Schulich Leader Aidan Britnell builds on U of T experience to develop live translation app used worldwide

Beyond monetary value, the scholarships connect students to a distinguished network of Schulich Leaders both at U of T and beyond. This provides invaluable networking opportunities and support.

“I’m so thankful for Mr. Schulich and the entire Schulich community for putting this program together. Starting my first year of university with a tight-knit community of older students and mentors was invaluable. I don’t take that for granted,” says Britnell.

He was also able to use the connection to land a future role. After attending the Schulich Leader job fair in 2019, Britnell landed a summer student position with Hatch Engineering and later joined the company as a full-time Cyber Security Architect. He has since left to pursue entrepreneurship and Kaleo AI full-time but still consults on a casual basis.

“It was an incredible experience working with the Hatch team. I got to engage with many interesting projects, but one highlight was developing a security automation platform for the company which enabled real-time responses to security alerts, effectively augmenting the capability of the information security team,” says Britnell.

Making church service accessible to all

Britnell came up with the idea for Kaleo AI after seeing the need at his own church in Oakville, Ont. The church was previously running live translations for their Sunday services in Spanish, but with more than 70 languages represented, it was only scratching the surface.

In early 2025, Britnell began developing the app using a custom-trained AI model that recognized theological words and Bible names. It meant the app would correctly identify when a pastor said “epistle,” not “a pistol,” in a service.

“That’s the difference between Kaleo AI and generic tools like Google Translate and AirPods translation. They’re not built for a church environment, so they miss a lot of the context and vocabulary. I was able to develop a solution with this custom AI model, and the feedback has been incredible,” says Britnell. “We’ve even heard from people who are learning new theological words in Spanish because of how accurate the translation is.”

Advancements in AI has meant translation is not only accurate but accessible and affordable for churches of all sizes. For a small subscription fee, churches can unlock translation in more than 150 languages to serve a diverse population.

To use the service, users would scan a QR code, pick their language and either read the captions on a phone, tablet or computer or listen with headphones. For members who don’t have a smartphone, or are not as technologically savvy, they could borrow a device from the church or use a special radio to hear the translation.

Noticing how the app can also be useful for the deaf and hard of hearing community, Britnell has plans to expand the service to include American Sign Language (ASL).

U of T education provided the foundation for startup

Britnell first gained experience in computer science while attending King’s Christian Collegiate in Oakville, where he maintained the school’s network infrastructure and developed a mobile app that allowed students to store their student cards on their phones.

With an interest in information security, he chose UTM because of its focus on academics, real-world learning and the strong computer science program.

“My U of T education gave me a framework for solving problems – so much more than just writing code,” says Britnell.

He adds that the breadth of the computer science program as well as its focus on AI provided the foundation to develop a live translation app.

“That framework has transferred into every aspect of building a business – from developing a product and solving technical problems, to leading a team and going to market. That’s the value of my U of T degree, and it’s something I’ll carry for the rest of my career.”