Fellow Profile — Aliza Rana
Startup: Wealthsimple
City: Toronto
Hometown: Vancouver
What does your startup do? Wealthsimple is an online investment platform focused on bringing low-cost, simple, and transparent investing to Canadians.
Describe a typical day at your startup: (role, day-to-day) I’ll cave and admit to the cliche that there is no typical day at a startup, especially at Wealthsimple. That being said, I’m a part of the client operations team so I work on getting clients through the funnel by fielding support tickets, chatting with customers, or collaborating with our custodian. I also spend a lot of my time working on side projects. I am currently leading an NPS (net promoter score) initiative and am developing an outreach program to improve our client experience.
What do you love about working at a startup? (What are the benefits of working at a startup?) When you’re at a startup, you are an integral part of the the success of the company and everyone around you takes that responsibility seriously. You work hard and your learning curve is vertical. You learn from your colleagues but you can also bring your insight to the table and can actually be heard. In essence, the spirit of collaboration and drive towards a common goal are my favourite things about working at a startup.
What’s a social issue that you are particularly passionate about? There are a few that come to mind but if I had to pick one issue that’s particularly relevant right now, I would say the refugee crisis and ensuing media bias.
What is your spirit animal and why? I’m a liger. What’s a liger you might ask? It’s pretty much my favourite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed… bred for its skills in magic.
What’s your favorite book? Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
If you could tell your third year university student self one piece of advice, it would be to…. be more aware and adventurous — I wish I would’ve tried more new things and stepped further out of my comfort zone. By my third year, I was a senior and was comfortable at McGill. I wish I pushed past that to the edge of discomfort where I tend to learn the most.
What attracted you to apply to Venture for Canada? I was attracted to VFC because it seemed to be a program specifically designed for me — I was looking for something that would hone my entrepreneurial spirit while empowering me to develop the skills and knowledge I felt like I was missing before becoming an entrepreneur. VFC also offered a network of peers who had a similar passion and mindset — beyond anything else, this is what sold me on the Fellowship.
What is the best part of being a Venture for Canada Fellow? The FELLOWS are my favourite part of being a fellow. They are my friends, my colleagues, my biggest supporters, and my most honest critiques. They are an amazing, accomplished, and inspiring group of people who I know will continue to big part of my life long after VFC. Scott and Pat are alright too :)
What do you hope to accomplish in your career? One of my favourite quotes from training camp was “dominate humbly” — this is my definition of career success.
Why should someone apply to Venture for Canada? I think there a lot of great reasons to apply but the bottom line is that VFC is an incredible opportunity for anyone who’s ambitious, curious, and truly passionate about being an entrepreneur. The beauty of VFC is that you have an extensive support network to help you navigate through the vital years leading up to starting something of your own.