Business Minor Spotlight: Shahmeer Hashmi
Obtaining a deep understanding of business wasn’t an afterthought for Shahmeer Hashmi– it was the missing piece for his career. As a science student with ambitions for a career in sales, he found his missing piece at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM).
On January 15, 2026, I sat down with Shahmeer Hashmi to discuss his time in the Institute for Management and Innovation’s Business, Science, and Entrepreneurship Minor. Hashmi is a Biology major and Chemistry minor student interested in pursuing a career in medical sales. IMI’s Business Minor Program helps students gain a critical understanding of business literacy applicable to the working world. “I thought, you know, this would be a good compliment to my science degree as it's a way to think outside the box, test yourself, and express your creativity,” Hashmi said. The skills gained through the Business Minor have helped Hashmi co-found an online retail startup. “Let's say shops are closed, or they're out of stock. There would be people in your area who would be carrying goods like a phone charger. You would just message them directly, and you can go to their house and pick it up from their porch, rather than having to go all the way to a store.”
Hashmi highlighted IMI400, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as the course most applicable in pursuit of furthering his knowledge as a positive impact to his startup. “It was a class where you could think outside the box. It wasn't one where there’s only right or wrong. There were certain things where problems and scenarios where anyone could be right, anyone could be wrong. We learned strategies to kind of move forward and make sure your business does well.”
Aside from academics, Hashmi is an active participant in the campus community through his role as President of the The Cititzens Foundation (TCF). TCF is a nonprofit organization at UTM determined to provide access to education for underprivileged kids in the Mississauga area. “Last year we did pretty well. I was the Director of Events, and we raised around three or four grand throughout the year. This year, I think we've taken it a step further. We raised around eight or nine grand in the first semester,” Shahmeer said. TCF hopes to hit $25K by the end of the academic year. The organization raises money through bake sales, vendor markets, galas and many more. The critical business strategies Hashmi learned through the Business Minor have helped TCF hone in on their main focus: maximizing contributions to give back to those in need.
Hashmi has also spent time as a research assistant analyzing how students interpret visuals differently. “I know a lot of people hate scatter plots, for example, they find them very hard to understand compared to a bar chart. We research and gain an understanding of why that is and how we can simplify a scatter plot.” Hashmi is also working as the Event Coordinator for the Pre-Medical Club at UTM and has played and managed the UTM Tri-Campus Cricket team. He also is a black belt in Taekwondo.
Upon graduation, Hashmi is assessing his options with a future in medical/pharma sales on the horizon. “Coming into university, I've been very adamant about pursuing something like medicine. To become a doctor, for example, you always need to have that business mindset if you start your own practice, Hashmi explained. While the IMI Business Minor program teaches business principles, it also helps students take strides in their personal development. I think it's taught me a lot about confidence, teamwork, and leadership. I know every single class has a big component in terms of participation that professors are adamant that all students must participate in to improve their public speaking skills.”
To learn more about the Minor in Business, Science and Entrepreneurship at IMI, please visit uoft.me/biz-minor or contact imi.businessminor@utoronto.ca.
To learn more about Shahmeer Hashmi, please add him on LinkedIn. We also encourage you to visit and support The Cititzens Foundation (TCF).
