At 18, John immigrated to Canada with $8o in his pocket and plenty of enthusiasm. After several successful business ventures he started United Furniture Warehouse. He built it from one small store into one of the largest furniture retail chains in North America, with over 150 locations and more than $200 million in annual sales.
In 2004, John sold his business and transferred all the proceeds into a foundation with the sole intent to meet social needs. Among other charities John founded Lift the Children and the John Volken Academy. John’s foundation is the major funder of Lift the Children.
For his accomplishments, John received many awards, including the coveted EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Canada’s Pacific Region in 1995 and the Dalai Lama Humanitarian Award for effectively changing lives in 2015.
