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PROFILE MANU SHARMA

Engaged entrepreneur

By Baisakhi Roy

Passionate about business, ideas and people, Manu Sharma is managing partner at OAK Computing, an Ottawa-based software development company. Recently a winner of the Ottawa Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 award, the Indian-born immigrant stresses the importance of engaging with your community while working toward personal success.

What were your first impressions of Canada after landing? I landed in Canada in December 2003 to start an MBA at Carleton University in Ottawa. Canada … and Ottawa specifically … was love at first sight. I loved the people, the culture, the easygoing nature, the sense of comfort with different ethnicities and different identities, and most importantly the Canadian trait of always looking to do “good.”

What were some of the challenges you faced? My challenges were primarily social and professional in nature. It is difficult to start a life all over again, especially when you have left every single relationship you knew in your life.

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Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada Indian-born Manu Sharma is a winner of Ottawa Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 award.

Similarly, it is difficult to get started professionally all over again. You leave all your networks and all of your professional goodwill, and to a large extent also lose the significance of your previous work experience. I spoke good English, but I spoke it differently and with a big accent — still do to this date — and it is a struggle to adjust to folks asking you to repeat yourself. From being a known entity in the room, someone everyone acknowledged and respected, to being often the only unknown is quite difficult.

I think it is important for any new immigrant to understand, acknowledge and prepare for the social and cultural differences that one is going to experience once they are in Canada.

So, how exactly did you overcome such challenges? I have worked hard to be where I am, but all credit goes to those around me — my family, friends and my networks of mentors and colleagues who have all extended a helping hand when I have needed their support. In retrospect, I feel that a North American education also worked quite favourably for me when it came to getting access to professional and business opportunities. Having those credentials, I feel, opened a lot of doors for me.

Finally, I could not emphasize enough the critical importance of my decision to engage widely with the whole community and volunteer my time freely. It is something I still do as much as I can — give my time, effort, energy and money to my community and to those who work hard to make Ottawa one of the best places to live.

Do you think things have changed for newcomers today compared to when you immigrated to Canada? It is actually quite different. In 2000, the year that I moved to North America, the biggest challenge for me was the limited access to information that was possible as the internet was still in its early stages in India. The access to real-time information — covering the whole spectrum of information about education, jobs, living conditions, social norms, etc., that the internet now makes possible -- is, in my opinion, a huge positive shift and represents a resource that, if leveraged well, can make a huge difference in the settlement of a newcomer.

You recently won the Forty Under 40 award. What advice would you give other entrepreneurs? Don’t be shy and believe in your ideas and your strengths. Persist with your ideas and keep experimenting continuously. And, finally, identify your learning and mentorship needs and work to meet people that can help you with those needs.

What do you think are the key qualities for success in Canada? Be hardworking, have an open mind, care for the local community and look for help.

Canada >> This July, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander welcomed the first two successful applicants under the Start-up Visa Program, which links experienced Canadian private sector firms with innovative foreign entrepreneurs who want to launch their start-up companies in Canada. GrowLab Ventures Inc. of Vancouver is the Canadian business incubator that is supporting Stanislav Korsei and Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, formerly of Ukraine, in the development of their company, Zeetl Inc. Korsei and Zadorozhnyi have developed an application that allows firms to monitor social media for customer complaints and concerns, and instantly establishes a temporary direct phone line that the customer can call.

B.C. >> The deadline to apply for the Lilian To Bursaries at Ashton College in Vancouver, in partnership with Canadian Immigrant, has been extended to Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. Ashton College is offering four bursaries to outstanding students who wish to enroll in a full-time program. Each bursary has a maximum value of $8,000. Eligible programs include bookkeeping, sales and marketing, human resources, business and international trade. Find out more at ashtoncollege.com/events-features/grants.

Alberta >> Manwar Khan, one of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2014, was awarded the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award in recognition of his contribution to his community. The Caring Canadian Award, which was established by the former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, recognizes individuals who volunteer their time to help others and to build a smart and caring nation.

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