UBC Sauder is turning this BCom student’s acting career into serious business
Charlotte Lindsay Marron's filmography on IMDB reveals she has starred in the television series Between, the 2020 thriller The Silencing, and more recently in the short film, A Brief History of the Unicorn.
But what her IMDB page doesn't reveal are the myriad of other roles Marron plays today. She’s a trailblazing Bachelor of Commerce student at the UBC Sauder School of Business, a fundraiser for a student-led rocket program, and an aspiring entrepreneur who wants to empower women.
And she's just 18.
The choice of UBC Sauder
Marron's acting career started with commercials and evolved into film and television in her teenage years. But a camera lens alone couldn't fit her dream. She decided to pursue a business education in the hopes of one day launching a media production company of her own.
"I narrowed in on UBC Sauder because it seemed to offer the best opportunity to grow and learn. The school pushed sustainable values and social change, and promised to teach real-world fundamentals. I also really fell in love with the campus."
Photo by: V Saran Photo
Business and filmmaking: 'It's all interconnected'
Today, Marron is venturing beyond acting and exploring her place behind the camera as part of a production team. She recently started work on a film and her UBC Sauder learnings have already come in handy.
"In just eight months, UBC Sauder has taught me so much about how I should approach a business project. I know exactly what to focus on in producing and how to express these ideas and pitches to people in the film industry. It's also helped me think of components like film funding," says Marron.
The Comm 196 – Business Communications course has been instrumental in helping her craft her message. "Building pitch decks, writing mission statements, shaping the message and expressing it to other people – these are very important skills that I've learned in the classroom."
Marron says the lectures at UBC Sauder also give her a deeper understanding of her audience."I've learnt to understand them like consumer segments. The classes have given me a sort of lens to identify audiences and make sure they're really getting value from the product, in this case my film project."
Business acumen is rocket science
Marron is also the Marketing and Fundraising Director for UBC Rocket, a student-led engineering design team on campus that's dedicated to the design, manufacture, and launch of suborbital rockets.
The avionics subteam reviews technical information at UBC Rocket. The UBC Rocket team describes avionics as the “brains of the rocket.”
Despite not having an engineering background, she doesn't feel like an outsider. She says her business expertise fosters diversity of thought and has equipped her with the soft skills needed to raise awareness about UBC Rocket's work.
"One of my favourite courses is Organizational Behaviour with UBC Sauder Lecturer Tracey Gurton. She's taught me how to empower people and motivate them to make change within organizations,” says Marron.
“It's extremely applicable in my marketing strategies, especially when I tell the story of UBC Rocket to fundraisers and the media,” adds Marron. “We're pushing the boundaries of science with limited resources as students, so it’s important that we convey our message in an innovative way that sparks interest."
Marron (right) with her friend and fellow UBC student, Neil Mitra (left), who serves as the Sponsorship Director at UBC Rocket.
An aspiring entrepreneur focused on underrepresented voices
While UBC Sauder has given her a diverse set of skills, experiences, and a network of friends, Marron is still drawn to her first love: the film industry. She wants to use her business education to become an entrepreneur and launch a media conglomerate that spotlights women talent in acting and filmmaking.
"Being an actor, I see film as a versatile medium where I can use the power of storytelling to help people who are underrepresented on the screen. Women empowerment is very important to me, and my dream is to run the kind of media company that inspires self-reflection and improvement amongst audiences, instead of merely encouraging escapism."
Marron says the collaborative culture at UBC Sauder makes her time spent on campus feel less like work, and more like an extension of her hobbies and passions.
"At UBC Sauder, I'm surrounded by professors who ignite my passion, because I think they're all equally as motivated and keen to teach and to learn. Each day, I feel more excited to imagine new ideas and to apply them to my work. The school environment allows me to collaborate with others in a very integrative and actionable way. It all really helps me flourish," says Marron.