UBC Reports | Vol. 50 | No. 5 | May 6, 2004

UBC Alumni

He d’ Man

By Chris Petty

Haig Farris is an early adapter. He's the guy who has the latest breakthrough gadget before anybody else. He wore out his first Palm Pilot before the rest of us even knew they existed. When they morphed into all-in-one organizer-camera-video-audio-telephone-television-GPS-MP3 machines, he thought, “What's next?”

Maybe that's why he was drawn to venture capitalism. The irresistible allure of “What's next?”

He’s considered an angel in the high-tech, start-up world. When someone comes up with a surefire, killer business idea that has a tech focus, Farris and his partners sit down with the idea people, work out a business plan and provide seed money. He has become a key element in Vancouver’s high-tech sector, a man sought after as much for his desire to foster new industry as he is for his uncanny business acumen.

In a recent cover article in BC Business, Farris was described as someone who knows everyone who counts. With his network of angels across the country, he has contributed significantly to the country’s economy.

Farris is also a strong community supporter. He has served as chair of the Science Council of BC, as a member of the Premier’s Advisory Committee on Science and Technology, as director of the Vancouver Opera and the Vancouver Playhouse. He also served as president of the UBC Alumni Association, and is one of the university’s staunchest advocates. He was also a close friend of Cecil Green, who died in 2003.

Farris’ UBC connection goes back to his mother, Evelyn, who was the first woman in Canada to be a member of a governing board of a university. She also founded the University Women’s Club.