Associate Dean’s case study brings St. Catharines leader’s story to global classrooms

New study from University of Niagara Falls Canada professors explores what happens when AI reads the room

A new Ivey Publications case study authored by University of Niagara Falls Canada Associate Dean Kirti Khanzode is putting Niagara-region changemaker on the radar of business students and faculty in 168 countries.

Future Black Female: Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies tells the story of Tapo Chimbganda, an immigrant to Canada who went on to found Future Black Female, a St. Catharines-based not-for-profit supporting young Black women aged 16 to 22 across the Niagara region. Since achieving charitable status, the organization has expanded considerably in both scale and scope.

Khanzode, Associate Dean of the Honours Bachelor of Business Administration program, first came across Chimbganda’s profile following an International Women’s Day panel held at UNF and immediately recognized the teaching potential in her story.

“Her experience brings together important themes such as women in leadership, intersectionality, leadership within non-profit organizations, and the ongoing challenge of sustainability in the charitable sector,” Khanzode said. “These are critical areas of learning for business students yet often underrepresented in traditional case material.”

With guidance from colleague Felicia Werner, Executive Director of Community and Alumni Engagement at UNF, Khanzode connected with Chimbganda, who agreed to participate in a series of in-depth interviews. Those conversations form the backbone of the case, grounding it in lived experience rather than abstraction.

The result is a teaching resource suitable for courses in leadership, organizational behaviour, gender and diversity, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. Suitable for both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the case study is accompanied by a comprehensive teaching note to help instructors facilitate discussion and connect the material to established frameworks.

Through Ivey’s global distribution network of more than 30 distributors, the case now reaches more than 25,000 faculty and staff working at higher education institutions worldwide.

A local story with global relevance

While Future Black Female operates in Niagara, Khanzode is clear that its resonance extends far beyond the region.

“Tapo’s journey spans multiple countries yet reflects recurring experiences of bias and exclusion,” she noted. “This reinforces the idea that these challenges are not isolated. They are widely experienced across different environments.”

That universality is part of what makes the case a strong fit for diverse classrooms. It invites students to examine how intersecting identities shape leadership experiences, and to think critically about concepts such as systemic barriers, microaggressions, and organizational sustainability in the non-profit sector.

“I also hope the case inspires female students to pursue leadership roles with confidence, undeterred by social challenges,” Khanzode said. “This case offers a powerful example of what is possible.”

A milestone with personal meaning

The publication marks Khanzode’s first single-authored case study. It’s a distinction she describes as both deliberate and meaningful.

“As an immigrant woman of colour, this case felt deeply personal,” she explained. “The themes it explores – identity, leadership, and systemic barriers – resonated strongly with my own experiences. Writing it independently allowed me to bring that perspective forward without compromise.”

The process, she says, was at times cathartic.

“During the interview process, I often found myself reflecting on moments from own journey, experiences I hadn’t fully revisited before. That sense of connection made the writing process more than just an academic exercise.”

Khanzode said the case will find a home within UNF’s HBBA program, particularly in courses on leadership, organizational behaviour, social innovation, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

More broadly, she sees it as part of a larger commitment to case writing that centres organizations and leaders who are often overlooked in mainstream business education.

“I am particularly drawn to telling the stories of regional and small to medium-sized organizations that demonstrate meaningful impact,” she said. “Every case is a story, and every story is an opportunity to turn lived experience into learning.”

Future Black Female: Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies is available now through Ivey Publications.