Praveen K. Varshney FCPA FCA

Praveen has been a principal of Varshney Capital Corp., a Vancouver based merchant banking, venture capital and corporate advisory services firm since 1991. He's also a Founding Director of Pyfera Growth Capital & a Founding Director of Humanitas Smart Planet Fund, both with a social impact focus. Mr. Varshney obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and is a FCPA, FCA.

He has been a Director or Officer of many publicly traded companies over the years including one of Canada's largest fintech companies, Mogo Inc. (NASDAQ: MOGO & TSX: MOGO) (Co-Founder). He is also a Co-Founder of NEXE Innovations (TSX.V : NEXE) and of Little Kitchen Academy, and former CFO of Carmanah Technologies which became Canada's largest solar company, and of The Plastic Bank. He was also Co-Founder of a predecessor of Mountain Province Diamonds (TSX : MPVD) who's Gahcho Kue project in September 2016 became the world's largest new diamond mine since 2003 & De Beers' (MPVD's partner) second-largest producer behind its Jwaneng mine in Botswana.

Praveen is a member of the Vancouver Chapter of EO since 1996, Toniic, TiE Vancouver (Founding Director) & Silicon Valley Blockchain Society - Vancouver Chapter (Founding Director). He's also on a number of non-profit boards such as the Varshney Family Foundation, Dalai Lama Center for Peace + Education, the Vancouver Foundation & a Founding Member of Instruments Beyond Borders. He's also an SVP Vancouver Partner, a Director of Foundations for Change, and on the Advisory Boards of Room to Read Vancouver and The Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation in New Jersey. He also Co-Founded with his daughter, Jaiya, Down to the Last Straw, a global movement to reduce plastic waste with a major focus on single-use plastic straws.

Praveen is also a recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 Under 40 Awards, the 2020 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Wendy McDonald Diversity Awards Outstanding Mentor and 2021 inaugural Business in Vancouver Top 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in BC (Banking & Finance – Private Equity, Venture Capital & Hedge Funds category).