Khaled Rayyan
Education
John Molson School of Business, University of Concordia - Finance
School of Continuing Education, University of Toronto - Financial Modelling & Equity Valuation
Email Address
Specialization
Wholesale, social media management, e-commerce, web-design
Biography
Born in Kuwait to a Palestinian Sunni Muslim father and an Iraqi Shiite Muslim mother, my family had to flee to Jordan when the Iraq-Kuwait war erupted. I became adamant, that unlike my past, my future will be about peace and success.
I moved to Canada in 2006, enrolled myself at the John Molson School of Business and began to work my way towards gaining my bachelor degree in commerce. A few months after graduation, in the summer of 2011, I moved to Toronto.
My initial goal of working in either banking or consulting were quickly squashed as I discovered my passion for evolving in smaller organizations. While looking for a job that fits my criteria, I enrolled at UofT to gain a certificate in financial modelling. Luckily, I managed to secure employment at a local construction firm. Advanced Construction Techniques took me on as a project coordinator.
Whilst in my last year at ACT, I kickstarted my own business, Hale Coffee Company. A year later; I took the bold decision to quit the construction world to focus on Hale. To add a new element to my arsenal, I decided to enrol in the Masters of Digital Media in the hopes to further my knowledge about startups and the digital environment.
Why Digital Media?
The biggest reason for selecting Digital Media as a masters program was to stay clear of the more traditional confines of an MBA. I felt that I would fit in and excel in an environment where innovation and creativity are nurtured and pushed. In the Digital Media program, the interaction with a diverse set of skills allows for more complete teams. Also, being within the Digital Media Zone played a major role, as an entrepreneurial stage is set.
Research
Major Research Project: "Bean to Cup: The Story of Specialty Coffee"
An exploration of the narrative of a coffee bean and the social-cultural/political ramifications of commodity coffee production vs specialty narrative driven coffee.