TECHTALKS
A Rotman Commerce Initiative Designed To Connect Students With Industry Professionals and Academia
About TechTalks
TechTalks are a new initiative led by the Rotman Commerce FinTech Association that seeks to create an approachable and accessible environment for University of Toronto students to engage with industry professionals and academics from a variety of backgrounds to understand technology’s growing impact and influence on the financial sector. Over the course of the 2020-2021 academic year, we'll be delivering workshops, keynote and panel sessions, and podcasts with experts from diverse backgrounds ranging from Real Estate technology to corporate law!
In order to provide wider access to students, attendance to all TechTalks events is free for all University of Toronto students. We welcome $5.00 donations from all attendees, which will be donated in full to the SickKids Foundation.
Past Partners
Donate 💞
In order to provide wider access to students, attendance to all TechTalks events are free for all University of Toronto students. We welcome $5.00 donations from all attendees at our live events, which will be donated in full to the SickKids Foundation.
We've also included a list of local charities that you can donate to! We update the list periodically to feature new charitable organizations and not-for-profit groups striving to affect positive change in our community!
The SickKids Foundation
Donations will be used for the highest priority needs of the hospital, including supporting measures for COVID-19 preparedness and research.
Canadian Red Cross Society
The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies dedicated to improving the situation of the most vulnerable throughout the world.
DonateTO: COVID-19 Relief
The City of Toronto is working hard with its partners to support everyone impacted by COVID-19. Your gifts help us to enhance much needed services and supports, especially for the most vulnerable.
Covenant House
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Covenant House Toronto team continues to work night and day to provide essential services to about 350 youth a day who are homeless or victims of sex trafficking.
Your gift will help provide food, shelter and medical care to some of our city’s most vulnerable as well as implement health and safety measures during this crisis. Thank you for being there in these difficult times.
TechTalks
Past and Present
July 17th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
PropTech & COVID-19:
Innovation in Times of Crisis
July 31st, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Data Analytics in Real Estate Capital Markets
Market Research and Financial Modelling
August 14th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Part I: BRED - Asset Tokenization
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Part II: Opendoor - Market Making
September 18th, 2020
Anti-Money Laundering & Risk in the FinTech Services Field
In Collaboration with KOHO
October 1st, 2020, 6:00PM-8:00PM EDT
Data, Appraisals, and CRE Lending
How FinTech is Reshaping Real Estate Valuation
February 2nd, 2021, 6:00PM-8:00PM EDT
RegTech and LegalTech
New Developments in Legal and Regulation Technology in Canadian Financial Markets
Date and Time TBA
Tech in Sports Analytics
In Collabortation with RCSS
September 18th, 2020
Anti-Money Laundering & Risk in the FinTech Services Field
In Collaboration with KOHO
Fraud has been an issue on the rise as technology plays an increasingly integral role in our daily lives as we check our bank accounts, pay our bills, and interact online. How do we fight back against this rapid form of financial crime in addition to money laundering and other risks? Has COVID-19 made these practices easier?
In this TechTalk, we explore questions like these as well as explore the role of data and software in this field. We will get insight into the practices of a local to Toronto fintech startup, KOHO, and provide an overview of the recent trends in AML and risk management.
October 1st, 2020, 6:00PM-8:00PM EDT
Data, Appraisals, and CRE Lending
How FinTech is Reshaping Real Estate Valuation
In our mission to connect academia to industry, we will be delving into real estate markets with our upcoming TechTalk: “Data, Appraisals, and CRE Lending,” in collaboration with Rotman Commerce PropTech. We will discuss with industry professionals how FinTech is reshaping real estate valuation, as well as teach students the fundamentals of commercial real estate lending.
The panel discussion, featuring representatives from (TBD along with RCPT), will be moderated by a Professor of Finance from the Rotman School of Management. A networking session with the industry representatives will conclude the evening.
The register button below will take you to the Rotman Portal where you can sign up for the event.
February 2nd, 2021, 6:00PM-8:00PM EDT
RegTech and LegalTech
New Developments in Legal and Regulation Technology in Canadian Financial Markets
In 2008, the world learned that even the strongest capital markets can be permanently weakened by poor risk management and lack of governance. Yet the industry is still vulnerable to cyber-terrorism, mismanagement, and fraud. In response to increasing regulatory pressure, major financial and non-financial corporations have invested heavily in technologies focused on legal compliance and corporate oversight. The FinTech sector of Regulation Technology came into existence.
Jointly hosted by the Rotman Commerce Law Association and the Rotman Commerce FinTech Association, this TechTalk provides students with an opportunity to learn about new developments in legal and regulation technology in Canadian financial markets. Drawing from expertise in both academia and industry, this discussion will seek to provide insight on the following question: How is RegTech and LegalTech transforming the way that Canadian corporations think about compliance, governance, and oversight?
The discussion will be moderated by a Professor of Finance from the Rotman School of Management, to be announced on Jan 19th, 2021.
Date and Time TBA
Tech in Sports Analytics
In Collaboration with RCSS
Since the turn of the century, professional sports teams have adopted a data-driven approach to gain competitive advantage both on and off the field. To explore this, RCFTA has collaborated with the Rotman Commerce Sports Society (RCSS) to bring you the a new TechTalk: Tech in Sports Analytics. The panel discussion will consist of on-field analytics. The panelists will consist of athletes, coaches, members of sports management, sports analysts, and commentators. This TechTalk will explore the advancements in data collection that facilitate game simulations, improving fan acquisitions, and understanding the impacts of sponsorships. The discussion will be moderated by a Professor from the Rotman School of Management, to be announced on October 5th.
