Education: Ontario high school diploma (2002)
Biggest business achievement: Receiving an Immigrant Entrepreneur Award from the City of Ottawa in 2018.
Biggest obstacle overcome: As many (if not most) companies have experienced, not all customers are quick to pay. As the owner of a mostly self-funded company (I have received some financing for large-scale purchases), I have needed to scale my business very carefully and protect my cash flow. For this reason, purchases for new equipment or to expand my office or team have been more gradual than I would ideally like. Given that demand for our services is growing so quickly, we are all working long hours.
OBJ360 (Sponsored)
Best Offices Ottawa: ‘New Beginnings’ for IDRC staff in LWG-designed office space
Upon entering the International Development Research Centre’s office in downtown Ottawa, one is greeted by a display of artifacts, from a three-foot-tall fertility statue of a woman to ornate vases
Best Places to Work: Giatec breaks down barriers in the concrete industry
When Giatec founders Pouria Ghods and Aali Alizadeh came to Canada from Iran in 2005 to pursue PhDs in science and engineering, they could never have imagined running a 150-person
Biggest influence: My dad. He has told me to never aim for second place and to treat everybody with the same respect regardless of their social standing or race. He always challenged me and encouraged me to aim higher and higher.
Most important lesson you’ve learned in business: If you consistently provide quality work with great customer service, your business will not only grow but flourish. Also, treat your employees and partners with the utmost respect and always over-deliver.
First job: Delivering pizza flyers.
Advice I’d give the younger me: Keep pushing and never give up.
Favourite pastime: Flying my drone.
