Innovators, influencers and advocates: TMU’s Rising Stars acknowledge stellar alumni
TMU's Rising Stars is an annual recognition program celebrating recent alumni who are driving change, breaking new ground and inspiring others. Meet three recent grads driving change: Dakota Whyte (MBA ’22), Joe Fida (MASc ’22) and Deepa Prashad (RTA ’18).
Spearheaded by TMU Alumni Relations, TMU’s inaugural Rising Stars celebrates 23 recent alumni from various faculties across the university who are driving change and inspiring others in their fields. This new annual award recognizes graduates from the last decade who have built strong foundations for future success.
Spanning four categories–Innovator, Changemaker, Emerging Leader and Community Builder–these alumni demonstrate rapid career growth, entrepreneurial success, industry recognition and community impact.
We’re spotlighting three inspiring Rising Stars making our alma mater proud. Read about all 23 Rising Stars and learn more on the alumni website.
Dakota Whyte: Leveraging the power of athletics for social good
Dakota Whyte (MBA ’22) is a force on and off the court. She has translated her passion for sports into purpose as the executive director of PS43 Foundation, a sports philanthropy organization founded by NBA player Pascal Siakam.
Dakota Whyte (MBA ’22) serves as executive director of the PS43 Foundation, founded by NBA player Pascal Siakam, which tackles the digital divide by improving technology access and digital literacy in schools.
During the pandemic, the foundation provided over 300 youth with laptops and stem programming.
It has also supported data science curriculum development in schools across Canada and offers an annual scholarship in Computer Science and Software Engineering.
“Technological innovation is moving fast, especially now with AI,” Whyte says. “If underprivileged and under-resourced youth don’t have access, they’re at a major disadvantage.”
The PS43 Foundation recently launched the Siakam Ed Tech Engine with TMU’s DMZ, accelerating startups transforming K-12 education.
“It’s rewarding seeing teachers’ excitement over new ways of integrating technology in the class will not only elevate their ability to teach but also ensure they can support students more efficiently,” said Whyte.
A former professional basketball player and youth Olympian, Whyte previously worked with Nike in sports branding and community engagement. She credits TMU’s MBA program for sharpening her strategic thinking and expanding her professional network.
Whyte stays active playing basketball in a WMBA recreational league, and sees parallels between basketball and her professional life.
“Sports teaches you to be a teamplayer and develops your communication skills,” she said. “It also allows you to learn to work with different personalities and how to work to people’s strengths.”
In business, like in sports, collaboration and communication are key. You learn to manage different dynamics, you’re integrating plays and running an offense, while working towards a common goal.
While Whyte may be a team player on the court, off the court, she’s doing what coaches do best: building young people up.
Joe Fida: Innovator and entrepreneur with a green thumb
Joe Fida (MASc ’22) is a chemical engineer and founder/CEO of PathX Solutions, launched after identifying inefficiencies in cannabinoid extraction processes. His patented technology revolutionized chemical processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs. He also co-founded and leads Blade Air, which has transformed air purification systems.
Joe Fida (MASc ’22) innovates sustainable solutions as founder and CEO of PathX Solutions, which is advancing cannabinoid extraction.
He previously co-founded Blade Air after developing an advanced air purification system, which expanded into indoor air quality technologies and ranked Canada’s 5th fastest-growing company in 2023
While completing his master’s of applied science in chemical engineering at TMU, Fida pursued a passion project rooted in childhood experiences with his Italian grandparents’ garden.
“I started growing fruit trees indoors–cherry, avocado and pomegranate,” Fida says. “I grew up helping my nonna in the garden, so germinating became a hobby for me.”
His house lacked sufficient light, but he couldn't afford commercial grow equipment. “As an engineer, I decided to build one myself,” said Fida.
Traditional carbon filters proved heavy, wasteful and inefficient. “I designed a better solution; a system with a replaceable carbon cartridge system that uses less energy and includes a return program to reduce waste,” said Fida. “This became Blade Air, which had a significant impact on Canada’s cannabis industry by improving efficiency, yield and profits.
