2021 Vistara Elevate Award recipient Atta Ur Rehman Faiz (middle) is pictured with Randy Garg (left) and John O’Donoghue (right) of Vistara Growth.
In August 2020, we launched the Vistara Elevate Awards, initiated as part of the Beedie Luminaries Program to support students of ethnic and racially diverse backgrounds who are pursuing degrees in finance and or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math).
This year’s worthy recipient is Atta Ur Rehman Faiz of Surrey, British Columbia, who is pursuing a computer science and mechanical engineering degree at the University of British Columbia. In addition to scoring top marks in his academic studies, Atta found time to participate in his high school’s NASA team, which was focused on creating a reference for a proposal to create an attainable space settlement in the near future. He also volunteers with One Blood for Life, an organization that helps raise awareness of the need for more blood and stem cell donors.
As the recipient of the Vistara Elevate Awards, Atta will receive a full tuition scholarship for one year and a summer internship with Vistara in 2022. Atta will also be mentored by the Vistara Growth team led by John O’Donoghue throughout his four-year post-secondary journey.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank Michal Oqbe, the inaugural 2020 recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award for her valuable contributions during this year’s summer internship. Michal is returning to her studies in health sciences at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia to learn about how to eliminate health issues in developing nations.
I truly enjoyed my experience this summer working with the team at Vistara as my first taste of working in a business. The variety of technology companies we looked at and discussions around them really piqued my interest in learning more about all aspects of business, and will help shape my course selections and path forward. I am very grateful for the support and look forward to Vistara’s ongoing mentoring and support on my journey through university.
Michal Oqbe, Winner of 2020 Elevate Award
Michal Oqbe (left) pictured with Randy Garg and Kathleen Kaulins
About Vistara
Vistara Growth provides highly flexible growth debt and equity solutions to leading technology companies across North America. Founded, managed, and funded by seasoned technology finance and operating executives, “Vistara” (Sanskrit for “expansion”) is focused on enabling growth for the ambitious entrepreneurs we invest in, our investors, our people, and the communities we operate in.
Interested in Growth Funding?
If you’re interested in growth funding for your mid-stage technology company, talk to us! We would be delighted to discuss our flexible growth capital solutions.
