By Kristina Kazandjian
From building Mars rovers as a student to founding a Canadian space launch company, Rahul Goel (EngSci 1T6, UTIAS PhD candidate) embodies what it means to turn curiosity into impact. A U of T Engineering student, alumnus, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Goel’s journey is rooted in a deep belief that engineers have the power, and responsibility, to shape the future of Canada.
In 2022, he founded NordSpace to build and launch rockets from Canadian soil in support of a sovereign space program. He is also the founder of PheedLoop, a cloud-based event management platform, and Genepika, a biotechnology company developing life extension technologies.
Committed to paying it forward, Goel volunteers his time with groups such as the U of T Aerospace Team (UTAT) and Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX), and mentors students through the Entrepreneurship Hatchery. In 2025, he established his first student award, the Dipika Goel PhD Scholarship in Aerospace Studies, to ensure students receive the same support he once did.
In this Giving Day Q&A, Goel reflects on the formative experiences that defined his path and why giving back is essential to building a nation of builders.
What first sparked your interest in engineering, and what ultimately led you to choose the University of Toronto for your studies?
Engineering has always felt intrinsic to who I am. Fundamentally, I’m driven to solve hard problems that affect many people and I’ve never been comfortable standing by when meaningful challenges go unmet. Engineering gave me the discipline, structure and leadership foundation to turn that instinct into impact.
I grew up in Toronto and always admired the University of Toronto. Studying here felt like the best way to contribute to the city, country and community that shaped me while working alongside people I’d grown up with to make a difference close to home.
Do you have a favourite memory from U of T Engineering that stands out as especially meaningful or formative for you?
Without a doubt, starting the Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX) team was transformative. U of T Engineering gave me the trust, resources and motivation to build something from nothing. What began as a single student with a vision became a thriving design team earning international recognition, from Mars rover competitions in the Utah desert to small experimental satellite payloads tested in low altitude rockets.
Seeing RSX continue to grow and carry its culture forward is so rewarding. I still sponsor the team each year and it has even become a talent pipeline for NordSpace. It’s proof of what’s possible when students are empowered to build.
You founded NordSpace with a goal to build and launch rockets from Canadian soil in support of a sovereign Canadian space program. In your view, what role do engineers play in shaping the future of Canada’s space and broader technology sectors?
Canada’s future requires sovereign command, capability and collaboration across all domains (air, sea, land, space and cyber) and technology sectors from energy, the economy and beyond. Engineers are builders and problem-solvers, and our country needs more of both. At NordSpace, our motto is “Advance Life on Earth, From Space,” and at RSX it was “The Sky is Not the Limit.”
Empowering Canadian engineers to solve the hardest problems will have massive direct and indirect effects on the lives of everyday Canadians. We must become a nation of builders, not just buyers, and of constructors, not just consumers. Space, in particular, is uniquely powerful in inspiring multidisciplinary innovation. Canadian engineers can, and must, shape this future.
During your studies, you received multiple scholarships and awards. How did that support influence your academic experience and opportunities beyond the classroom?
Quite simply, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to study at U of T without that support: it made my education possible. I didn’t come from a background with the resources to easily pursue higher education away from home. That financial support gave me freedom and clarity, allowing me to focus fully on learning and building, rather than worrying about how to pay for it. I carry deep gratitude for this.
You just made your first philanthropic gift to U of T Engineering. What inspired you to start giving back?
Receiving support instilled in me a responsibility to pay it forward. Even today, I feel humbled by the belief others placed in me, and that pushed me to become someone worthy of it.
Giving back is one way to help ensure future engineers are inspired, capable and empowered. If we continue to create a culture of paying it forward in Canada, every generation of gestures will result in exponential growth. It isn’t only monetary, as I’m committed to contributing my time, knowledge and experience as well. It’s meaningful to begin this journey with the institution that gave me so much.
You established the Dipika Goel PhD Scholarship in Aerospace Studies. Can you share the motivation behind this particular gift?
My late mother, Dipika Goel, shaped how I live and think every day. She gave up her own career in science to raise her children, one of the most powerful and noble commitments a parent can make. She faced immense hardship, including a decade long battle with ovarian cancer, and yet I have never met a person who loved life as much as her. She cherished every experience, every meal, every moment, and embraced life with remarkable optimism.
As an engineer, her illness was the first time I truly felt helpless. This scholarship is both her legacy and a statement of hope: that by investing in future engineers and scientists, we can solve problems that once felt impossible — and spare others that same helplessness.
What advice would you give to alumni thinking of making their first gift?
Reflect on who helped you get to where you are today, and the role education played in your journey. Supporting education is one of the most tangible ways to shape a stronger Canada and a better collective future.
You also volunteer your time with U of T Engineering. Why is that important to you, and what kind of influence do you hope to have on future engineers?
Time is our most precious resource. Contributing it signals what truly matters. I don’t want to be a passive observer of the future, I want to help build it.
This means operating companies, not just investing in them, as I am at NordSpace, Genepika, PheedLoop, etc., and studying for advanced degrees, instead of just funding scholarships, as I am with my PhD studies at UTIAS. Until you invest your time, you cannot understand or improve things at the grassroots level. That is where real change happens, and that’s the influence I aspire to have.
If there’s one lesson you’d like readers to take away from your journey, what would it be?
Start something. In fact, start lots of things. Businesses, relationships, teams, hobbies, a family, philanthropy, education, volunteering, anything. Start small if you need to, but start. Progress only comes from taking that first step.
This story was originally published in the U of T Engineering News.