Brief Bio

Sharma, Manu

Title: Director, Corporate Services & Social Innovation

Organization: Ottawa Community Foundation

Home City: Ottawa, Ontario

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/sharmamanu

Web: https://manusharma.ca

Twitter @sharmamanu

Manu is an Engineer by background, technology entrepreneur by choice, and community activist at heart. He has spent the last 15 years of his life building unique technology solutions, encouraging young entrepreneurs, supporting community betterment initiatives, facilitating innovation relationships and developing niche talent advancement programs. Manu has a strong strategic interest in creating opportunities to empower individuals, organizations and communities to connect, communicate, collaborate and co-create.

Together with his partner, Obaid Ahmed, Manu is currently building AirLoop – an Ottawa, Canada, based startup aiming to radicalize how brands use engagement technologies to create amazing consumer experiences. His role at AirLoop is to make sure that the creative success of the team is continually translated into viable and sustainable business opportunities. Before AirLoop, Manu managed the commercial and business interests at OAK – a full service software development firm that I co-founded in 2007. Recently, he accepted the position of Entrepreneur-in-Residence at 1125@Carleton, an experimental, collaborative space at Carleton University dedicated to problem solving, whether focused on new products and services, or addressing irritants or complex “wicked” global problems. Manu is a Trustee with Kiva Zip, member of TiE Ottawa Executive team, board member of HUB Ottawa, and voting member of City of Ottawa’s Property Standards and Licensing Committee.

Manu is passionate about youth leadership development, first nation relations, community betterment initiatives, economic empowerment, access to education, and immigration reform.

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