Where in the world is UCalgary?

From launching startups overseas to leading a global company, University of Calgary alumni are making their marks across borders.  

Whether having graduated just a few years ago to working internationally for more than 20 years, these grads are using their education to navigate complex challenges and spark meaningful change. 

We caught up with two recent grads — Brennan O’Yeung, BSc (Eng)’21, and Donald Murataj, BSc’22 — who are just beginning to carve out their global paths. We then spoke with Bradley Andrews, BSc’00, MBA’08, CEO of SLR Consulting, who brings more than 20 years of international experience to the conversation and shares some of his insights and advice for the next generation of globally-minded professionals.  

Together, their stories offer a snapshot of different stages in a global career, and what it means to learn, launch and lead from UCalgary, no matter where in the world you land. 

Brennan O’Yeung | Tetr College of Business

With parents born in Hong Kong, Brennan O’Yeung understands the value of a global perspective. While studying mechanical engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, he immersed himself in hands-on research and innovation, contributing to a biomechanics project in the Human Performance Lab analyzing pedal force in cycling, earning an Undergraduate Student Research Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to explore printed circuits and engineering sensors and co-authoring a paper on drone use in firefighting.

After graduating, he set off on a three-month solo backpacking trip across Europe, visiting 14 countries and sparking a lifelong passion for international exploration. Now entering his second year at the Tetr College of Business, O’Yeung is part of a globally-focused graduate program where students build real-world businesses across seven countries.

“Tetr is a global university that really focuses on having students learn business by doing business,” he explains. “Every semester, we travel to a new country and, as part of the curriculum, build a business while learning from local entrepreneurs, industry leaders and global chief experience officers (CXO).”

Launching startups in several countries 

Over the past year, O’Yeung has gained hands-on experience in diverse markets. In Dubai, his team launched an e-commerce venture; in India, they created Namaste Nonsense, a culturally tailored card game inspired by Cards Against Humanity. When we spoke, he was representing Tetr at the 2025 NAFSA Conference in San Diego, helping build partnerships to expand international education opportunities. This fall, he heads to Singapore to help launch a Kickstarter campaign for yet another new product.

“The power of Kickstarter is amazing,” O’Yeung says. “If you can create a compelling story, you can turn an idea into something tangible overnight.”

Reflecting on his time at UCalgary, O’Yeung credits his Schulich education with teaching him how to break down complex problems and apply practical solutions, skills that continue to serve him well in his global ventures.

“The classes that focused on understanding and applying concepts were the most valuable,” he says. “That mindset helps me tackle challenges with confidence.”

Donald Murataj | Founder, Start Analytics and Stealth Founders 

Originally from Albania, Murataj graduated from UCalgary in 2022 with a degree in biological sciences and a growing interest in global health and data-driven solutions.  

His time at UCalgary was marked by a pivotal 2019 study abroad program in Beijing, where he became fluent in Mandarin and forged a lasting connection with Chinese culture. Inspired by that experience, he co-founded the Chinese Conversation Club upon his return, a first glimpse of his passion for fostering cross-cultural communities. 

After graduation, Murataj took on a role as a data scientist with Shift Technology, a global company with headquarters in Paris and offices across North America. Although he rose to the position of senior data scientist, he found the remote nature of the job limiting.  

“I liked it, but it was a remote role, so I didn't get a lot of interaction with my team, and I was mainly working on building small features here and client management,” he says. “I wanted to do something more innovative.” 

That sense of restlessness and his desire for an international adventure led him to Tokyo.  

“I met my girlfriend in Calgary about a year and eight months ago — she’s Japanese — and she really wanted to move back to Japan,” Murataj says. “I’d always dreamed of living in an international environment again, so I quit my job, packed my all my stuff into my parents’ house and moved.” 

Murataj founded a software and AI-consulting company, Start Analytics, while in Tokyo, where he has transitioned into full-time freelancing over the past year.  

“At first, it was just me,” he explains. “But people in my network heard I was starting something new, and I ended up getting a few Canadian clients, even though I was in Japan.”  

