Nimesh Bahl
Entrepreneur and MEEI Graduate

MEEI Enterprise Development Project:
Liquid Fibre Displays

Sowing the seeds of entrepreneurial success.

Planting a seed with hope is one thing. You get your hands dirty and nurture it daily, with the excited anticipation of a parent-to-be; you dream of its potential to grow and flourish. And when it does, seeing the direct result of your hard work is the real reward.

A great metaphor, but we are not talking horticulture – far from it. Nimesh Bahl – a graduate student of McMaster University’s Master of Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation program – is about to harvest his own successful crop.

Nimesh Bahl knew he wanted a career in engineering. That was the easy decision. But the “business of doing business” was another world of its own. McMaster University recognized the need for business knowledge and training that would endow engineering students with a beyond-university real-world big picture. This included marketing, finance, administration, and other areas of business expertise, for a complete and rounded education that could provide firm footing for the ambitious engineer-entrepreneur. It’s the difference between having an idea, and being able to find a market for this idea and seeing it through to commercial fruition.

“An engineer is not educated or trained to think like a business person,” says Nimesh. “Being a participant of the McMaster MEEI graduate program changed my outlook and my perspective on my professional career. As a result, I have acquired a balance of technical, scientific and business skills and knowledge, which have made me much more confident and prepared to make a difference in society. It’s been a real transformation for me.”

Nimesh says the uniqueness of McMaster’s MEEI program, along with the unfailing support he received from the program’s faculty and support staff during his education, far surpassed his expectations. More than just theory, students are encouraged to bridge their classroom learning with the real world of engineering and business while they’re still active students; in short, working in real-time to develop a real business venture. Consequently, new doors are opened, new opportunities abound, and valuable relationships begin. “You get the chance to create a comfort zone for yourself while you receive incredibly strong mentorship,” he explains.

Nimesh is passionate about his future. “To achieve success, you need more than strong knowledge of technology and engineering, or business acumen. You have to be persistent and believe in yourself and what you do. That’s where passion comes in,” he smiles. And it’s that passion that drives people like Nimesh to become the best engineer and business entrepreneur they possibly can be – and that means walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

“My McMaster experience has provided me with lifelong training and helped my confidence level to skyrocket. It has added to my knowledge and skills set; and truly opened my eyes wider than I could ever have imagined to such great opportunities.”