Irfhan Rawji
Philanthropy is a lovely word – perhaps because its Greek root is philos, meaning loving; and so, it becomes love for mankind.
This city is blessed with a number of men and women with a desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donations of money to good causes.
Irfhan Rawji is one who exemplifies the true meaning of the word through the giving of his money, time, influence and expertise. Born in Vancouver, he credits his philanthropic efforts to the strong influence of his parents, who were very involved in their community, and his Ismaili faith. The late Aga Khan, who passed away last year, was not only the spiritual leader of Ismailis but was known around the world for his enormous work on global development issues and other philanthropic work.
Rawji earned his BCom with honours at the University of British Columbia where he was a Westbrook Scholar – since receiving its Alumni Builder Award – and he also holds an MBA with High Honours from the Harvard Business School where he was made a Baker Scholar.
He lived with his family in Toronto for a while but attracted by our city’s strong business perspective, they moved to Calgary where, including many other successful business ventures, Rawji founded and is executive chair of Mob Squad, providing North American companies with leading technical and consulting services.
His leadership in venture capital and social finance, including current roles as managing partner, Realize Capital Partners and managing partner of Relay Ventures plus board service with The Logic, National Bank of Canada and PBA Group, is matched by an active involvement in civic affairs.
His business successes, coupled with his strong desire to be part of building a healthy and vibrant community where everyone belongs, allowed him to establish a family fund. After meeting Eva Friesen, president and CEO of the Calgary Foundation at a Glenbow Museum event, Rawji decided to work alongside the foundation to best fulfil his philanthropic goals by launching a Donor Advised Fund that allowed him to recommend support for organizations and causes that mattered to him and his family.
And the list is long as Rawji has active involvements as board members of Glenbow Museum, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Aga Khan Museum, Canada Council for the Arts and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
As a Calgary Foundation fundholder, Rawji clearly shows his passion for civil society, inclusion and belonging, as well as for the arts.