Reetu Gupta is Ambassadress of The Gupta Group, a real estate developer based in Markham, Ont., with a long history of managing some of Canada’s largest and most diverse property portfolios. The company’s holdings include 20 hotels operating under such brands as Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton and IHG, as well as condominium projects like Dundas Square Gardens (in the heart of Toronto’s downtown) and Yonge City Square, a condominium complex in North York that will open in 2028 and will comprise two high-rise towers.
Beyond their business interests, however, the Gupta family is dedicated to philanthropic initiatives focusing on the arts, education and healthcare. The family’s support of the Toronto International Film Festival—which will celebrate its 50th anniversary when it kicks off on Sept. 4—resulted in the official designation of the TIFF Bell Lightbox box office being named the Steve and Rashmi Gupta Box Office, after their patriarch and matriarch.
Dr. Steve Gupta and Rashmi Gupta have also gifted several transformative amounts to education and healthcare, including a recent $1 million to the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, formerly Ryerson), and consistent support of the University Health Network (UHN) Impact Collective. The former donation, through The Gupta Family Foundation, was commemorated in a ceremonial cheque presentation in early 2024.
Dr. Gupta arrived in Canada from India in 1971—with a mere $108 to his name. His dedication to personable yet professional corporate leadership and wealth stewardship ultimately led to success as a developer, hotelier, businessman and philanthropist. Today, the Gupta family’s philanthropic endeavours extend beyond Canada, propelling charitable initiatives such as eye camps in India, disaster relief in Turkey, and solar-powered schools in Africa.
In this conversation with Canadian Family Offices, Reetu shares how her parents’ immigration journeys have influenced her and her siblings, as well as how she draws on the strength of her father and mother to be the next generation to give back to the community.
How did The Gupta Group come to be established?
Our company started as The Easton’s Group, because my father purchased a truck stop called Easton’s, named after the founder. This was the ’70s and, at that time, Indian names were not common. In 2012, I decided that it was time to have our name become the namesake of the company, and I had a greater vision for what the company could be. I created and founded The Gupta Group as the parent company to all of our subsidiary companies, in real estate, venture capital, mining, media and more.
What are the lessons that your parents taught you and your siblings about entrepreneurship while you were growing up?
There is not enough time for this question. My mother always taught me confidence and to believe in myself. In business, in leadership and especially entrepreneurship, confidence—true confidence—is key. My father taught me that in order to make your dreams come true, you must invest the time. You must understand every aspect of the business and love it.
Where do you think the strength and vision of your parents comes from?
My parents grew up in India in poverty. They came to Canada with $100. My father and mother both worked two to three jobs a day simply to make ends meet. They would share with us that they would keep some quarters in their sock for emergency phone calls, or a few dollars under the mattress for emergency medication for us kids. They have come from humble beginnings, and they taught us the value of hard work.
When did wealth stewardship and giving back become important to your parents?
My parents started our family’s foundation in the ’80s, but giving back was always a part of their upbringing, which they then taught to me. I became a director to our family’s charitable organization when I was in my 20s, as I felt that service to humanity was important and I knew it would be my future. In 2020, I took over our foundation, The Gupta Family Foundation.
When did you become interested in the family business and how did you prepare for your role?
I was born interested! I started working in elementary school during the summers. My parents took me to the office, and I would do filing, answering phones and more. As I got older—at that time we had apartment buildings—I was doing rent rolls and accounting. Being at the office at such a young age, I learned professionalism so early and was always ahead of my peers. I had the opportunity to learn from adults, and this teaches you values that you do not learn from school and from students. I then worked every role as I got older, front desk at hotels, housekeeping, sales, management. I completed my BBA and MBA, and rose up the ranks from director, executive director, COO and CEO to Ambassadress, where I am today.
What initiatives are especially important to your family?
We always support our community. We support the arts, in TIFF, as well as the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and Toronto Metropolitan University, to name a few. We have also supported UHN, B’nai B’rith and other organizations.
Your family recently gave to support TIFF’s 50th Anniversary. Why are festivals like TIFF so important to Toronto?
Firstly, TIFF brings people to our city, and that helps the hospitality industry across the Greater Toronto Area. It is so important for our city. TIFF is truly my favourite time of year. The city is bustling with excitement, and movies are not only artistic expression but an escape into magic.
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