At the Forefront of Emerging Technology: A Q&A with Aly Madhavji, 2023 Recipient of UTM’s Desmond Parker Outstanding Young Alumni Award

With an unwavering passion for transforming the world through emerging technology and innovation, the 2023 winner of the Desmond Parker Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Aly Madhavji (BCom, 2012) has established himself as a visionary leader. Since leaving UTM, Aly has gone on to complete two Master’s degrees at top global institutions, is widely recognized in his field as an expert in blockchain investments, and has still found the time to give back to his community. Following an impressive career trajectory, Aly currently heads the Blockchain Founders Fund which invests in top-tier start-ups. He also advises prominent organizations and consults for the United Nations on the potential of emerging tech.   

In addition to his impressive career, Aly has generously contributed his time by volunteering with student mentorship, through speaking opportunities, and in various governance roles at U of T. An internationally acclaimed author of three books on how to succeed in academia and post-graduation, Aly has shared his enthusiasm for helping students thrive in university and beyond.

Aly met with us to talk about his time at UTM, how his career journey took shape, and what this Alumni Award means to him.  

Congratulations on being named the 2023 Desmond Parker Outstanding Young Alumni Award winner! While this isn’t the first time you’ve been recognized for your incredible work, why is this award meaningful for you?

Supporting my communities has always been an important focus in my life. I believe it's my privilege and my duty to give back. To be recognized for this award is incredibly humbling given the very impressive recipients since inception. It is meaningful because I don’t look at this as a personal achievement but as collective recognition to all of the people who have been part of my journey every step of the way.

You are currently a Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, which invests in top-tier startups. Can you share a bit about your role, and why this is such an exciting field of work?  

Beyond the typical Managing Partner responsibilities, I also work directly with our portfolio companies and lead our Venture Program team.  We provide guidance and lend first-hand experience to Web3 startups to help them navigate the evolving landscape and avoid many of the issues that slow down sustainable growth. It's fantastic to be able to work with such incredible founders and contribute to the future of tech to help make the world a better place. We recently crossed 100 startups that we’ve invested in, which was a big milestone for us.

You have studied at the top business schools in the world, and have such an impressive breadth of experiences. Did you always have a clear idea of what you wanted to do after graduation? 

While from a young age I always loved trying new things and had many entrepreneurial ventures, it was never so clear in the moment. I remember vividly in business school the breadth of opportunities and learning about many of the largest companies in the world. I had many potential opportunities, including many that my close friends and family were very excited about. After deep contemplation, I realized it was the best time to follow my dreams and jumped with both feet into the startup world and then into venture capital.

The tech that your company is involved with, such as blockchain technology, digital assets and AI, is always changing so quickly. How do you stay on the cutting edge of emerging technologies?

The secret is that we listen. We don’t always have all of the answers. While we develop many thesis areas that we test and validate, we also listen to hundreds of founders each month and typically review 500 startups per month. This helps us to understand possibilities of where technology is moving and where opportunities are forming. We have built a great community which makes it easy to stay up to date. 

You are a very active volunteer and you consult with INSEAD and the United Nations on solutions to alleviate poverty. Can you talk about why it’s so important for you to integrate making a difference in the world into your life and work?

This is at the core of my beliefs. My parents are refugees from East Africa and if others weren’t paving the way to help families escape persecution, I may not be here at all. The only thing that lasts beyond ourselves is the impact we make on leaving the world in a better place than we found it.

You were in the Commerce program at UTM and you were such an involved student in a variety of ways. Reflecting on that time, how do you feel that being so involved on campus impacted your student experience?

Recently, I've spent a lot of time reminiscing about my time here at UTM. To be honest, I didn’t have all of the skillsets required when I started working in roles that ranged from First Year Representative, Residence Don, President of Residence Council, to Governor on Governing Council. However, the biggest barrier to learning and achieving the unthinkable is yourself.

I was fortunate to have incredible mentors along the way who encouraged me, who pushed me out of my comfort zone and to try new things. This helped me to gain immense experience and it’s encouraging to feel that lasting impact. I remember spending so many hours working on projects to improve the student experience, such as increasing food services, forming the 24/5 library for exams, expanding the shuttle services, forming a student refugee program, creating a food bank, reviewing early plans for the Health Sciences complex, and working on renaming the Davis building in recognition of the legacy of Bill Davis.

What lead you to your decision to attend UTM?

I actually decided to make a last-minute switch from another academic institution to UTM and I think it was the best move for me personally. Little did I know then that this place would become more than just an institution of learning.

UTM has been a garden for personal growth and a hub of countless meaningful experiences. It’s not an exaggeration to say that nearly every good thing in life that I have experienced began here at this inspirational, transformational, educational institution.