Kushaan is currently a consultant with IBM and its Global Business Services division, providing support in the federal sector. He is also an aspiring social entrepreneur working on a start-up project called Social Rise around social media education for the underserved. Kushaan is a blogger, active on social media and has growing interests in data, social technology, and platforms for social good. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Business and was a member of multiple programs around entrepreneurship and social innovation. You can find him in the Washington DC or online at @kushaanshah.

 Could you tell us a little about your Background ?  

I grew up in Reading, Massachusetts and was actively involved in theatre, sports, volunteering and the Greater Boston Indian community throughout my youth. With a passion for studying foreign languages and writing in high school, I attended the University of Maryland initially planning to study a humanities track with journalism. Through a myriad of experiences from business operational internships to mentoring and community development at low-income schools in the greater DC Area, I gained many new perspectives and eventually saw the opportunity in structured business to change the world. I decided halfway through college to veer into the world of business and entrepreneurship and never looked back. My interests today focus on consulting, life hacks, inspirational ideas and the connection of data and technology to social issues that plague local communities.

Can you tell us about your current position? How did you choose your field of work?  

 I am currently a consultant with IBM Global Business Services, a position I’ve held for a year. After a couple frustrating internship experiences, I knew that I wanted to work in a more fast-paced, team-based environment with less consistency problems that didn’t necessarily have straightforward solutions. I stumbled upon consulting upon attending a career fair my junior year. A consultant functions almost as a doctor to different organizations, solving challenges around strategic, financial, and operational initiatives. The challenge of consulting enticed me early on and I connected with IBM almost immediately due to their corporate responsibility programs, incredible work they were doing with data, the powerful network the firm had, and the opportunity for learning and growth through its training program. I currently work as a technical analyst with a government client and have also been involved in social media training, communications, and education industry proposals.

 Congratulations on winning the manager's choice award. How did you get to where you are today?

 There is really no one formula but one thing that has helped me a lot has been trying to genuinely engage with people, learn what they’re doing, and see what support I can provide them. Most opportunities to work on neat, small projects aren’t posted on websites or sign up forms; they come through conversations and are sometimes even created out of nowhere. Recognition also doesn’t come with every favor and the best philosophy is to just give without any expectation of return. Telling your story and building your brand within a big company is also a key factor. I knew early on what I wanted to do and what I was heavily interested. It’s important when introducing yourself to let people know who you are in less than 20 seconds. What do you advocate for? What have you done? What do others say about you at a dinner party? In a world where so much is out of your control, you have full control of how others perceive you. This becomes significant when others have opportunities to share, want to connect you with practitioners, or have the power to nominate individuals for recognition.

 What was your first job?

My first job was actually washing dishes at Peter Sanborn Place, a nursing home in Reading. I had to clean a lot of half-eaten food and it was definitely a bit nauseating. Right after that, I remember getting a job at a Dunkin Donuts and almost getting sick after six weeks from eating too many free Strawberry Frosted Donuts. My first big internship was with my Uncle Veni Sumaria at his government consulting company Sumaria Systems in Danvers where I worked on record keeping in the finance department.

 What advice would you give to others who want a career like yours?

My first disclaimer is that it’s important to find your own niche. Don’t worry about having a career like someone else. Don’t build your career around articles about success you read in “Business Insider”.  Find out what works most comfortably for YOU and create your own mold. That being said, if you did want some advice: Don’t just be someone who talks, be someone who asks intelligent questions. Charisma is short-lived but true insight is something very valued in consulting or any career. Also, be enthusiastic. Smile. Have an approachable personality when you’re outside of a conference room. You’re not going to love everything about your first job out of college but enthusiasm is contagious and will definitely make more people remember you.

 What has been your greatest professional accomplishment so far?

A couple months ago, I launched a start-up project called Social Rise focused on bridging the digital divide in underserved communities with Social Media training. The goal is to get more people connected online and build better futures through the use of social media tools. It’s always been my passion to develop communities in innovative ways and getting this organization off the ground alongside IBM has been an adventure!

  How do you manage a balance between your Indian and American Cultures? 

Since birth, I have been visiting my grandparents almost every other year in India and keep in touch with my extended family in India fairly often. As a result of these relationships, I started learning Gujarati at a young age and still use it frequently when speaking to my parents or grandparents. Outside of that, I was involved in the Indian Students Association for two years in college to promote Indian culture on the Maryland campus, regularly celebrate large Indian holidays, and love to insert Indian cuisine into my diet whenever possible! Being one of few Indians in my high school, I’ve always had friends curious about the various traits in Indian culture and this hasn’t changed after work. I enjoy exploring the juxtaposition of Indian and American cultures in regular conversations and it’s very insightful for my friends as well!

 What were the best things your parents did for you as you were growing up? 

While my parents did so much for me growing up, I think one of the best things they did was provide us flexibility when we were searching for career goals. Despite the stereotype around many Indian families pushing their children to be doctors and engineers at an early age, my parents were always supportive of our interest in the humanities and our subsequent confusion. They were encouraging even in college when I had changed my major multiple times. Another great thing was their constant encouragement of travel. Since a young age, we’ve been traveling all over India and have since been to parts of Europe, Southeast Asia, and various parts of the United States. My parents have always made it a point to instill a global perspective and I think my passion for learning about global cultures and foreign language in high school was largely attributed to this travel. Finally, raising us with many facets of the Indian culture has made us very culturally aware which we are grateful for.

 What is the toughest interview question you have been asked?

In a consulting interview,  I once got asked how many golf balls would fit inside the interview room. I had to do an estimate of the size of an average golf ball and the volume of the room. I did all this math in my head and had no idea if the estimates were even right. It was a nightmare.

 What do you do in your spare time outside of work?

I like seeing friends, meeting others, going out to bars on the weekends, watching professional sports and rooting for Boston teams, watching comedy sitcoms on Netflix, writing and reading blogs, trying new cuisines, eating at Taco Bell, checking out museums, leisure reading, occasionally playing Racquetball or Soccer. I recently joined a Kickball team, a book club, and a meetup group around entrepreneurship events in the DC area. I’m also a self-identified social media addict. You can check out my twitter (@kushaanshah) if you don’t believe me.

 What is currently in your ipod/smartphone– music?

There’s some Rap/Hip-Hop, Classic Rock, Dance Music, Pop, Oldies, Broadway, and maybe even some Bollywood music. I have a pretty random music taste.

 Can you finish this sentence - I believe ?

I believe that everyone has an exciting story and knows something that none of us know. I’ve yet to meet one person who has flat out bored me. I hope I’m not proven wrong anytime soon.

  What is your Favorite App?

I feel like Instagram and Snapchat are copouts for this question - I really like Swarm/Foursquare that allow you to check in and get tips from restaurants and other places. I also really like Pocket, an app that allows you to save any article for later reading.

 What advice would you give young people growing up as Indian Americans in the US? 

Don’t lose interest in Indian culture. It’s such a unique way to connect to other Indian Americans and a way to distinguish your identity in this huge melting pot that is the United States. Even after 22 years, I’m still discovering new things about Indian culture that I never knew before. In addition, understand the value of being an Indian American. It probably means your parents have sacrificed a lot and don’t take that for granted. They went through hurdles that you may never see you in your lifetime. Above all, Indian or American aside, be a good human being. Don’t expect entitlement in any case..

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