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Entrepreneurs - Leila Keshavjee '11 & Joshua Sofer ‘18
Leila Keshavjee ‘11 will never forget the exciting chemistry experiment she conducted in York’s IB Diploma Program. “One of my favourite memories is making ice cream with liquid nitrogen in Ms. Aragona’s class. She was a great teacher!” says Leila.
Joshua Sofer '18 is building on the leadership skills he first began developing back in Grade 10 when he mentored three Grade 6 students. “That was such a great experience. It taught me a lot about leading by example and understanding other points of view,” says Joshua.
Joshua Sofer '18 is building on the leadership skills he first began developing back in Grade 10 when he mentored three Grade 6 students. “That was such a great experience. It taught me a lot about leading by example and understanding other points of view,” says Joshua.
York’s challenging science program is one of the reasons Leila joined the school in Grade 11, our IB Diploma
Program is another. “I think the IB program really gives you opportunities to explore, as well as a breadth of knowledge in a whole bunch of different areas,” says Leila. Leila arrived at York as a competitive rhythmic gymnast with a keen interest in health, and human movement and performance. She never imagined she’d become the founder and CEO of a national frozen treat brand called Happy Pops.
Today, her knowledge of chemistry ensures the food safety and high quality of the ice pops she invented.
After York, Leila entered the Bachelor of Kinesiology program at the University of Toronto. She planned to complete a Master’s degree and then apply to medical schools – until she took an entrepreneurship course that presented new possibilities. She recognized a business opportunity for the vegan, gluten-free ice pops she’d been making for herself. In 2016, Leila started selling small batches of her Happy Pops at farmers’ markets. Today the company produces more than one million ice pops a year and the treats are sold in close to 2000 stores across Canada.
Joshua Sofer ‘18 is another alum who is enjoying success as an entrepreneur. His company, Ask Lilac, harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help independent schools, colleges and universities improve their digital engagement with prospective students, and market themselves more effectively.
When Joshua joined York in Grade 10, he was looking for a learning environment where he could explore his interests in greater depth. For someone who had started programming computers in Grade 3 and designing mock-ups for 3D printing in Grade 8, York’s innovative approach to technology was a great fit. “Seeing a 3D printer in the Communication Technology classroom was amazing. It was the opening of a door because all of a sudden not only was I able to theoretically play with all these things, but I could actually print a 3D model and see how it turned out,” says Joshua. After graduating with a Business degree from Queen’s, Joshua started a company that specialized in optimizing the Google search rankings of e-commerce businesses. His ultimate goal was to use AI in the education sector so he sold that company and launched Ask Lilac.
As a business owner, Joshua is embracing the challenges of marketing and selling his product and leading a growing team (that includes Charley Wu ‘18, another York alum.) Today, he is building on the leadership skills he first began developing back in Grade 10 when he mentored three Grade 6 students. “That was such a great experience. It taught me a lot about leading by example and understanding other points of view,”
says Joshua.
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Program is another. “I think the IB program really gives you opportunities to explore, as well as a breadth of knowledge in a whole bunch of different areas,” says Leila. Leila arrived at York as a competitive rhythmic gymnast with a keen interest in health, and human movement and performance. She never imagined she’d become the founder and CEO of a national frozen treat brand called Happy Pops.
Today, her knowledge of chemistry ensures the food safety and high quality of the ice pops she invented.
After York, Leila entered the Bachelor of Kinesiology program at the University of Toronto. She planned to complete a Master’s degree and then apply to medical schools – until she took an entrepreneurship course that presented new possibilities. She recognized a business opportunity for the vegan, gluten-free ice pops she’d been making for herself. In 2016, Leila started selling small batches of her Happy Pops at farmers’ markets. Today the company produces more than one million ice pops a year and the treats are sold in close to 2000 stores across Canada.
Joshua Sofer ‘18 is another alum who is enjoying success as an entrepreneur. His company, Ask Lilac, harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help independent schools, colleges and universities improve their digital engagement with prospective students, and market themselves more effectively.
When Joshua joined York in Grade 10, he was looking for a learning environment where he could explore his interests in greater depth. For someone who had started programming computers in Grade 3 and designing mock-ups for 3D printing in Grade 8, York’s innovative approach to technology was a great fit. “Seeing a 3D printer in the Communication Technology classroom was amazing. It was the opening of a door because all of a sudden not only was I able to theoretically play with all these things, but I could actually print a 3D model and see how it turned out,” says Joshua. After graduating with a Business degree from Queen’s, Joshua started a company that specialized in optimizing the Google search rankings of e-commerce businesses. His ultimate goal was to use AI in the education sector so he sold that company and launched Ask Lilac.
As a business owner, Joshua is embracing the challenges of marketing and selling his product and leading a growing team (that includes Charley Wu ‘18, another York alum.) Today, he is building on the leadership skills he first began developing back in Grade 10 when he mentored three Grade 6 students. “That was such a great experience. It taught me a lot about leading by example and understanding other points of view,”
says Joshua.
