Alex Kaju (ISTEP) recently joined U of T Engineering as assistant professor. He brings industry experience in behavioral science, marketing, and entrepreneurship to teach innovation and business within engineering contexts.
Before joining ISTEP, Kaju served as an assistant professor of marketing at HEC Montréal and has held leadership roles in industry as head of behavioral science at both Novartis and Clarity Recruitment. His research focuses on how technologies such as AI influence human behavior and decision-making. Kaju holds a PhD and MBA from the Rotman School of Management and a bachelor of physical and health education from the University of Toronto.
ISTEP’s Mason Subotich spoke with Kaju about his teaching philosophy, his goals as an educator, and the unique perspective he brings to U of T Engineering.
Can you share your approach to teaching?
My approach to teaching is grounded in the real world. I want to teach what works, not just what sounds good in theory or fits neatly on a slide. That means paying attention to what is happening outside the classroom. I draw on current companies, founders, managers, research, books, guest speakers, case studies, examples from the internet and, once in a while, even a useful textbook idea. The goal is to bring the outside world into the classroom as much as possible.
I was fortunate to inherit a great foundation with TEP234 – Entrepreneurship and Small Business, and my goal is to build on that by connecting classroom theory to the realities of the business world. I want students to understand the ideas, but I also want them to see what those ideas look like when there are deadlines, clients, teams, constraints and imperfect information. I’m always asking what students can actually use when they are trying to launch something, persuade someone, lead a team, make a hard decision or build something people want.
What excites you most about joining ISTEP?
Engineering students are some of the most rigorous and capable problem-solvers in the world. They can take on incredibly complex technical problems. But even the best technical solutions still have to work for people. They have to be adopted by users, supported by teams, understood by organizations and make sense in the market. What excites me about ISTEP is that it sits right at the intersection of technical excellence and the human side of engineering work.
When you take students who already have a strong technical toolkit and help them think more deeply about human behaviour, strategy, decision-making and entrepreneurship, the results can be fantastic. ISTEP is a really exciting place to do that work.
What do you hope students will take away from your classes?
I’ll be honest: I’m realistic about what students remember. A few years later, they may only take a handful of things from any given course with them. My hope is that they leave with one or two ideas that genuinely change how they approach problems for the rest of their careers, and hopefully their lives.
That might be a concept, a framework, a way of thinking or a better way of communicating. It might be the EAST model of human decision-making, the idea of finding their asymmetric advantage, or a more practical understanding of creativity and entrepreneurship. It might also be a life skill, such as presenting clearly, collaborating well, managing their own productivity or giving and receiving feedback. More than anything, I want students to get more comfortable with uncertainty. The world rarely gives you clean information, perfect timing or obvious answers. I want students to build the confidence and resilience to make thoughtful decisions anyway.
What is your goal as an educator in the next few years?
My main goal is to keep refining courses like TEP234 and TEP432, so they stay closely connected to what is happening in the market. The business landscape changes quickly, especially with AI and new ways of working. I want students to feel that what they are learning is current, useful and connected to the kinds of problems they will be face as they go out into their careers.
I’m especially interested in building learning experiences where students do more than analyze cases from a distance. I want them identifying real problems, developing solutions, testing ideas, pitching, getting feedback and improving. My goal is for students to leave these courses with sharper thinking, better judgment and more confidence stepping into entrepreneurial, strategic and leadership roles.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
People might be surprised to know that before becoming a professor, I worked across a fairly unusual mix of worlds. I played varsity football and ran track at U of T, worked in film and advertising, completed an MBA and PhD, became a marketing professor, and spent years applying behavioural science inside organizations. That path probably explains why I’m drawn to teaching that connects ideas across disciplines.
People might also be surprised to know that I’m currently writing a business book. In some ways, books are the thread that connected everything for me. I’ve always been obsessed with reading. At some point I realized that the people whose ideas had shaped me most were often professors. They were the ones writing the books I loved. That realization was one of the things that made me want to become a professor in the first place.
Outside of work, I try to burn off stress by playing hockey, squash, tennis and skiing. My wife, Alexis, and I also spend a lot of time trying to keep up with our one-year-old daughter, Margot, who very clearly runs the house.
