My foray in BITSAA was by an accident. Like most things in my life. By some unforeseen circumstances, I found myself as part of a tiny team that was to make the agenda of the BITSAA Global Meet. The Meet itself seemed like such a funny event. The first few days were just spent thinking, “Wouldn’t it be awesome, if we could get Sam Pitroda?”, “Wouldn’t it be awesome, if we could Amartya Sen?”.
We finally did manage to get Sam Pitroda, but that is another story.
While BITSians who attended the BGM will remember it for the biggest ever BITSian meet since the first campus was erected half a century ago, or for the long line on the first day when we had completely sold out the tickets, or for the Battle of Brain of BITS which in true BITSian style ended at 4 in the morning, for me it was so much more than that.
It was shooting out over 500 mails and spending days in the offices and homes of the team that really pulled it off on the ground. It was spending months on skype with the team from the US that brought in processes and synergy (the jargon actually fits in!) and showed me that the alumni is a complex organism that spans across borders. It was nearly getting kicked out of my practice school and then getting back in, and it was testing the limits of my personal relations with those that are the closest to me (for I really did lose a track of time). Throughout all this, there was simply so much to learn. So many mistakes to make, so many promises to keep and so many iterations to make. Because if any of you have ever organized any event, you know that nothing is finalized until the D-day. And even then, things aren’t finalized. But as long as you have a great team to work with, it all works out in the end. And the BGM, thanks to the chutzpah of the BITSAA members that were behind it, was just that.
After BGM, and the fatigue that had set in, I thought, phew, that’s it. It been one heck of a ride, but boss, I’m done with active BITSAA volunteering for a few years. But another accident took place and I found out that BITSAA was coming up amazing new initiatives in entrepreneurship. And thus started my second major commitment to BITSAA, in the form of Spark Angels.
I hope by now, most of you would have heard of Project Spark.
And before I knew it, that familiar feeling of preparing for those weekly calls was back. And Spark Angels; the all BITSian angel network, to fund and mentor the next generation of BITSian entrepreneurs, was as challenging as putting up the BGM.
Why, you ask?
Try asking any investor, how long it takes them to raise funds and you will see a sheepish grin. Putting together an angel network in the nick of time, relying mostly on word of mouth and shout-outs to the community and actually reaching a point, where one feels that, we can actually make a difference to the lives of BITSian entrepreneurs, is an exhilarating feeling. You also realize that funding is merely one step in the larger aim of supporting the BITSian entrepreneur, which is just one step in the larger aim of supporting any BITSian.
This time, I got to work alongside a new set of folks. Folks who I have started to respect as much as the team that worked for the BGM. Folks, who are possibly the most passionate bunch I have met.
And you know what the strange part is? I think that the passion resides in each one of us. It is perhaps when we work together, that we see it in someone else. Because that passion transforms into action.
Over the years, my association with BITSAA has turned out to be a very emotional experience for me. Emotional because it got me really seeing the power of the BITSian network, which I have come believe, in its current form is nothing short of magical. I have met so many wonderful BITSians, and each one of them has a spark in them (sorry for the pun).
I am going to make an generalization and say that each one of them feels grateful to this institution which played a pivotal role in shaping who they are and most of them feel that they would like to show their gratitude in some way or the other.
Some do it by letting a junior, 30 years younger to them in age, share a glass of scotch with them. Some do it by setting aside their personal wealth to invest in companies started by BITSians. Some just enjoy meeting more and more BITSians and realizing that BITSAA is probably the largest family they had.
As for me? I resonate with BITSAA because I am just glad to be part of an institution this awesome.
I also admire BITSAA for what they have been able to achieve. What I love about BITSAA is that there are just so many ways in which one can give back to the college. And BITSAA acts like the perfect backbone for that process.
And above all, I would like to thank Vijay Sharma (’06), a dear friend, and the bloke that comes to my room late one night and scribbles something. The writing on my wall in Mal bhawan (I think they might have whitewashed it by now) said, “Stop Talking, Start Doing”
That writing on the wall is what got me to jump in like a fool, with comprees around the corner to work for the BGM. That is what got me to work for Spark Angels. Revisiting that saying on the wall is what gets me excited about every new initiative of BITSAA that I hear.
I hope it excites you too.
So what are you waiting for? Come aboard. I am sure, for whatever skill you bring to the table, there is something here, that can engage you, keep you motivated and help carve out a meaning. The more the merrier.
As Stevie Ray Vaughan says “When house is rockin‘, don’t bother knockin‘, come on in”
Rishabh Kaul (’06)
rishabhkaul@bitsaa.org