Meaningful Productivity

By Ravali Bhavaraju

HOUSTON: On January 13, high school students of the Youth Development Leadership Program had the honor of meeting Dr. Arun Pasrija at CHR Solutions. Dr. Pasrija is the President and CEO of CHR Solutions, a leading, full service provider of technology services and software solutions to communication service providers across the U.S.

In addition to his entrepreneurial achievements, he is an ardent proponent of developing and encouraging younger generations as president of TiE, the world’s largest entrepreneurship-fostering non-profit. Dr. Pasrija’s presentation included vital messages on business and entrepreneurship. He discussed statistics regarding the funding cycle and technology adoption rate, both of which play an essential role in the business planning process, as well as current entrepreneur demographics.

Interestingly, immigrants were found to be “twice as likely to start a business than a native-born American,” an encouraging dynamic for an audience of young Indian Americans. Additionally, Dr. Pasrija emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in a society continuously seeking advancement both technologically and economically. In his words, entrepreneurship “improves productivity, spurs innovation, and creates jobs.” This discussion was followed by a tour of CHR Solution’s elaborate facility, including a walk through their powerful data center and multi-screen display that allows them to monitor servers and relevant data.

Throughout the presentation, what truly resonated with us was Dr. Pasrija’s disclosure of what it takes to be an effective entrepreneur. In addition to hard skills, such as education and experience, and soft skills, including leadership, social skills, and public speaking, every entrepreneur must harbor self-awareness and passion. Starting a business goes beyond monetary success; it’s about the people. It’s about doing meaningful work to solve someone’s problem or to improve someone’s situation. As high schoolers, it is often drilled into our heads that we need to get good grades, have a good rank, and go to a top-notch college; not that we need to have, yes a practical life, but also one with meaning and passion. Through our life’s journey, Dr. Pasrija’s didactic words will help us find the perfect balance between pragmatism and purpose.