Toronto Blue Jays Vice Chairman Roger Rai tells Canadore students to believe in themselves for future success
Mar 1, 2024 | Cindy Males, Public Relations and Communications Specialist
Well known in the sporting world as part of the Toronto Blue Jays franchise, Roger Rai recently brought his expertise to Canadore College. Rai spoke with Entrepreneurship Academy students about his business experience and outlook. His message was simple: believe in yourself, and do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do it.
“The problem when you’re an entrepreneur, and you’re as open minded as you have to be as an entrepreneur, is that most people tell you why things won’t work,” Rai said. “People tell you why things aren’t going to happen; people will tell you there’s a reason why you won’t be successful. You almost have to be unconditional in your own beliefs.”
Roger Rai has extensive expertise as a Special Advisor to the Chairman at Rogers Communications, providing invaluable insights into business development, revenue strategies, partnership development, talent development, and sports. The students welcomed his message.
“What I’m taking from it is that the only one who can stop you is you,” said first-year Supply Chain Management student Steffi Kumar. "Lately, I’ve been going through a lot of things because of the assignments, and I thought I could not do it. Then I started believing in myself. If I want, I can do anything. I don’t want to limit myself.”
“I believed in myself in coming to Canada to study supply chain,” said student Kingsley Nnanna Igba from Nigeria. “I want to be an international businessman, so I want to explore the world. I want to grow my supply chain business. I want to do business with all the big brands.”
"As Canadore looks towards the future, we must be responsive to the needs of businesses, communities, and students, said George Burton, President and CEO. “Connecting with someone like Roger Rai brings a wider, more international view of the changing business landscape that will assist us in that endeavour.”
“The Entrepreneurship Academy is inviting visionary entrepreneurs and industry game changers like Roger Rai to share their experiences and inspire students with a mindset of entrepreneurial thinking at Canadore College,” said Paul Koidis, Chair, Entrepreneurship Academy.
During his visit, Rai delved into the future of baseball as a global business and explored the topics of branded media, technology, retail, and artificial intelligence. And he offered the students this advice: “While you’re in school, you should really focus on trying to know yourself and figure out what you’re passionate about. When you believe or you’re excited about it, it’s no longer work,” Rai said.