October 16, 2020- Manny Padda, local entrepreneur, philanthropist, and volunteer JABC Ambassador describes his path to success as “random and crooked”.
“I originally wanted to be a basketball player for the Seattle SuperSonics,” he said, referring to the Seattle NBA franchise that was in Seattle from 1967-2008. “But I eventually realized I had to look at other opportunities.”
Growing up in Duncan, BC, he had lots of jobs along the way, including hay baler and night shift janitor.
When it came time for post-secondary school, he ended up going to Simon Fraser University and then Queens University to study business. Why business? As he puts it, “The legal and medical professions were taken up by my siblings.”
But, as it turns out, he was very good at business. He’s a self-made entrepreneur who built his first multi-million dollar company at age 26.
His advice to youth? “Explore, explore, explore. Failure was once a bad thing, but now it’s something to celebrate. Take advantage of that.” He also emphasizes the importance of mentors and surrounding yourself with a good network of people.
In fact one of the reasons he’s involved with JABC is because of the support it provides youth. “JA offers students programs I wish I had as a kid!”
As JABC Ambassador, Manny helps increase awareness of JABC and JA programs. He has volunteered his time to work with students at Discover your Pitch and JABC TechWorks.
And although still passionate about basketball, he is now a Toronto Raptors fan.