several years, her purpose-driven path has revolved around connecting her “why” — creating opportunities for others — to her “how” — a new career path in economic development.
Pursuing a meaningful path
Born in Canada, Lisa grew up in Hong Kong and attended boarding school in California. A graduate of the Art History program at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York, she was headed toward a career in the arts and culture sector. But after interning for galleries and nonprofits, she quickly became disillusioned with the city’s overly traditional art scene.
Eager to find a path centered on innovation, she applied to an entrepreneurship program called Venture for Canada, which prepares top university grads to work in the Canadian tech sector. She was one of 60 fellows selected from a pool of nearly 1,700 applicants and landed a position with Toronto tech company Fiix Software.
While the experience was a positive one that exposed her to multiple areas of the tech business, Lisa realized she “wanted to do something more. I grew up with a lot of opportunity and privilege. And I wanted to be able to give back.”
Traveling across Canada, she had learned about the challenges underfunded rural and remote communities face as government money gets funneled primarily to core regions. She was intrigued by the potential for technologies, such as satellite internet and video conferencing, to solve infrastructure gaps and allow communities to build self-sufficient economies.
That’s when she discovered the MEDI program in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. It was the perfect place for someone with a strong interest in technology and innovation to explore “how we can transform possibilities for rural communities in Canada.”
“The opportunity to actively question everything”
“There’s something very beautiful about a graduate program where you have a second chance to reinvent yourself,” Lisa says. “The MEDI program is a great way to dive deep very quickly and learn everything there is to know about the landscape.”
As one of the only master’s programs in Canada that focuses on economic development from an innovation perspective, students explore how innovation can propel economic growth in communities.
Hands-on learning is a key element of the program. On top of studying the theory of regional economic development, students have multiple opportunities to put their learning into practice. A co-op term gives them on-the-ground industry experience, while course projects often engage with real-world scenarios—for example, creating economic development strategies, collaborating with municipal economic development teams, writing community profiles and conducting labour market analyses.
That’s all grounded in classes that are heavily based in discussion and critical thinking, giving students “the opportunity to actively question everything from day one” and envision new possibilities for the future.
Lisa spent her work term doing research under the supervision of program director, Professor Heather Hall, on a multi-million-dollar collaborative project out of Memorial University. The project explored how repurposed marine biomass can develop new products and promote a sustainable future for coastal Mi’kmaw communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Lisa’s work will contribute to mapping out the region’s assets in support of an economic development strategy.
Community-driven to the core
As part of a small cohort that “felt a bit like family,” Lisa says it was easy to get to know everyone. Spending time at the Grad House on campus was a fixture of the experience, a “safe haven” where Lisa and her classmates could “hang out and learn about what other people were working on.”
“It was an extremely collaborative environment. All of our classes were really just about learning from each other.”
Many of the MEDI program’s professors and students are practitioners in the field, and courses involve regular guest visits from local experts, including economic developers and urban planners. That gives students lots of opportunities to explore their career options, network with other professionals and learn what’s happening on the ground.
After graduation, Lisa moved to Nova Scotia and started a role at Davis Pier Consulting. As an analyst, her work is focused on developing impact-focused solutions to complex government and social challenges across Canada.
Pursuing a meaningful path
Born in Canada, Lisa grew up in Hong Kong and attended boarding school in California. A graduate of the Art History program at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York, she was headed toward a career in the arts and culture sector. But after interning for galleries and nonprofits, she quickly became disillusioned with the city’s overly traditional art scene.
Eager to find a path centered on innovation, she applied to an entrepreneurship program called Venture for Canada, which prepares top university grads to work in the Canadian tech sector. She was one of 60 fellows selected from a pool of nearly 1,700 applicants and landed a position with Toronto tech company Fiix Software.
While the experience was a positive one that exposed her to multiple areas of the tech business, Lisa realized she “wanted to do something more. I grew up with a lot of opportunity and privilege. And I wanted to be able to give back.”
Traveling across Canada, she had learned about the challenges underfunded rural and remote communities face as government money gets funneled primarily to core regions. She was intrigued by the potential for technologies, such as satellite internet and video conferencing, to solve infrastructure gaps and allow communities to build self-sufficient economies.
That’s when she discovered the MEDI program in Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment. It was the perfect place for someone with a strong interest in technology and innovation to explore “how we can transform possibilities for rural communities in Canada.”
“The opportunity to actively question everything”
“There’s something very beautiful about a graduate program where you have a second chance to reinvent yourself,” Lisa says. “The MEDI program is a great way to dive deep very quickly and learn everything there is to know about the landscape.”
As one of the only master’s programs in Canada that focuses on economic development from an innovation perspective, students explore how innovation can propel economic growth in communities.
Hands-on learning is a key element of the program. On top of studying the theory of regional economic development, students have multiple opportunities to put their learning into practice. A co-op term gives them on-the-ground industry experience, while course projects often engage with real-world scenarios—for example, creating economic development strategies, collaborating with municipal economic development teams, writing community profiles and conducting labour market analyses.
That’s all grounded in classes that are heavily based in discussion and critical thinking, giving students “the opportunity to actively question everything from day one” and envision new possibilities for the future.
Lisa spent her work term doing research under the supervision of program director, Professor Heather Hall, on a multi-million-dollar collaborative project out of Memorial University. The project explored how repurposed marine biomass can develop new products and promote a sustainable future for coastal Mi’kmaw communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Lisa’s work will contribute to mapping out the region’s assets in support of an economic development strategy.
Community-driven to the core
As part of a small cohort that “felt a bit like family,” Lisa says it was easy to get to know everyone. Spending time at the Grad House on campus was a fixture of the experience, a “safe haven” where Lisa and her classmates could “hang out and learn about what other people were working on.”
“It was an extremely collaborative environment. All of our classes were really just about learning from each other.”
Many of the MEDI program’s professors and students are practitioners in the field, and courses involve regular guest visits from local experts, including economic developers and urban planners. That gives students lots of opportunities to explore their career options, network with other professionals and learn what’s happening on the ground.
After graduation, Lisa moved to Nova Scotia and started a role at Davis Pier Consulting. As an analyst, her work is focused on developing impact-focused solutions to complex government and social challenges across Canada.