SFU Beedie alumnus Ibrahim Hafeez named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (2026)

Ibrahim Hafeez does not describe his work as a series of roles or milestones. Instead, he frames it as an ongoing exercise in judgment—shaped by curiosity, discipline, and a deep interest in systems at the intersection of strategy, economics, and human behaviour. Recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30, Hafeez views his academic journey at SFU Beedie as fundamentally about sharpening how he approaches judgment under uncertainty—an orientation that continues to guide how he evaluates companies, founders, and markets today.

“My path into finance was driven by a convergence of personal curiosity and pattern recognition,” says Hafeez, who graduated in 2018 with a concentration in finance. “I’ve always been deeply engaged with games as products—how they retain users, monetize attention, and evolve into long-lived ecosystems. Over time, I realized that the gaming industry is one of the purest expressions of modern consumer technology and behavioural economics.”

Hafeez’s focus on gaming is deeply intentional. He was interested in how gaming rewards rigorous thinking around economics, capital efficiency, and risk, while also demanding a nuanced understanding of culture, creativity, and player psychology. For him, that balance of analytical depth and creative leverage is what makes gaming uniquely compelling.

Born and raised in Pakistan, Hafeez had little early exposure to either gaming or venture capital. His entry into the industry was neither obvious nor linear. “I grew up with a fascination for how markets, incentives, and decision-making shape outcomes,” he says. “That curiosity pulled me toward business as a discipline rather than a single functional craft.”

At SFU Beedie, Hafeez gravitated toward finance not as a narrow specialization, but as a framework for thinking. “Finance felt like the most intellectually rigorous lens through which to evaluate risk, capital allocation, and long-term value creation,” he explains. “It trained me to think probabilistically, to be disciplined about trade-offs, and to separate signal from noise.” Those skills, he adds, became foundational as he moved into investing and continue to shape how he assesses opportunities today.

After graduating, Hafeez began building experience at the intersection of technology, entertainment, and intellectual property. He worked on global licensing strategy at EA Sports during the historic split between FIFA and EA Sports FC—a pivotal moment that sharpened his interest in how brands, IP, and consumer behaviour interact at scale.

That experience ultimately drew Hafeez deeper into gaming-focused investing. Today, he is a Principal at Griffin Gaming Partners, where he plays a central role in managing a fund with $1.5 billion in assets. He has led or supported more than 30 investments across games content and gaming infrastructure, helping deploy well over $150 million into companies including Discord, Second Dinner, Overwolf, and Spyke Games. He recently led a $7 million investment in Turkish studio Fuse Games.

With access to capital at that scale, Hafeez notes that the work has reinforced how asymmetric outcomes can be in this business. “The numbers are less interesting than the responsibility behind them,” he says. “Every decision represents years of founder effort, employee livelihoods, and long-term strategic bets on where markets are going.”

What excites him most, he explains, is the impact of well-timed capital. “Seeing how the right capital, applied at the right moment, can fundamentally change a company’s trajectory—that’s what I find most energizing about the work,” he says. “Accelerating product quality, enabling smarter risk-taking, or allowing a team to think longer-term than they otherwise could. At scale, investing becomes an exercise in judgment rather than spreadsheets—understanding second- and third-order effects, incentives, and timing.”

Much of Hafeez’s perspective was shaped both inside and outside the classroom. While at SFU Beedie, he pursued international co-op placements in Switzerland, including roles with The Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where he gained exposure to large-scale capital allocation and decision-making under complex constraints. He also worked at UBS and was active in AIESEC, experiences he credits with building adaptability, leadership, and a global mindset.

“SFU Beedie taught me how to learn in public,” Hafeez reflects. “How to articulate a point of view, defend it under scrutiny, and update it when confronted with better arguments.”

Just as importantly, a major highlight of his time at SFU Beedie was being a part of the community itself. Many of his closest friendships and most formative professional relationships were built through late-night group work, case discussions, and shared extracurricular commitments. “It’s an incredible density of motivated, curious people who pushed each other to think bigger and act earlier than they otherwise might have,” says Hafeez. “In this community, ideas are debated seriously and ambition is normalized rather than questioned.”

Looking ahead, Hafeez remains focused on immersing himself in the world of investing—learning from talented founders, understanding how ideas scale into meaningful businesses, and sharpening the judgment needed to identify opportunities.

“In 10 years, I hope to be in a position where my work goes beyond just deploying capital or making decisions,” says Hafeez. “It’s about helping shape ecosystems, supporting people with potential, and contributing to ventures that truly move the needle. I want to combine the lessons I’ve learned with a mindset of giving back—whether through mentorship, guidance, or creating spaces for others to grow.

“Ultimately, my ambition is to create impact that lasts.”