MBA Students Map 20 Years of Poverty Solutions in Canada

When Kamalpreet Dhillon and Basma Akhter signed up for an MBA project, they didn't expect to uncover the blueprint for ending poverty in Canadian cities.

The University of Calgary students spent last fall diving into 20 years of poverty reduction work in Calgary and Hamilton, Ontario. They volunteered up to 10 hours weekly, combing through decades of reports and interviewing experts to understand what moves the needle on one of society's toughest challenges.

Dhillon focused on Calgary's Vibrant Communities and its Enough for All strategy. Akhter documented Hamilton's Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, which launched in 2005 and continues today.

Both students discovered something crucial: poverty isn't just about money. It's a systemic problem that requires government, nonprofits, and businesses to work together instead of in silos.

Dhillon found that backbone organizations like Vibrant Communities Calgary play a vital role in aligning different sectors around shared goals. "No single sector can solve a problem such as poverty on its own," she says.

Akhter's Hamilton research revealed what long-term commitment actually looks like. The Roundtable secured wins including improvements to Ontario's Disability Support Program and expanded affordable transit access, creating a model other cities now follow.

The research revealed another key ingredient: trust built through centering the voices of people experiencing poverty firsthand. Every recommendation the Hamilton Roundtable made came from lived experiences, not just theory.

The Ripple Effect

The students' case studies now serve as starting points for the next generation of community leaders across Canada. Through the Tamarack Institute's Networks for Change, which connects 140 community partners nationwide, other cities can learn from Calgary and Hamilton's successes without starting from scratch.

Alka Merlin, director of communications at Vibrant Communities Calgary, says the students proved that MBA skills translate directly to community impact work. "Research, analysis and synthesis are essential in tackling issues like poverty at a systems level," she notes.

Maureen Owens, senior advisor at Tamarack Institute, valued the students' fresh perspective. Their ability to listen deeply and surface honest, constructive content brought objectivity that longtime practitioners sometimes struggle to maintain.

For Dhillon, graduating this spring, the experience reframed what making a difference means. "Sometimes it's not always important to be the one making the impact, but to bring the story of it to light," she says.

Akhter, graduating in 2027, calls it a grounding moment that changed how she understands systemic problems entirely.

The work shows that ending poverty requires patience, partnership, and platforms that elevate the voices of those most affected.