A passion for fostering cross-cultural communities

Working with a small, but agile team of freelancers, he focused on building mobile and web applications with analytics features, sometimes turning around projects in as little as 48 hours. Yet, as he quickly discovered, building a startup in Japan came with its own set of challenges.  

“It’s kind of isolating,” he admits. “You need to be backed by someone — a big holding company or a ‘system integrator’ — to be successful. In Japan, it’s all about the company and loyalty, not just competence.” 

Undeterred, Murataj leaned into his strength for community-building, launching Stealth Founders. What began as a series of in-person meetups in Tokyo evolved into a global network.  

“I found a bar with no customers and asked if I could run an event there,” he laughs. “Now it’s grown into a Discord community of about 60 people from around the world. We have weekly calls to share different startup ideas and support each other.” 

Looking ahead, Murataj is focused on continuing to grow both Start Analytics and Stealth Founders, while also building his Japanese language skills and professional network.  

“Being in a place where you don’t speak the language forces you to adapt,” he reflects. “It helps you understand the world better — and, once you’re here, you don’t want to go back.” 

“I can tell you that who I am as a leader today (combines the) Western Canadian entrepreneurial spirit; Chinese negotiating tactics; the Australian team-building approach; the balance and predictability of the European; and the individualist, ‘ I can make anything happen,’ of the American. And it’s not because I grew up like that, it’s because I lived and worked in those societies and took what’s best from all those things.” 

Bradley Andrews | CEO of SLR Consulting 

Bradley Andrews’ professional journey didn’t follow a carefully laid plan. He describes it more as, “on to the next adventure, the next opportunity.”  

After earning his undergrad in geophysics at UCalgary, he worked in a few international locations before returning for an MBA in international business at the Haskayne School of Business.  

It was during his MBA that Andrews realized his true strengths lay not in science or engineering, but in leadership — whether in business, projects or executive roles. That insight marked a turning point, setting him on a path that would eventually span more than 50 countries and lead to the helm of a global advisory firm with 5,000 employees across 30 nations. 

Yet Andrews’ success didn’t come from simply check-marking countries on a map. He credits his upbringing in Canada — a multicultural, welcoming place — for giving him a head start.  

“Growing up in Canada means you’re already used to working with different cultures and backgrounds,” he says. “You don't realize this until you work overseas, but that’s a massive advantage.” 

For Andrews, the true secret to working internationally isn’t about mastering new languages or knowing all the customs ahead of time.  

“It’s not about knowing the culture, it’s knowing that you don’t know, and being willing to learn,” he says. 

Andrews calls this approach cultural sophistication; the ability to approach each new environment with humility. He says the most effective international leaders aren’t the ones who try to impose their way of doing things, but those who seek to understand how others did it best. 

“I can tell you that who I am as a leader today (combines the) Western Canadian entrepreneurial spirit; Chinese negotiating tactics; the Australian team-building approach; the balance and predictability of the European; and the individualist, ‘ I can make anything happen,’ of the American. And it’s not because I grew up like that, it’s because I lived and worked in those societies and took what’s best from all those things.”

Today, as CEO of SLR Consulting, Andrews encourages young professionals to resist the urge to follow a straight path. He believes the most valuable growth comes from zigzagging, taking the long way, exploring side roads and embracing the unexpected. 

Andrews describes his journey as a series of climbs. “You have to climb one (mountain) before you can see where the next ones are,” he says. He always had a sense of direction, but he also embraced the unexpected, allowing each new experience to shape his path. 

“I like to tell the people at my company that the longest path is a straight line.” 

Alumni learn from the world around them

Whether it was O’Yeung’s entrepreneurial drive, Murataj’s strategic foresight, or Andrews’ experience and global adaptability, each of these journeys reflects the willingness of UCalgary alumni to embrace change, take risks and learn from the world around them.  

These alums’ paths may have been different, but their stories share a common thread: success is shaped by curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge and the ability to grow through experience.