Meet our team of driven change-makers.

Founder & CEO

​

Alina Huang founded Illuminate Universe when she was a high school student. She is passionate about building a more diverse and inclusive Canada through innovation in the education landscape. Before joining Illuminate, she worked as a consultant for Deloitte and a product manager for IBM. In her spare time, you can find her watching Bridgerton and Emily in Paris on Netflix with her two Golden Retrievers while sipping on iced coffee. 

Career Advisor

​

Austin is an Illuminate alumnus who participated in the 2018 high school leadership and business conference. Since then, he has succeeded in the National Lead role within Illuminate and now leads the educational development portfolio. Austin obtains a software engineering and honors business administration degree from Western University (Ivey Business School). He has interned for Deloitte and Google. 

Career Advisor

​

Mash graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Security. For three years, he is a Cybersecurity Consultant at Deloitte and VC Scout, where he engages with 20+ industries and clients to conduct cybersecurity maturity assessments. 

Career Advisor

 

Fizzah graduated from Conestoga College with a Bachelor of Engineering in Building System Engineering. She previously worked at Deloitte as a campus ambassador. Currently, she is working as a service specialist at Siemens, where she works collaboratively with building management in commercial, residential, and institutional environments to diagnose problems using front-end user graphics.

Career Advisor

 

Carlinda graduated from Simon Fraser University with a bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing & Entrepreneurship Innovation. She previously worked at Google as an Associate Product Manager. Currently, she is spearheading the Women Founders Project, where she pitched new technical products to the Founders while creating sales enablement content to secure mid-market brand partners.

Career Advisor

 

Alexander graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. Alex previously worked at Deloitte as a Consultant and Business Analyst. Currently, he is a Management Consultant at Mckinsey. He is a Co-founder of BWC and one of the Top 50 Changemakers in 2022. 

Career Advisor

 

Sangeet also graduated from Western University with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. Currently, he is a Software Engineer at Microsoft and previously worked as a Full Stack Engineer at RBC Ventures and Software Developer at Deloitte. 

Partnership Manager & Academy Lead​

 

Emily is an Illuminate alumnus who was a National Lead in 2021. Since then, she has been promoted to manager leading client-facing and partnership development.  Emily interned as a digital marketing analyst at Staples Canada and has accepted an offer from Deloitte as a Risk Advisory Analyst this summer. 

Partnership Coordinator​

 

Sophie studies Business Administration at Western University, Ivey Business School. She’s enjoyed her time spent at Western University so far and loves to be involved in school spirit. In the future, she hopes to apply her business knowledge while promoting sustainability. She also loves spending time with her family and her favourite artist is Taylor Swift!

Digital Content Creator ​

 

Cher enrolls in UBC's Cognitive Systems Program focusing on Psychology and Brain Stream. She loves learning about people. When Cher is not working on projects or studying, she plays piano or draws. Her favorite song is Jupiter by Gustav Holst.

Digital Media Coordinator​

 

Alina studies at Rotman Commerce and is part of the Rotman Commerce Women in Business club. She has hosted events with 60+ attendees, liaising with representatives from companies including Deloitte and PwC and creating engaging slides. 

Program Coordinator​

 

Annie studies Business Administration at Western University, Ivey Business School. At Illuminate, Annie strives to manage the team and take the leading role in driving the business to success. In her spare time, she loves to read books and go on walks.

Communications Coordinator​

 

Gillian obtains a B.A from Western University. She is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women's fraternity in the world with high standards for its pledged members. Gillian now supports Illuminate's professional communications portfolio.