Never too early to start giving back: Max Bai ’16

It’s never too soon to start giving back. Since Max Bai ’16 graduated from UTS less than a decade ago, he studied finance and accounting at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, embarked on his financial career and most recently departed Oaktree Capital Management to join forces with a senior mentor to launch their own investment firm. Amidst all that, he also established a bursary for UTS students, the Bai and He Family Bursary, which will be awarded annually to one or more students with demonstrated financial need.

“The school has always been committed to accessibility and the Bursary Program is one that I feel very strongly about,” says Max, who as a young donor is recognized and honoured by UTS as a Grads of the Last Decade (GOLD) Donor. “I’m a firm believer that if a student gets in and has the mental fortitude and drive to attend UTS, they should be able to go, and I'm happy to do my small part there.”

Thanks to the generous support of his parents and grandparents, Max was able to attend UTS, which he describes as a privilege he didn’t fully appreciate at the time, but does now, for everything UTS did for his education, and personal and professional lives. For example, every year since he’s lived in New York City, he’s celebrated his birthday there with 15 to 20 members of his UTS friend group. Many of his best friends are from his class, with whom he’s grown up since grade 7, but others are both older and younger UTS connections. Through UTS, he has formed intergenerational friendships that began as mentorship relationships and grew into significant friendships, providing invaluable advice to Max at pivotal career and life moments.

“They've given me the benefit of becoming friends through their grace and generosity,” he says. “Because they too went to UTS, we share the same moral spirit and fibre of our community, which is about giving back, taking care of those around us and remembering the formative experience that UTS was for us and how it continues to impact our lives.”

Max also donates his time, having recently joined the UTS Alumni Association as a board director, and also serving on the Advancement Committee for the UTS Board and volunteering to give students business advice last year through the UTS Timeraiser program. Once the mentee, he is now the mentor, passing on his knowledge and expertise to the next generation, upholding the longstanding UTS tradition of giving back to our community with generosity and grace.

Join Max in giving your support to UTS