Listen in as host Matt Rea, '13 PhD, talks with UAlberta alumni about their widely varied career paths - from weird jobs to bad jobs, from unemployment to career pivots. Learn about the indirect nature of careers, and how to spin job challenges into career lessons you can leverage on your own professional journey. And here's a bonus: WTJ mini-episodes offer practical tips and advice from the UAlberta Career Centre on everything from how to nail an interview to how to set up your LinkedIn profile.
Watch your inbox for a new episode each month!
Upcoming In Person Event
WTJ? Live for Startup week 2025
in partnership with Global Edmonton and Edmonton Region Innovation Network (ERIN)
Thursday, October 9, 2025 4 - 6 PM
Edmonton’s startup energy is real—and I'm excited to be a part of it.
Join and for Local Roots, Global Reach — a dynamic Startup Week event exploring what it really means to grow globally from right here in the Edmonton region.
Framed by a live recording of the popular career podcast What The Job?, this engaging session will feature a panel of bold and inspiring founders — alumni and entrepreneurs from across the region — who have successfully built companies with customers beyond our borders.
Come hear real stories of scaling, exporting, and thriving beyond Edmonton while staying rooted in our local innovation ecosystem.
It’s time to step in, step up, and step forward toward something bold.
About our Panelists
Connie Stacey ('98 BA) is the Founder and CEO of Grengine Inc., a Canadian battery manufacturer revolutionizing how the world accesses power. She is the inventor behind Grengine’s patented modular, plug-and-play battery system - the first in the world to integrate hardware-level cybersecurity in a battery pack - delivering safe, autonomous, fuel-free energy in even the harshest and most remote environments. Driven by a commitment to equity and innovation, Connie launched Grengine in response to global energy poverty and the limitations of diesel generators. Her work has since earned international recognition, including the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Award, Canada’s National Product Award (CANIE's), and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Connie is a frequent speaker on energy access, energy security, and inclusive innovation, and currently serves on Canada’s Defence Industry Advisory Group. She has led Grengine deployments for the Canadian Armed Forces, Arctic infrastructure, and commercial applications, all while advocating for clean energy systems that anyone—anywhere—can use without technical expertise.
A passionate entrepreneur, systems thinker, and advocate for underserved populations, Connie brings both deep technical insight and a bold vision for a more sustainable, equitable future - where access to energy is no longer a privilege, but a right.
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Sam Jenkins ('05 BComm) is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Punchcard Systems, an Edmonton-born digital product and innovation studio with staff in communities across Canada, and the CEO of Standard Field Systems, a startup focused on transforming the public safety landscape using technology. Guided by his philosophy, “Let’s Build What’s Next,” Sam leads senior, AI-enabled teams that partner with North American organizations to design, ship, and scale technology platforms. Rooted in Edmonton, he invests deeply in community as Board Chair of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Winspear Centre for Music, where he is championing the facility expansion to build a new concert hall, proving local roots really can power global reach.
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Matt Alexander ('12 BComm) is a proud ¶®É«µÛ Commerce graduate (2012) and earned his Chartered Accountant designation in 2014. He is currently Vice President of Finance and Administration at Future Fields, an Edmonton-based biotech company. Before joining Future Fields, Matt worked as a fractional CFO supporting growing businesses and held senior financial leadership roles in the industrial and oil & gas manufacturing sectors. He also brings international experience, having supported Canadian-based businesses with extensive operations abroad, including exports to over 30 countries worldwide.
What the Job? is made possible with the support of our affinity partner TD Insurance Meloche Monex. Learn how alumni can save on car, home and renter's insurance.
