A Startup’s Journey: Getting to know the Entrepreneur Eli Fathi
In recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we had the pleasure of catching up with Eli Fathi to learn about his journey through entrepreneurship and see exactly how he paved his way.
From his childhood dreams to now being a tech veteran and successful entrepreneur, Eli Fathi has never let the fear of failure stand in his way of success.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of MindBridge Analytics Inc. Fathi has led many successful endeavors, including founding and co-founding seven companies that have generated over half a billion dollars for the Ottawa economy collectively.
What is his recipe for success?
The beginning of an entrepreneur’s dream
Growing up in a one room apartment with nine family members, Eli Fathi is no stranger to the value of hard work and the commitment needed to make a difference. In fact, making a difference in the lives of those around him is why he became an entrepreneur. It is the reason that he gets out of bed in the morning.
Yet, his passion to make a difference is nothing novel… it was developed many years ago.
Growing up in a disconnected world Fathi spent his childhood reading books and listening to the daily gatherings of his family members, rather than scrolling the internet and watching television. Through listening to the storytelling of his family, he was able to use that imagination and encouragement to dream.
The journey of hard work
In terms of physical means, the Fathi family may not have had much, but this did not stop Eli from feeling enriched to succeed and continue working toward his goals.
His parents provided him unconditional love and instilled strong family values that left him confident in his ability to conquer anything given to him. In fact, when listening to Fathi it is evident he is a family oriented individual, and you do not need to look far to find where his inspiration and entrepreneurial vision comes from.
His father, a local fruit and vegetable store owner, often worked laborious hours to provide for his family. That same hard work was instilled in Fathi from a young age, as you would see him visit his father after school to help run the store and provide him with the ever-needed break.
He would then return home and just before falling asleep, he would dream. What was he dreaming of?
Canada.
Dedication to success
Making the move to Canada something that Fathi had wanted since he was a young child and with merely $500 dollars in his hands at the budding age of 22, he knew the path the success would not come easy.
Fathi was right. It did not come easily for him. His knowledge of English was limited, and he had to work increasingly harder to keep up. Nevertheless, through this he remained grateful and determined to accomplish more.
For he had three goals he wished to accomplish before age 30.
He wished to obtain his two degrees in engineering.
He wished to move into his own home.
And, he wished to start his own family.
Facing the challenge
With the love and support of those around him, by age 31 Fathi had achieved all three of his goals.
Eli earned his Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree from the University of Ottawa; he and his wife moved into their first home and welcomed their first child together.
So, how did Fathi find success?
By following through on his goals despite the challenges he faced.
He took risks. He left his newborn child and his secure position with great pay, to join his first startup with no guarantee but a 3-month contract.
The moral of his story? Whatever you do, do it with passion, and create value for those around you.
Pay it forward
One could wonder after such a successful journey why Fathi continues to start new companies rather than relishing in the fruits of his labour, but the answer is simple.
He is not done his story yet. The little boy with the imagination to dream has not completed his journey and has many more lives left to change.
Therefore, you will often find Fathi serving on several Board of Directors for NGOs, Advisory Boards and Academic Committees to name a few.
When listening to the path of Eli Fathi these were some of the many pieces that led to his recipe for success:
- Believe in yourself
If you believe that you can, then you will. It is all about the mindset.
- Challenge yourself
Never compare yourself to others. Set a plan to achieve your own goals and strive to beat them. Then, do it again.
- Never stop learning
The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing.
- Decide to succeed
Imagine and visualize where you want to be. Set long term goals and develop a plan to achieve them.
- Help others achieve greatness
Try to make a difference in peoples lives. It is our duty to help those who are left behind.
- Give back to the community
If the community succeeds, you succeed.
Thank you, Eli, for sharing your inspiring story of entrepreneurship with us.
“I want the world to embrace innovation, which will create commerce around the world and will also uplift developing countries”
– Eli Fathi
About MindBridge Ai
MindBridge Ai offers artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to find anomalies in financial data. This helps organizations pinpoint risk and restore their confidence in financial data, letting them focus on what matters, providing value to consumers.
A sincere thank you goes out to Eli Fathi, CEO of MindBridge, for taking the time to speak with us at LaBarge Weinstein LLP for this piece.
