Reza Satchu
Reza Satchu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 (age 56–57) |
| Education | McGill University (BA) Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Occupations | Businessman Educator |
| Spouse | Marion Annau |
Reza Satchu is a Canadian businessman and educator who is the co-founder of The Next 36 and Alignvest Management Corporation. He is also a faculty member at the Harvard Business School.
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Mombasa, Kenya, Satchu was seven when his family emigrated to Toronto in 1976 under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's policy to accept Ismaili immigrants from East Africa.[1][2] His family settled in Scarborough, where his father worked as a real estate agent and his mother as a secretary.[2]
After high school, Satchu attended McGill University. Initially planning to become a doctor, he switched majors and earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1991.[1] He then moved to New York City and worked as a financial analyst at Merrill Lynch but found the role limiting.[3] He later attended Harvard Business School, graduating in 1996 with an MBA.[4]
Business career
[edit]After earning his MBA, Satchu joined Fenway Partners, a private equity firm, as managing director.[3]
In 2000, SupplierMarket.com, a B2B supply chain software company, was sold to SAP Ariba for $925 million.[1] Satchu was involved in the company alongside CEO and co-founder Jonathan Burgstone and his brother, Asif Satchu.[5] He and his wife, Marion Annau, then moved back to Toronto.[3]
In 2003, Satchu co-founded StorageNow, a consumer storage facility chain, which became the second largest storage company in Canada before it was sold in 2007 for $110 million.[3][1]
In 2010, Satchu co-founded KGS-Alpha Capital Markets, a fixed income broker-dealer specializing in U.S. mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities.[1] It was later acquired by the Bank of Montreal for over $400 million.[6][7]
In 2014, Satchu founded Alignvest Management Corporation, a private investment firm.[8] In 2018, Alignvest launched Alignvest Student Housing Real Estate Investment Trust.[9] In October 2024, Satchu and partner Sanjil Shah sold Alignvest Student Housing REIT's properties to Forum for $1.686 billion.[10]
Academic career
[edit]Beginning in 2004, Satchu taught an undergraduate course at the University of Toronto titled The Economics of Entrepreneurship. As an adjunct professor, he did not take a salary and awarded $5,000 scholarships to top students using his own funds.[1][11] In 2011, McGill University named him a recipient of its Management Achievement Award.[12]
In 2020, Satchu joined Harvard Business School, where he teaches The Founder Mindset and Founder Launch.[11][13] Founder Launch requires students to start a business and forgo recruiting for other positions during the course.[14] Guest speakers in his courses have included Kevin O'Leary[15][16], Tim Ferriss[17], Alix Earle[18], and Reese Witherspoon[19]
Inspired by his University of Toronto course, Satchu co-founded The Next 36 in 2011.[20] The Next 36 offers students an eight-month entrepreneurship program at the University of Toronto.[21][22]
Awards and recognition
[edit]Satchu has received a number of awards for his contributions. In 2011, McGill University named him a recipient of its Management Achievement Award.[23] In 2025, Satchu received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.[24] That same year, received McGill University's Distinguished Leader Award.[25]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pearce, Tralee (March 5, 2005). "The 'millionaire jerk' professor". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- 1 2 Calleja, Dawn (July 7, 2017). "Reza Satchu: What I learned after selling my first startup for nearly $1 billion". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Dunfield, Allison (May 5, 2008). "Reza Satchu, 38". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ Hanna, Julia (June 1, 2014). "3-Minute Briefing: Reza Satchu (MBA 1996)". Harvard Business School. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ Lipin, Steven (Nov 29, 1999). "KKR Executives Turn to Internet, Aiding Industrial-Supply Start-Up". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved Jan 5, 2025.
- ↑ "KGS-Alpha Raises $150M In Equity Capital". Institutional Investor. February 11, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ The Canadian Press (May 1, 2018). "BMO to acquire NY-based KGS-Alpha Capital Markets for undisclosed amount". Financial Post. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ Spence, Rick (February 13, 2014). "How two Next 36 co-founders are aiming to upend Bay Street with Alignvest Capital". Financial Post. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Alignvest Management debuts Canadian student accommodation REIT". S&P Global. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ↑ Marr, Garry (October 16, 2024). "Alignvest Student Housing to sell holdings in deal creating Canada's largest firm of its kind". CoStar. Retrieved Jan 22, 2025.
- 1 2 "Reza R. Satchu". Harvard Business School. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Desautels Management Achievement Awards 31th". www.mcgill.ca. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ Contreras, Brian (September 3, 2025). "Inside Harvard's Elite Founder Class, Students Learn to Build Amid Uncertainty and AI". Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ Bhandari, Jay (May 19, 2025). "Founder Launch: A Push to Redefine Entrepreneurship at HBS". The Harbus. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ Parks, Alex (October 26, 2023). "'Shark Tank's' Kevin O'Leary talks startups and setbacks". The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ Edwards, Robbie H. (October 25, 2023). "Shark Tank Investor Kevin O'Leary Judges Pitches, Awards $100,000 at Harvard Business School Event". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ Bhandari, Jay (March 31, 2025). "Between Two Classes: Tim Ferriss". The Harbus. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ "The Art of the Alix Earle Deal". The Wall Street Journal. May 22, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ↑ Donaldson, Ali (November 7, 2025). "Reese Witherspoon Just Returned to Harvard—as the Subject of a Popular Business School Course". Inc. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
- ↑ Dunfield, Allisn. "Reza Satchu, 38". Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ↑ "How The Other 4 made The Next 36". Financial Post. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ↑ Spence, Rick (August 30, 2017). "There was no summer break for these students". Financial Post. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ↑ "McGill Management Achievement Award 2011". McGill University. 2011. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ "King Charles III Coronation Medal – Reza Satchu". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ "McGill University Distinguished Leader Award". McGill University. 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-08.