Ashutosh Jha granted Diamond Jubilee medal in honour of Queen Elizabeth II

Toronto native Ashutosh Jha has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, which honours outstanding men and women from Canada.
Jha, a creative and social entrepreneur, currently serves as the Director of Projects for the POA Educational Foundation, which promotes education, nurtures entrepreneurship and strengthens civil governance. The foundation takes special interest in nurturing prosperity and financial independence amongst Canadian First Nations (aboriginal) communities and individuals. The foundation has established  education scholarships at top Canadian universities and nurtures entrepreneurship through collaborative projects like  ‘Project Beyshick.  His tireless service to the Canadian community through charitable and philanthropic efforts have earned him the Diamond Jubilee Medal.
“It is a privilege to say the least”, said Jha, who is also co-founder of Project Beyshick, a venture philanthropy initiative to incubate entrepreneurs within the Canadian aboriginal community and others.”The work I do and the people I work with is a rewarding process on its own; but this award is a wonderful added bonus for which I am immensely honoured and grateful for.”
Jha has volunteered with the foundation and several other oranizations over the last decade including ‘Frontier College’ and ‘Learning to Integrate New Culture’. He was a member of the Trinity College Family Campaign Cabinet, which generated $15 million for the College. Through 2009-2010, Ashutosh initiated and lead a team of 25 volunteers to provide in-kind consulting services to the Mississauga Food Bank as part of Accenture’s commitment to corporate citizenship and sustainability. Additionally, Jha is Technology advisor to the Canada India Foundation (CIF), which focuses on public policy advocacy for deeper engagement between Canada and India.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to live in such an incredible nation”, notes Jha, who has stayed active in Canadian polity for several years through volunteering for local, provincial and national political campaigns. “Giving back to the community is essentially giving back to my expanded self and it is also something which has brought me a great deal of joy over the years.”
Aside from this Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Queen, Jha has been the recipient of the Accenture Hero Award in 2009 and the Government of Ontario’s Volunteer Service Award in 2010.
Jha will be presented with the medal on Saturday, December 29 at the 5th Element Restaurant (506 Queen St. W) at noon by MP Patrick Brown.