MBA Leadership Challenge winners support BC charity Coast Mental Health

The Zabeen Hirji MBA Leadership Challenge continues to inspire both action and purpose as this year’s winners unite to make a meaningful impact during the season of giving.

Following their success in the September orientation week case competition, all three winning teams chose Coast Mental Health as the recipient of a combined $3,000 donation, generously provided by SFU Beedie alumnus and executive-in-residence Zabeen Hirji (MBA ’94).

Coast Mental Health, a Vancouver-based non-profit, empowers individuals with mental health challenges through housing, support services, and employment opportunities. The organization funds innovative programs and promotes independence and community integration for those living with mental illness.

In December, the winners visited Coast Mental Health's Coast Clubhouse to tour the space, learn about the organization’s programs, and connect with its mission of fostering inclusive, community-based mental health support.

As part of the MBA Leadership Challenge, the top three teams were awarded cash prizes and were also invited to select a B.C.-based charity to receive a donation. Each charity aligned with Hirji’s purpose to unlock human potential and build inclusive prosperity, and the teams were united in their choice of Coast Mental Health.

A $1,000 donation was made on behalf of each of the top three teams:

• First Place: Sarah Wheatley, Kenny Utama, Tej Tandon, Shen-Hao Wang
• Second Place: Natasha Thanasiriwatthana, Vishal Iyer, Nihal Verma, Brittany Hunt
• Third Place: Priyanka Dhelia, Winnie Yang, Kunaal Khanna, Aliya Chouinard, Kajal Jangra

Zabeen, a longtime advocate for responsible leadership, made the donation as part of her “Purposeful Third Act,” a portfolio of complementary roles and activities, guided by her purpose and values, where Zabeen works across all sectors - business, academia, not-for-profit and government to activate her purpose. The Leadership Challenge, launched earlier this year, combines experiential learning with real-world impact, inspiring SFU Beedie’s MBA students to lead with purpose.

“Supporting organizations like Coast Mental Health is a natural extension of the leadership principles SFU Beedie School of Business emphasizes in the MBA program—being purpose-led, values-based, and performance-driven,” says Hirji. “I am gratified that the students not only tackled business issues during the case  competition but also chose to make a e difference in their community.”