About Anoop
A life shaped by ideas, storytelling, philanthropy and a belief in what becomes possible when people come together.
BIO
Anoop Virk is an award-winning nonprofit founder, executive producer, and wellness-focused restaurateur whose work spans philanthropy, storytelling and ideas, and community building.
Born in Vancouver, Anoop began her humanitarian work as a teenager, co-founding Project H.E.L.LO., an initiative that helped reconnect more than 450 people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with lost family members and loved ones. She later founded Project L.O.V.E., leading the creation of a gender-equality primary community school in Zambia.
Today, Anoop is the first female Executive Producer of TEDxVancouver, a platform whose talks have generated more than 80 million views. Through TEDxVancouver and TEDxWhistler, she has worked to bring forward bold ideas and voices capable of shaping culture and community, collaborating with renowned leaders including Canada’s first female Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Kim Campbell. Under TED, she also contributes to the Global Insights Network (GIN) and has curated conversations ranging from global issues to Indigenous storytelling, including a climate change panel featuring Indigenous women at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler and programming focused on truth and reconciliation.
Her humanitarian work has earned her numerous honours, including Canada’s Top 20 Under 20, BC’s 24 Under 24, and recognition as a Global Youth Ambassador for the We Are Family Foundation. She was invited to Rideau Hall by Canada’s Prime Minister and Governor General in recognition of exceptional Canadian service and presented a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine, during their Royal Tour of Canada.
Anoop has spoken at prestigious venues and forums around the world, including UNESCO in Paris and Barcelona, the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, and Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco. Her work has connected her with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Royal families, Fortune 500 CEOs, and influential global figures including Ndaba Mandela, Chelsea Clinton, President Jimmy Carter, Bono, and Nile Rodgers. She has been interviewed by CNN and featured in The Globe and Mail and Maclean’s.
Alongside her work in philanthropy and ideas, Anoop is the restaurateur behind Basmati & Spice, a wellness-focused food concept created with Food Network Canada’s Bal Arneson and now available in more than 1,000 hospitals across the United States, serving patients, healthcare workers, and families. As co-owner, Anoop helps lead their culinary ventures at the intersection of food, health, wellness, and innovation. Her production work has also extended into food and wellness, including producing a cooking series with Mayo Clinic and work with The Cooking Channel.
Anoop is an SFU–Douglas Dual Degree graduate in Intercultural and International Studies. Her academic achievements include receiving the President’s Entrance Scholarship and earning a place on the Dean’s Honour Roll. Her education, together with more than a decade of hands-on work across philanthropy, community building, media, and global initiatives, continues to inform her approach to creating meaningful and lasting impact.