Bursary PROGRAM

Alan Armstrong Bursary Award

In honour of our founder, the Alan Armstrong Bursary helps TPMA members invest in their growth—whether refining skills, stepping into a new role, or breaking into product. Two $1,000 bursaries will be awarded in 2025.

About the Alan Armstrong Bursary

The Alan Armstrong Bursary honours the life and legacy of TPMA’s founder, Alan Armstrong.

Alan’s energy and vision gave birth to the Toronto Product Management Association in 2001. What began as a handful of “very green” product managers meeting in a basement to share challenges has since grown into one of North America’s leading product communities. His belief was simple but powerful: product managers in Toronto needed a space to learn, connect, and grow together.

For years, Alan was a frequent participant and speaker at TPMA, always giving back to the community he helped build. His impact lives on not just in the strength of the organization today, but in the many careers he helped shape along the way.

Alan is remembered by his children Siena, Thea, and Liam, their mother and his friend Marlys Neufeldt, his parents Rosemary and Bill, his brothers Rob and Scott, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

We created this bursary to honour Alan’s enduring example and to invest in the next generation of product management leaders. Each year, it helps TPMA members take the next step in their career journey—through training, education, and growth opportunities that Alan would have been proud to support.

How Does It Work?

The Alan Armstrong Bursary is open to all TPMA members who are pursuing an educational opportunity to refine their skills, level up into a new role, or break into product management. In 2025, we have two bursaries of $1000 available to our community.

Applicants must have a specific course or program in mind, meet strict eligibility criteria (listed below), and be willing to share their story with us!

Applications Open: September 9, 2025

Applications Close: Sunday, October 5th, 2025

Selection Committee Meets: November 2025

Bursaries Awarded: December 2025

Eligibility criteria

TPMA board members and mentors are not eligible to apply for this bursary.

  1. Active members of the TPMA in good standing
  2. Should reside in the Greater Toronto Area (our definition is an address within a reasonable distance from any of the current or planned GO Transit service routes) 
  3. Have already applied, or intend to apply, to a reputable program (see our list below) within the next year (2025 - 2026).
  4. Are willing to share their educational plans and story with us

To remain eligible for this award, applicants are advised to:

  1. Not submit more than one application (i.e. not a duplicate in error)
  2. Not act to influence the outcome of the award
  3. Remain professional in application material and all subsequent correspondence
Apply Today

Suggested Programs

Applicants should feel empowered to make a case for a course or program not included below, in their application.

  1. BrainStation (partner program - additional discounts available for TPMA members) 
  2. Reforge
  3. Pragmatic Institute
  4. Product Faculty
  5. Product School
  6. General Assembly
  7. CoLab
  8. A program offered by a major university or college in the US and Canada

2024 Bursary Recipient

Ravicha Ravinthiran

A recent graduate of the University of Waterloo's Science and Business program, Ravicha Ravinthiran launched her product management career through co-op and now excels as a Product Manager at RATESDOTCA, Canada’s largest digital marketplace for insurance and financial services.

With the bursary, Ravicha will enroll in Shreyas Doshi’s Product Sense course, where she’ll refine her skills to build successful products, features, and teams. She’s excited about the course’s practical focus and grateful to the TPMA for supporting her journey.

Ravicha Ravinthiran

Alan Armstrong Bursary Application

Deadline: Sunday, October 5th, 2025

Apply Today