Guided by Gustavson: Alumni Jen Scharien on entrepreneurship, finance and giving back

By Jennifer Ivanov

Nearly twenty years after graduating from the BCom program at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, Jen Scharien is still connected to the Gustavson community. She makes time to speak with students preparing to graduate, stays connected with instructors, and continues to give back to the school that helped shape her path.

“It’s always meaningful to connect with students,” Jen says. “Whether they’re still in school or just starting their careers, I’m always happy to share my experience. Planning your career path can feel overwhelming, and some of the best advice comes from people already doing the work you hope to do one day.”

Those conversations increasingly include questions about launching a business, something Jen can speak to from firsthand experience. Four years ago, she launched Finlotus, a company focused on building financial wellness for clients navigating both business and personal finance. Through budgeting, cash flow planning, financial goal setting and money mindset coaching, Jen helps people build confidence in their financial future.

“It’s really more about building a philosophy around money,” says Jen. “I saw a lot of people with damaged financial situations in my previous roles. They just weren't getting the help they needed. I had the knowledge and experience to help them, so I decided to take the leap and go into business for myself.”

From classroom to company

Jen credits the entrepreneurship classes she took at Gustavson with igniting the possibility of one day running her own business. While it didn’t happen immediately after graduation, she says the business fundamentals she learned at Gustavson shaped every stage of her career.

“My grade five career fair was probably the first time I thought about it,” Jen recalls. “Then I specialized in entrepreneurship in the BCom program, so the idea was always there. But for me, starting a business was about playing the long game.”

Not naturally drawn to risk, Jen approached starting her own business thoughtfully. She balanced full-time work, raising two children and managing family responsibilities while slowly building her business behind the scenes.

“I did a lot of planning, building systems, networking and learning through trial and error,” she says. “It was really about prioritizing. But I also found so much joy in it. Working evenings and weekends didn’t feel draining, it felt energizing. That’s when you know you’re on the right track.”

When Jen finally decided to fully commit, the move was backed by years of experience in finance, accounting and business, and not about finding the perfect moment.

“There’s never going to be an exact right time,” she says. “At some point, you just know you’re as ready as you’re ever going to be.”

The finance career path

After graduating from Gustavson, Jen began her career with a real estate investment company founded by two fellow Gustavson alumni and later earned her mortgage broker’s license. She went on to work as a mortgage underwriter before completing her CPA designation and joining BCI’s accounting, finance and operational teams.

Despite building a successful career in finance, Jen says numbers didn’t always come naturally to her. She now shares that experience with others who may be hesitant about pursuing business careers because they don’t see themselves as strong in that area.

“I struggled with math all through high school and university. It wasn’t until my finance course at Gustavson that I started to enjoy it. If you would have told me that 15 years down the road I‘d become an accountant, I never would have believed you.”

Today, Jen combines her business education and accounting expertise through her work with clients, helping them better understand and navigate their financial lives. What once felt like a challenge has become one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

“I started to love the patterns behind the math and the way numbers could tell a story, not just calculate something,” she says. “My business classes really sparked that interest, and it’s still a big part of who I am today.”

That perspective is also what motivates Jen to continue mentoring students and encourage more young women to explore business education and the worlds of finance and entrepreneurship.

“I want women to know there’s a lot of career pathways,” she says. “I want them to build skills and start their own businesses. A background in business and finance gives you so much flexibility and freedom—it can support almost anything you want to pursue.”