Kennedy Scholarships awarded to students with big dreams in fintech, video game development

Two entrepreneurial University of Calgary students aiming to start something in fintech and video game development have received prestigious Kennedy Scholarships worth a combined $200,000.  

Tamjeed Ekram and Braden Baumann are the latest recipients of the scholarship, which is awarded to students who begin their studies at UCalgary with a Bachelor of Computer Science from the Faculty of Science, followed by a Master of Management from the Haskayne School of Business.

The program provides summer-internship and employment opportunities in technology-driven projects and ventures, and access to entrepreneurship-focused campus programs such as the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Launchpad, CDL-Rockies and Innovate Calgary. 

Tamjeed Ekram: high school supported his innovative spirit

Tamjeed Ekram grew up surrounded by the innovation landscape of Calgary, supported by programs that fostered his entrepreneurial spirit.

“A lot of high schools participate in something called the Junior Achievement Company Program. It’s a 20-week program where the whole point is to help students learn how to start, run and end a business.” Ekram says.

In his senior year, Erkram was president of his student venture, which produced a line of clothing for Calgary youth. At the end of the program, profits were donated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital, he says.

“Participating in the program teaches you about all the aspects you have to account for when running a business," Ekram says. "I don’t want to work a 9-to-5 my entire life. I want to make something that’s my own.”

Braden Baumann: a love for developing video games was fostered early

Originally from Hazlet, Sask., Braden Baumann says his interest in video game development also started early.

“It began in middle school with a program called Scratch, and I just got really interested and found it fun," Baumann says. "Eventually, I started to make games in another engine called Unity.”

Baumann has been making and publishing his video games for years, spanning genres from puzzles to platformers. He has sold three of them to CoolMathGames, a website that buys games from developers for users to play on their platform.

“They're called Fling Shot, Rotation and A Snail's Pace. It was just really cool that I got to sell my games to the website I had been playing games on and contribute to the next generation of kids playing games.”

Community activities important to recipients

Both of the first-year students are also active in the community.

In his free time, Ekram is a vice-president with the Competitive Programming Club at UCalgary.

“I attend their practice sessions on Saturday because I’m still new to coding but, in the future, I’m really interested in getting involved with hackathons," Ekram says.

Baumann, who received a bronze medal at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Grade 11, enjoys curling.

“I’m from a small town, so curling is kind of a big thing. I joined the Calgary Curling Club as a spare, and I really enjoy it. It’s just a good sport to play.”

Plans for the future

Baumann says he is is excited to learn as much as he can about game development and design.

“I'm taking the game development concentration with my computer science degree, and hopefully it can take me to the next level," Baumann says. "Ideally, my career path would be going into video games or something within that field, although I'm open to other things and seeing where it takes me.”

Ekram, meanwhile, is exploring options in quantum technology or fintech, where the leadership skills he already has will be invaluable.

“There’s a lot that can change over time, but I do have a couple ideas. I want to make my own thing," Ekram says. 

"I’ve heard people say Calgary is the startup capital of Canada, so, you know, if I want to open a business, this would be a prime place to do it.”

The Kennedy Scholars program was established in 2022 thanks to a foundational gift of $2.3 million from Alberta business leader Paul Kennedy.