The company was co-founded with his brother Aeden Fida and Joe Fida’s friend Giancarlo Sessa. When the pandemic hit and cannabis spending paused, they pivoted towards improving indoor air quality.
“I designed a high-capacity, medical-grade HEPA and carbon purifier using North American components,” said Fida. “We implemented the use of UV-C technology which reduces the risk of COVID-19.”
It outperformed existing options and was quickly adopted by schools, hospitals and government buildings across Ontario.
After Blade Air stabilized, Fida took on an advisory role to pursue his next venture, PathX Solutions.
During his graduate studies at TMU, he directed operations at a cannabis extraction company he helped take public.
“I saw firsthand how inefficient the extraction process was,” said Fida. “Chilling solvents to -45°C then heating them back up is energy intensive, time consuming and cost-prohibitive.”
“I developed and patented a UV light photo-bleaching method that removes chlorophyll during high-temperature ethanol extraction, saving time and energy while improving yields,” he explained.
This breakthrough process increased yield by 18 per cent, cut energy use by 69 per cent and sped up production, improving efficiency and profitability.
Fida credits TMU’s graduate program for developing his product development skills and understanding chemical engineering’s versatility.
“Engineering takes scientific discoveries and finds practical applications that are also economically viable,” said Fida.
The pace and pressure of city life led Fida back to his therapeutic hobby. "I started germinating every tropical plant I could find: pomegranate, lychee, mango, avocado, cherries, lemons," he says.
"I created a little tropical forest in my space."
Some trees, like his pomegranates, still thrive today–truly enjoying the fruit of his labours.
Deepa Prashad: Radio personality and culture influencer
The co-host of Daryn and Deepa Mornings, Deepa Prashad (RTA ’18) is a media personality who defines drive and perseverance. Known across Canada for her work in radio and television, she originally rose to fame on Family Channel and blogTO. Prashad offers an authentic voice in the media, sharing her love of her culture, cars and more.
Deepa Prashad (RTA ’18) co-hosts Daryn & Deepa Mornings on 99.9 Virgin Radio, demonstrating the rapid career growth that defines Emerging Leader recipients.
Effervescent and authentic, Prashad engages audiences with cultural flair and personal perspectives.
She credits TMU’s RTA School of Media with fostering her professional ambitions.
“I chose RTA because of how prestigious the program is,” said Prashad. “Many media personalities I shadowed were TMU alumni who loved their experience.”
Paradoxically, she never studied radio broadcasting, focusing instead on television production.
“I was very focused on working on camera, and that's how my career really began,” she said. “I hosted the Family Channel while I was at TMU, and then became the first video host at blogTO, before I transitioned to radio and fell in love.”
After three years on air, Prashad landed her dream job co-hosting the morning show with Daryn Jones. “I feel like I can be myself fully,” she says.
Their unscripted, high-energy show covers pop culture and offers humourous and thoughtful segments to energize listeners in the morning.
“Our show isn't scripted, we have a ‘run of show’ so we know what topics we're going into on the show, but everything beyond that point is live and in the moment which keeps us on our toes.”
As an Indo-Caribbean media personality, Prashad prioritizes representation. “I'm so proud of my Caribbean heritage,” she beams. “Representation is so important and anytime I can teach people about our culture I'm all for it.”
Regular segments feature Daryn learning Guyanese lingo or sampling traditional food. “I think it's important to showcase Caribbean culture in a fun way that is still educational,” she said. “It has resonated with fans so well. They feel seen and heard, and that's how I would want to feel if I were in their shoes.”
Prashad also maintains a strong digital presence, creating motorsport and car review content in the male-dominated space, plus a Caribbean cooking series with her mom.
Celebrating the contributions of our exceptional alumni
The Rising Star recognition celebrates recent alumni who distinguish themselves through professional achievement, community service or leadership. It honours the passion, creativity, excellence and dedication of exemplary alumni in creating a better world.
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