Sri Ayyeppen, Chris Bhatti, Raj Kalyandurg, Purvi Patel, John Relton make the cut.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Five Indian Americans have been named by the Dallas Business Journal to its prestigious “40 Under 40” list, an annual compilation of the most promising up-and-coming business professionals in the state of Texas: Sri Ayyeppen, Chris Bhatti, Raj Kalyandurg, Purvi Patel, and John Relton.
Ayyeppen is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Keste, a Dallas-based IT company that “delivers enterprise software solutions to automate and optimize complex business processes,” according to its website. The company was created in 2004, and has another significant office in Hyderabad. Keste has been recognized as one of the fastest growing businesses in the US, and has received awards from Inc. Magazine, Oracle, and the Salesforce Cloud Alliance.
Ayyeppen holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Madras, and an M.S. in the same field from the University of Texas (UT) at Dallas. In 2010, he was named an Oracle Deputy CTO, a title that places him as a “trusted advisor that participates with Oracle on strategy and leadership conversations.” He was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2012.
Bhatti is a co-founder and managing partner at a global consulting firm called Vissero Partners. Based in Dallas, the company is a “firm of advisory and service practices representing a comprehensive environment for Family Office Management.”
Described as a “serial entrepreneur” on Vissero Partner’s website, Bhatti holds a B.S. in chemistry and psychology from Southern Methodist University (SMU), and a Master’s in Education from UT Dallas. He also holds an M.B.A. from SMU, as a well as a certification in dispute resolution. Before joining Vissero Partners, he was the founder and CEO of Mindful Learning, LLC, a tutoring service for private school children.
Additionally, Bhatti was the Director of External Relations of SMU, in the office of the school’s Dean of the School of Education. During his time there, Bhatti oversaw a $50 million fundraising operation that helped bring in some of the biggest alumni gifts that the institution has ever received.
Kalyandurg is with Merrill Lynch, where he is the Senior Vice-President of investments, as well as a private wealth advisor, and a senior portfolio manager with the company’s PIA (Personal Investment Advisory) program. Kalyandurg has been with Merrill Lynch since 1996, making him a nearly 20-year veteran of the banking institution.
He holds a B.A. in economics and finance from UT Dallas, and is also a graduate of the school’s Financial Advisor Leadership Program. Barron’s Top 1,0000 Advisors in America ranked Kalyandurg as the 74th best financial advisor in the entire US in 2010. Additionally, Kalyandurg has connections to several well-known organizations; most prominently, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), of which he is a charter member.
Patel is a partner at the law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP, based in Dallas. She is the chair of the firm’s Trademark Practice Group, in which she “focuses on brand management, including domestic and international trademark portfolio protection and enforcement, and has extensive experience with trade dress and copyright counseling, IP licensing, social media, and cybersquatting and Internet issues,” according to the firm’s website.
Patel earned her B.A. from Emory University, graduating summa cum laude, and did course work in European Union Law at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law afterward. She earned her J.D. from Emory University, as well, during which time she was the managing editor of the Emory International Law Review.
She has several commendations to her name, including being named as one of the Top 250 Women in Intellectual Property law by “Managing IP.” She has been named by D Magazine as one of the best lawyers in Dallas under the age of 40, and was named as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly last year.
Finally, Relton is the founder and managing director of Strait Capital Company Ltd., which provides “accounting, administration, and advisory services through a business measurement process that centers on accurate, timely, and transparent information.” The firm typically works with companies in the investment industry, and is also based in Dallas.
Born in Canada to Indian parents, but raised in Texas, Relton has a B.A. in business administration from SMU, and an M.S. in accounting. He has served as the CFO of a Dallas-based hedge fund, and has spent his entire career in the financial sector. He is also heavily involved with organizations based around the community, such as The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) and the Great Investors’ Best Ideas Foundation.