Manny Padda

MANAGING PARTNER NEW AVENUE CAPITAL

When Manny Padda began garnering attention with PM Search Partners, the executive search firm he founded in 2010 and still operates, he shunned the spotlight. “I had a search fee of a quartermillion dollars for somebody, and you know, it's tough to pay a 26-year-old that,” Padda remembers with a laugh. “I did a lot of my work over the phone, so people didn't really know my age.”

In the early days of PM Search Partners, Padda accepted stock from some of the companies he worked with, quickly building up a multimilliondollar business portfolio. He expanded into angel investing; today, Vancouver-headquartered New Avenue Capital ( NAC) encompasses venture capital, private lending and executive search to offer a one-stop shop for earlystage ventures. NAC'S portfolio includes more than 60 projects globally, with assets in technology, natural resources, real estate and education.

Padda also takes a businesslike approach to philanthropy, tracking how many children are directly affected by donations he makes to educational outreach organizations such as Science World. “I have the goal of educating a million kids before I turn 40,” he says.