Community

Supporting people and communities

Our Community Initiatives

At Vistara, our core purpose is to enable growth of our people and the communities we operate it in as well as the growth of the ambitious technology companies we invest in.

Investing in Brighter Futures

Vistara Elevate Awards

Through the Beedie Luminaries program, Vistara has made a $100,000, 5-year commitment to award scholarships to students of ethnic and racially diverse backgrounds. The Vistara Elevate Award is awarded annually to one student who is pursuing a degree in finance and/or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). In addition to a full year scholarship, the award recipient will be guaranteed a paid summer internship and mentorship over their entire 4-year post-secondary journey.

“With the Vistara Elevate Awards, we hope to recognize, reward, and provide hands-on support to a growing number of students in particular key interest areas, who have faced enormous challenges to get this far, and have demonstrated a desire to elevate themselves further through the pursuit of higher education,” says Randy Garg, Vistara’s Founder and Managing Partner.

Past Recipients

About

Michal Oqbe, pictured on the left, is the inaugural recipient of the Vistara Elevate Awards. She currently studies health sciences at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia to learn about how to eliminate health issues in developing nations. Learn more about Michal.

Pictured from left to right: Michal Oqbe and her father, Ryan Beedie and Martina Meckova (Beedie Luminaries), Kathleen Kaulins and Randy Garg (Vistara Growth).

About

Atta Ur Rehman Faiz of Surrey, British Columbia is the 2021 recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award. Atta 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.

About

Samir Ali of Vancouver, British Columbia is the 2022 recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award. Samir is pursuing a computer science degree at the University of British Columbia. As a refugee from Kenya, Samir is passionate about using technology to help serve his community. For example, he developed a website that helps other newcomers to Canada more easily find the resources they need to support their families. He also volunteers weekly at the Junior Youth Empowerment Program where he mentors pre-teens.

As this year’s recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award, Samir will receive a full tuition scholarship for one year and a summer internship with Vistara in 2023. Samir will also be mentored by the Vistara Growth team led by Noah Shipman throughout his four-year post-secondary journey.

UPDATE: In July 2022, only a month after presenting this award, we learned of Samir’s sudden passing in a tragic car accident. Samir was set to embark on his first year of university and a future filled with continued community leadership and personal success. The Vistara Growth team is dedicated to providing meaningful support to his family, and to preserve Samir’s legacy in the wake of this unimaginable loss.

About

Aaron Abay of Vancouver, British Columbia is the 2023 recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award. Aaron, a budding entrepreneur, is starting his first year at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business to build a strong business foundation and boost his entrepreneurial skills. Despite a busy 2023 summer managing summer camps for underprivileged children in Vancouver, Aaron has been hard at work expanding his clothing brand, WAKETHEPEOPLE, by collaborating with global distributors and handling product merchandising, packing, and shipping with a dedicated team of two.

As this year’s recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award, Aaron will receive a full tuition scholarship for one year and a summer internship with Vistara in 2024. Aaron will also be mentored by the Vistara Growth team led by Noah Shipman throughout his four-year post-secondary journey.

We are proud to introduce the 2024 recipient of the Vistara Elevate Award, Tina Zeng! Hailing from Burnaby, B.C., and a graduate of Moscrop Secondary School, Tina is embarking on her post-secondary education at SFU Beedie School of Business, where she plans to pursue a degree in Finance.

Throughout her high school years, Tina has exhibited exceptional dedication and resilience in both her academic and extracurricular endeavors. Actively nurturing her creativity and discipline through dance and photography. Through capturing the world through lens, Tina has also developed a profound interest in environmental sustainability, especially within the fashion industry.

Her passion for fashion sustainability blossomed at a young age, leading her to design and sew her own clothing. Tina’s drive to stay engaged and continually explore new things fuels her ambition to create meaningful changes in her community and beyond. Supported by her family, Tina looks forward to the future with optimism, eager to embrace new opportunities, meet new people, and tackle upcoming challenges.

For information on how to apply for the Vistara Elevate Awards, please visit the Beedie Luminaries website.

Vistara Joins Social Venture Partners Vancouver

A Collaborative Approach to Philanthropy

Vistara is honoured to support SVP Vancouver’s Community Business Partnership Program, which was launched in April 2021. The program gives businesses across the Lower Mainland the opportunity to support a portfolio of over 20 local non-profits and connect with a network of nearly 200 engaged philanthropists.

We are very impressed with SVP’s innovative and collaborative approach to philanthropy: being committed to supporting small local non-profits with time and expertise in addition to financial donations to help them succeed in their respective missions.

“As we move past the pandemic, I feel it’s going to be very important for employers and employees to re-engage in the community,” says Randy Garg, Vistara’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Working with SVP will offer fantastic opportunities for our team to offer their time and expertise to help local non-profits thrive. Our team has a broad range of business skills that I’m sure will be put to good use to support the capacity building needs of the 20+ worthy organizations in SVP’s non-profit portfolio.”

Contact SVP