Amish Desai
Amish Desai is a man of purpose, and when he talks about Drexel, he talks about a culture of achievement.
“Drexel is for doers,” says Desai, who graduated in 2003 with a BS in business administration with concentrations in finance, international business and economics. “It’s a school for students who know what they want and who can handle the intensity of Drexel’s compressed quarter system.”
Desai brought this same sense of purpose and perseverance to his career as a portfolio manager and to his founding of investment firm Red Spruce Capital in 2011. Now he’s bringing these qualities to his role as the new chair of the Alumni Board of Governors. “We’re not a figurehead group,” Desai says of the board. “We have tangible deliverables we work on every year.”
Desai’s term began in July and is the culmination of his increasing involvement as an alumni volunteer over the past several years. But he wasn’t always so connected to Drexel.
“I didn’t have much of a Drexel connection for the first 10 years after graduation,” says Desai. “It’s not that uncommon for alumni in that life phase. We just dive into our work.”
Then a Drexel representative paid him a visit, and Desai had a frank conversation about the University making it too easy for him to disappear. It was that conversation that hooked Desai back in. “I think they were issuing me a challenge, that if I felt that way, I should get involved and do something about it.”
Desai has been a dedicated volunteer ever since.
“I started by volunteering on LeBow’s finance advisory council. I started visiting campus, meeting with former professors, getting to know Drexel leadership and reacclimating myself to the University,” says Desai.
“Drexel doesn’t have to be just a four- or five-year experience. It can be a lifetime experience.” – AMISH DESAI BS BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ’03
He says joining the Alumni Board of Governors seemed like the best way to make an impact. “Drexel has a small but incredibly productive team of alumni relations staff,” he says. “They do the work of a staff twice their size. I knew we could do more to take some load off their shoulders, to help build stronger — and longer — connections between Drexel and the alumni community. Drexel doesn’t have to be just a four- or five-year experience. It can be a lifetime experience.”
Now as chair, Desai has a clear vision for his two-year term. At the top of his list: celebrating the 100th year of Drexel’s Co-op program, which kicked off in September.
He says, “The co-op program was what drew me to Drexel, and it was absolutely crucial in helping me launch my career in finance. My co-ops gave me connections to the finance world, and I had a job offer before I even graduated.”
He wants to make sure the co-op celebration represents the entire alumni community. “We want to mark the program’s 100 years by honoring the wide range of industries our alumni are working in,” he says.
He also wants to build on Drexel’s commitment to being the nation’s most civically engaged university. “I want to highlight alumni who are serving their communities, as well as our nation and world. I want to build connections; we have thousands of alumni who might want to give time and energy to the service initiatives our alumni have spearheaded.”
Desai has big plans, and he knows that he can’t do it alone.
“I’ve gotten to know everyone on the board through the years, and the folks who are coming in are super motivated and talented. We’re going to be able to accomplish a lot together,” he says.
It will also take the participation of the alumni community at large. “We’re a board that works for you,” says Desai. “We’re not here to make decisions for you. We want to make decisions with you. If there are service projects, social activities or affinity group events you’re interested in, we want to have your input.”
And of the hard work it will take to make his vision a reality, Desai says, “If you put in the time and the effort, you can move mountains. That’s a very Drexel type of mentality to have. “
“When I commit time and energy to something, I ask myself if I will leave it better than how I received it. Yes, I think there is something in my skill set that I can lend toward this organization to make it better than how I found it,” he says. “I also see the talent coming through our Alumni Board of Governors, and I see plenty more people who will, after my term is over, take it a whole lot further.” —Louisa Wilson