This TechTalk may be held online depending on the advice provided by Public Health officials and Rotman Commerce Student Life during the week of the event.
The PropTech Series
July 17th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
PropTech & COVID-19:
Innovation in Times of Crisis
July 31st, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Data Analytics in Real Estate Capital Markets
Market Research and Financial Modelling
August 14th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Market-Making and Asset Unitization
July 17th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
PropTech & COVID-19:
Innovation in Times of Crisis
Many companies around the world have had to adopt remote working strategies in order to adapt to COVID-19. This led to a dramatic drop in office occupancy. Nonetheless, the ability to facilitate cooperative working spaces that are compliant with public safety regulations remains invaluable as we move towards the “new normal”. Fortunately, with the emergence of PropTech, it is possible for office managers to create both a safe working environment and a flexible workspace.
As part of our ongoing TechTalk series, this 45-minute podcast is aimed at providing students with a practical overview of how corporations facilitate flexible work arrangements by leveraging technologies such as IOT for data aggregation and machine learning algorithms. Drawing from industrial expertise, this discussion will seek to provide insight on the following question: How is PropTech helping businesses adapt to and thrive in the world amidst COVID-19?
July 31st, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Data Analytics in Real Estate Capital Markets
Market Research and Financial Modelling
Commercial real estate firms need a way to quickly compile and analyze market data in order to remain competitive. As a result, PropTech firms have created tools in which industry professionals can use to do so efficiently.
In this podcast, industry professionals will speak on how commercial real estate transactions are currently conducted. The main focus of this podcast will be how brokers and analysts quickly access property data and details in order to make profitable, well-informed business decisions. The podcast will also discuss the tools used to evaluate potential acquisitions through financial modelling, sensitivity analysis, and market research.
We spoke with Roelof Van Djik, Director of Market Analytics Canada at CoStar, to find out more.
August 14th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Market-Making and Asset Unitization
September 10th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Market-Making with Opendoor
Selling a home can be a long and arduous process. According to Zillow, most homes remained on the market for an average of 65 to 93 days in 2018, from listing to closing. Similarly, individual commercial buildings can only be sold to institutional investors as the cost is too immense for almost all individuals.
We are joined this episode by Sam Stone, Product Lead for Pricing. In this episode, we look at how Opendoor provides liquidity to residential real estate through its market-making services. Opendoor allows homeowners to sell their homes quickly. Customers can either sell their home directly to Opendoor at a competitive price or list their property on Opendoor to entertain third-party offers.
Recorded on August 28th, 2020.
August 14th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Liquidity Creation in Real Estate Markets
Asset Tokenization with BRED
Selling a home can be a long and arduous process. According to Zillow, most homes remained on the market for an average of 65 to 93 days in 2018, from listing to closing. Similarly, individual commercial buildings can only be sold to institutional investors as the cost is too immense for almost all individuals. In this episode of the PropTech series, representatives will speak on how Blockchain and asset tokenization can allow retail investors to invest in commercial real estate assets.
Timestamps:
Intro to Walter and Jag: 1:24BRED token intro: 2:28Asset tokenization overview: 3:26BRED presentation and slides: 6:54Q1: What is the benefit of participating in tokenized asset trading as opposed to standard securities?: 14:51Q2: How do you plan to drive the concept of tokenization into the market place: 16:45Q3: What are the benefits of bringing more liquidity to the real-estate investment space?: 18:54Q4: What are STOs?: 21:03Q5: Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs interested in real-estate? What segment of the real-estate industry do you think is most ripe for disruption?: 22:32
August 28th, 2020, 8:00PM EDT
Affordable Housing & Real Estate Technology
Removing Cost Barriers To Real Estate Transactions
The full podcast will be available here on August 28th, 2020.
North America is in the midst of a housing crisis. In recent years, affordable homes are few and far between, leaving many people of varying incomes struggling to find a suitable place to live.
This panel will explore how PropTech startups are addressing ways to make renting and home ownership available to more people by transforming the way homes are sold and increasing the transparency of market data to boost tenant bargaining power.
Archived
Portfolio Optimization: Theory and Applications
March 15th, 2020, 3PM - 5PM
See Companion Website
Come and join the RCFTA at our TechTalks: Portfolio Optimization workshop to learn about this essential aspect of Finance! This beginner-friendly workshop will introduce you to the theory and technical implementation of strategic portfolio allocation using Python and Excel! (no coding experience required)
This 2-hour workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the Modern Portfolio Theory. Participants will learn to use novel Python libraries, data-sets, and Excel add-ins to build real-time portfolio optimization algorithms. No prior knowledge in Python is required, however, an elementary understanding of basic topics in finance and statistics is assumed (risk versus return trade-off, diversification, asset types, point estimators, probability and uncertainty in the context of financial decision-making).
Register
Use this form to register for events that have no sign up link on the Rotman Portal. Your email will be put on the list of registrants!
Contact Us
If you've got any questions about the TechTalks Series, or if you'd like to collaborate with us for future events, please send us a message using the form below or reach out to us on our social media!
Thank You
We'll Be In Touch With You Soon!