Nav Bhatia

Nav Bhatia is best known as the Official Toronto Raptors Superfan. He has not missed a home game since the inception of the team in 1995. He can be seen at the Air Canada Centre and quite a few road games sitting in his now famous courtside seat next to the basket. In 2015 Nav was also appointed to the role of Raptor`s Community Ambassador and asked to report to the Global Ambassador, Drake, as they look to spread the love of Basketball and the Toronto Raptors. +

Nav Bhatia immigrated to Canada from India with a mechanical engineering degree in 1984. After overcoming significant prejudice and obstacles as a Sikh, today he boasts successful business enterprises and the coveted title of “Superfan” of the Toronto Raptors.

On his first day of work as a car salesperson, Nav had racially offensive jokes and name-calling directed at him because he was wearing a turban. He was a frequent victim of unconsious bias and racial stereotyping. He made a choice. Rather than fight back with insults, Nav took a positive route by letting his hard work do the talking. He sold 127 cars in just ninety days. It’s a record that stands to this day. He did it the old-fashioned way, by being honest (and yes, some catchy radio ads). Nav soon became the manager and today owns that dealership along with two others in Ontario.

He’s known as the Official Raptor’s Superfan, and recently was given the title Raptor`s South Asian Community Ambassador working alongside superstar Drake. Sitting in courtside seat A12, Nav can often be seen cheering enthusiastically or sharing words of encouragement with players on both teams.

He is heavily involved in bringing Bollywood to the Non-Resident Indians and through his love of basketball and his business Nav looks to change the perception of Sikhs to the mainstream audience.

Nav has started the Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation. A non-profit dedicated to raising money to build basketball courts and camps for kids here in Canada and across the globe.  Every year he spends $300K of his own money to send kids – mostly from immigrant families – to Toronto Raptors games.

In 2016 he became an official ambassador for World Vision’s Rise Up! Daughters of India campaign. It’s something near & dear to his heart, having witnessed first-hand the bias against females in India. His daughter Tia, was adopted from an orphanage in the country. Nav hopes that one day we will see an India where daughters are equally valued as sons are.

With the start of the Superfan Nav Bhatia Foundation, he recently has accepted ambassadorship roles with Tissot, World Vision, TIFF (The Toronto International Film Festival) and now the WE Charity all organizations helping Nav and his Foundation bring kids together through the game of basketball by building basketball courts across the world.

He’s worked as an influencer for brands such as Tim Hortons and Tourism Toronto. --

VIRTUAL / LIVE:

Shifting Perceptions

With his staple enthusiasm and boundless energy, Nav shared his personal journey immigrating to Canada and tirelessly working to find his fit in this country. After much struggle, he built one of the most successful businesses in the Canadian automotive industry and leveraged a love of basketball to change how people view one another. His story has been featured around the world and inspired millions.

The Power of Diversity

Speaker Nav Bhatia shares his story of immigrating to Canada, rising to the top of the North American automobile industry, and using professional basketball to change perceptions and encourage integration.

Key Takeaways:

• Improving your culture by better-integrating newcomers.
• A compass for building a successful business through a positive attitude & hard work.
• How to use shared passions to rise above discrimination & excel both as individuals and as an organization.

From Sikh to Superfan: Embracing Diversity

Organizations now see that by building out a diverse and inclusive workplace, they are gaining benefits that go far beyond the optics. But how does a diverse and inclusive workplace look in a practical sense?  How can organizations better meet the unique needs of these individuals?

In this presentation, Nav shares his firsthand account of being a newcomer to Canada trying to integrate & excel with a new employer, a new culture, and a new society. This presentation will show audiences how to accommodate newcomers into your team & help equip them with the tools and support needed to excel.

For more information, Nav Bhatia's speaking schedule, * fees, and booking Nav Bhatia, contact us. *Fee range shown is for live events. Contact us for virtual speaking fees.