Shoaib Khan is a serial entrepreneur and humanitarian based out of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. He is known for founding Clearoute Inc., one of Canada’s premiere consulting companies, as well as M Worldwide Inc., an investment firm specializing in real estate and technological ventures. All totalled, he has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in the consulting and venture capital sectors, and has personally overseen the investment of over a billion dollars during his career. Shoaib Khan is also known for creating Humanti, a nonprofit organization engaged in several large-scale humanitarian relief projects around the world.
What motivated you to pursue a career in consulting, and what keeps you passionate about it today?
Shoaib Khan: I founded Clearoute Inc. in 1999 as a means to share my expertise—specifically in the field of technological innovation—with companies and organizations that I could see needed help adapting to the changing times. So, I suppose you could say my inspiration for entering consulting was that I saw a need in the market and I endeavoured to fill it. I always thought that I could excel in the profession, and luckily, I did.
When did you decide to seriously turn your attention toward humanitarian projects, and what inspired you to do that?
Shoaib Khan: As time went by and Clearoute Inc. became more successful, it became easier for me to delegate responsibility to a few select members of my team. I still oversaw general operations and weighed on big decisions pertaining to important clients, but the consulting firm was humming along like a well-oiled machine. That’s when I found my thoughts turning toward humanitarian matters. Once I knew for certain that my company was healthy and thriving, I said to myself, “Shoaib, it’s now time to apply your talents and efforts to easing human suffering and making the world a better place to live.” In a nutshell, that’s when–and why–I founded Humaniti.
Are you working on any initiatives that you’re particularly proud of right now?
Shoaib Khan: Yes. Humaniti is currently in the midst of a campaign called Heal, which is a program that I am personally very excited of.
Is there any overlap between how you approach your consulting work and how you approach your nonprofit work?
Shoaib Khan: Sure, there are many similarities between the two, especially in the realm of process. Much as with my businesses, my charitable organization tries to extract the most value out of its finite resources. So, we keep track of everything in great detail—be it monetary donations, physical supplies, or human resources. We then conduct detailed analyses on how best to use these resources before undertaking any given project in order to maximize its effect and help the most people we possibly can. I found these processes to be highly effective in running my businesses, and so I applied them to Humaniti as well, and the results have been tremendous.
Are there any words of advice you wish to impart to novice or would-be entrepreneurs and humanitarians?
Shoaib Khan: To any budding entrepreneurs out there, don’t give up. You’ve embarked on a long and difficult journey filled with many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but once you’ve overcome them and found success, the rewards are incredible. Just keep it up. To any budding humanitarians out there, never forget that your job is to add love and hope to our world. Work to help desperate people have faith in themselves, and work to give them the support they need to reach their dreams.
