A Surrey-based entrepreneur with a passion for innovation has been recognized with an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
Manvir Deol, who grew up in Newton and now lives in the Fleetwood area, was honoured at the university’s convocation ceremonies June 11.
A graduate of KPU’s Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management program in 2018, Deol has founded a pair of growing businesses including Plan Your Space, an architectural showroom located in Burnaby, and also CLIQMedia marketing agency.
KPU's Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes alumni under age 30 who have demonstrated excellence professionally or through community service and have been involved with KPU or alumni activities since graduation.
"I’m incredibly honoured to receive the Outstanding Young Alumni Award,” Deol said. “It’s a full-circle moment to be recognized by the university that played such a big role in shaping who I am as an entrepreneur. I’m deeply grateful to the faculty, mentors and peers who supported me along the way.”
Plan Your Space is in business to help homeowners gain a clear vision of their ideal floorplan before starting construction. The idea for the company came to Deol when he was building a home for his family.
“When I got to the framing stage, I realized the house wasn’t what I had envisioned in the original plans, which ended up costing me nearly $15,000 in changes,” he recalled. “I wanted to create a space where clients can walk through their dream home or business and see how it feels before they break ground.”
Three years since its launch, Plan Your Space has completed more than 350 floor plans with portfolios including single-family homes, restaurants, medical clinics and financial institutions such as Vancity.
Meantime, CLIQMedia has collaborated with developers across Canada and does all of the marketing for Plan Your Space.
Deol has been featured in a "top 30 under 30" list of a local business publication celebrating young leaders who are innovating in their industries and finding new ways to create change.
For Deol, it seems no dream is too big.
“Life is too short not to try new things or chase the ideas that excite you,” he said. “Taking risks, even when the outcome is uncertain, has been the most rewarding part of my journey. Growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone — that’s where vision becomes reality.”
After graduation from KPU, Deol has employed and mentored a KPU student intern, and has been an inspiration to current students, according to Nancy Armitage, Director of Alumni Affairs at KPU.
“Manny is a role model to students who have a dream of starting their own business and making a difference in their community or industry at a young age,” she said. “His drive, determination, resilience and courage truly set him apart and we could not be prouder of what he has accomplished.”
