Deval Sanghavi

Topics of Interest: Social impact in India, philanthropy, nonprofits, development

Let’s talk about the impact you can make on the world after graduating from Canfield BHP. Our grads start their journey on the forty acres not always knowing what they want to do in their business careers – and that’s okay. Some take the finance route while others take the management path – all noble pursuits. Then, there are those bold enough to forge their own path, who dare to challenge the status quo, and dream of leaving their mark in the world.

Modeling several (if not all) of these traits is Canfield BHP alum and Sugar Land native, Deval Sanghavi (‘97), founder of Dasra – a nonprofit whose core principles place the lives of communities in India at the forefront of all their work. Dasra began as a venture philanthropy fund to invest in early-stage nonprofit organizations in India. Now, they’re one of the most widely recognized names in Indian strategic philanthropy. With Deval at the helm, Dasra has worked with some outstanding change makers who have made huge impacts throughout the world like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Hewlett Foundation, to name a few.

As of today, Dasra has engaged with more than 800 organizations and has impacted a staggering 20 million lives in India. Presently, Dasra is one of the leading nonprofits on the frontlines battling the COVID-19 pandemic across communities in India.

We got the opportunity to speak with Deval and learned more about his career path, working at Dasra, what his experience thus far has been over the last 20 years, and received some sage advice along the way. Read on. Continue reading

William Stringer

Topics of Interest: FinTech, Finance, Startups, Entrepreneurship

Canfield BHP Alum, William Stringer, is the co-founder and CEO of Chisos. A Dallas/Fort Worth native who transferred as a sophomore to Canfield in the fall of 2011, Will later graduated with a dual-degree in business honors and finance in 2014. After graduating, Will moved to Houston to start a career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the oil and gas investment banking division. After banking, Will built his chops as an analyst on the investment team at the Cockrell family office in Houston where he spent four years working under the CEO gaining valuable experience he would use in his near-future endeavors. 

According to Will, “I worked all types of deals, it was an excellent experience. I got to meet a lot of people and build my network. I then left there to go work at one of the [Cockrell] family’s portfolio companies called Emergent Technology Holdings out in California, where I spent a little under a year working as a product manager for a supply chain tracking system in the precious metal space.”

It was in California where Will met his future co-founder and CTO at Chisos, Stephen Grinalds, a colleague he met while working on the supply chain tracking system project at Emergent Technology Holdings.

So what is Chisos? Chisos is a FinTech firm that provides early-stage entrepreneurs with the funding they need to succeed. Their main goal is to “democratize entrepreneurship”. As their website reads, “We look for companies that don’t fit the “grow at all costs” venture capital funding model or the predictable 5-year growth with hard asset collateral model usually required for bank business loans. Instead, we look for ideas, founders, and companies with potential and an actionable plan. When we find them, we connect them with the capital and community they need to succeed.”

We caught up with Will to hear more about his experience at Chisos and his vision for the company. Read on. Continue reading