Aditya Jha - POA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Co-founder, Osellus Inc., Canada & Osellus Asia Pacific Company Limited, Thailand >>
Founder & Chairman, POA Educational Foundation >>
Board Member, First Nations Financial Management Board >>

A philanthropist & social activist at heart and an entrepreneur with passion, Aditya Jha's life journey in Canada is about building a successful career/ entrepreneurial venture and in the process help cause of Canada. Through his entrepreneurial feats of actualizing dream with high risk taking as well as his acts of generous giving to those outside his community; he has demonstrated a rare sensitivity towards the societal needs of Canada.

Aditya’s entrepreneurial pursuits have included both start-up technology ventures as well as brick and mortar turn-around businesses ranging from software product development, IT services businesses, chocolate manufacturing business, fine dining and fast food restaurants and Real Estate investments with business presence in Canada, USA, Thailand, and India. He co-founded a software company, Isopia Inc., after having a successful career at Bell Canada as General Manager, eBusiness and Product Marketing. In July 2001, despite the downturn in the technology industry, Isopia was a major acquisition by Sun Microsystems Inc., USA.

Aditya's recent speeches

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Aditya sponsors and is running a unique initiative (sixth year) in the area of Venture Philanthropy working with the office of the Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation to nurture entrepreneurship within the aboriginal communities of Canada.

Aditya founded his private charitable foundation (POA Educational Foundation) in 2001 and has created endowments at four institutions (Ryerson University, York University, Trent University and George Brown College), and these endowments grant total of thirteen bursary awards ($42,000 annually) in perpetuity to students. He was the Chairperson for UNICEF Canada India HIV/AIDS campaign and one of the Cabinet Members for Ryerson University Business School's capital campaign ($72 Million).

Aditya’s foundation (www.poafoundation.org) has also supported other projects: with Ryerson University a research project on Economic Value of Indo-Canadians; Pathways Education Program for the inner-city kids of Regent Park community in Toronto; Share the Music program of Roy Thomson Hall through endowment to give Canadian aboriginal youth access to best musical performances in Toronto; Infrastructure grant for Canadian Youth Ballet Ensemble for ballet school in Havana and Trillium Hospital, Mississauga; Toronto International Film Festival as Gold Patron; Canadian Museum of Human Rights; 50 student residence for kids from landless families in India ; and Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and several other charitable projects. He supports $15,000 Business Plan & $5,000 Career Plan Contest award for the First Nation youth participating in Project Beyshick of his foundation. He has funded digital literacy project by donating laptop and desktops to 11 schools in Nepal and to the Islamic Institute of Toronto as well has supported Nepal Library Foundation for setting up libraries in the remote villages of Nepal. Aditya alongwith four colleagues has set-up Canadian Fallen Soldiers Foundation with their initial contribution of $1 Million to give bursaries for higher education to the families of the Fallen Soldiers as well venture funding for their start-up businesses.

Aditya is the appointee of Government of Canada to the Board of Directors of First Nations Financial Management Board, of Government of Ontario to Ontario Investment & Trade Advisory Council (OITAC) and Advisory Council Member of Dean, School of Social Services, Ryerson University. He has served as a board member of two TSX listed public companies. He is a Charter Member of the prestigious Indus Entrepreneur Group (TiE) and has also served in past on the Board of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and as National Convenor of Canada India Foundation. He is member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Aditya was conferred Honorary Doctorate by Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Business Management in 2009. He is the Canadian Immigrant magazine’s (Toronto Star) Top 25 Canadian Immigrants 2010 for his achievement and contributions that have positively changed the face of Canada since arrival, South Asian Philanthropist 2010, Top 30 Most Influential Indo Canadians of India Abroad magazine (Power List 2009). He was awarded the 2008 Desi News Grant's Community Achievers Awards and is recipient of Community Service awards and recognitions from various organizations. The Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) awarded its 2004 "Technology Achievement Award" for his achievements in the field of Technology. He was recipient of CEO award, President's Award and selected as President's Club member for his professional excellence at Bell Canada.

He was an Adjunct Faculty at the National University of Singapore (1989-94) and also been an invited speaker at the Ted Rogers Business School, Schulich Business School, Rotman Business School and University of Ontario Institute of Technology and other prestigious institutions in Canada and abroad. His approach to philanthropy is featured in the Economist Intelligence Unit (Economist magazine, UK) report entitled “The New World of Wealth-Seven key trends for investing, giving & spending among the very rich” and he also presented before the Standing Senate Committee (Senate of Canada) on Foreign Affairs & International Trade on Rise of China, India and Russia and its implication on Canadian policy. He was one of the seven Canadians who accompanied Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his State visit to India in 2009. He has been featured as one of the “New Radical Pioneers” in Julia Moulden’s book “We Are the New Radicals” published by McGraw Hill in 2008. Aditya was the Keynote speaker at the 16th Annual Nishnawbe Aski Nation Business Awards & South Asian Heritage Gala, Power Breakfast Series speaker at Mississauga Board of Trade. He has published/presented papers in several international journals/conferences and has served as Editorial Review Board member of two prestigious journals as well as has moderated three business roundtables for increased trade linkages between India and Canada including at PBD2011 event in Toronto. He was one of the bloggers “My City Your City” for Toronto Star and in blogs frequently in Huffington Post and has written editorial article in National Post, The Globe & Mail daily and has been featured in major National dailies and magazines as well in News magazines published from New York, India, Thailand and Nepal. Aditya started his professional career after investing 4½ years as Research Scholar at School of Computer & Systems Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and has obtained M.Sc. in Mathematical Statistics & Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science.

During his tenure as the National Convenor of Canada India Foundation (CIF), which focuses on public policy advocacy for deeper engagement in Canada India corridor, he led signing of $10 Million endowment for setting up Canada India Public Policy Centre at the University of Waterloo. He is passionate about New Canadian’s support for education at several universities. He works closely with several successful Indo-Canadians in guiding their philanthropic giving to mainstream causes. He is actively involved with the New Canadian groups of Indian, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani origin in Canada as well as is passionately involved with the aboriginal community of Canada.

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