Owais Lightwala

Owais Lightwala is an Assistant Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, specialising in entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation within the creative industries. He is the founding Director of The Creative School Chrysalis, a 1200-seat, multidisciplinary performance innovation hub at TMU. Previously, Owais was the Managing Director at Why Not Theatre, where he played a key role in groundbreaking projects like the RISER Project and The Mahabharata. A recognized leader in the Canadian arts community, Owais has been awarded the Business/Arts Arnold Edinborough Award for his contributions to arts leadership. He holds an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a BFA in theatre from York University.