The Internet revolution had barely begun to spread when Bhavin Shah (pictured) enrolled in the Computer Science and Engineering program at UC San Diego in 1994. Nevertheless, it was clear to him that computer science was the place to be, and he picked UCSD over his father's alma mater, UC Berkeley, for one major reason: "I had friends that wne through four years of undergraduate at other schools with very little contact with their professors," he recalls. "Once I saw the intimacy between the students and the engineering professors at UC San Diego, I knew that was the place for me."
The CSE alumnus (B.S. '99) also appreciated the ability to use computer science in activities outside of the classroom. He joined the Sally Ride EarthKAM project, a NASA educational outreach program that empowers middle school students, their teachers, and undergraduate mentors. “EarthKAM was like a real job,” says Shah. “We designed product, wrote code, and had our own customers. Those customers were middle school students. Like a real company, I was also able to see the direct impact of my effort. The deep impact we were having around the country was visceral every time we had a mission. But I also learned how much others depended on my work in a way that I never could have learned in the classroom."
Shah's hands-on experience with the EarthKAM project made him particularly receptive to the Jacobs School of Engineering's initiatives to provide students with hands-on engineering experiences, mentorship and support. Shah's philanthropy began with support for the Jacobs School's Student Success Initiative, a comprehensive effort by the IDEA Student Center to support the academic success of undergraduate and graduate students to increase retention and diversity. Asked why he chose the Jacobs School, Shah responds: "There's a better signal-to-noise ratio here. If you want to see your contribution make a difference, give here. The leadership here will make sure it goes far. Every gift, no matter how small, makes an impact."
After UC San Diego, Shah did a master's degree at Stanford combining education, computer science and business. Out of school he worked for Leapfrog developing innovative electronic and educational toys, before setting out on his own to do a startup that would bring "educational gameplay to the mass market... the idea was World of Warcraft meets education." He subsequently shifted gears and launched Refresh.io, a platform to help sales professionals learn about the people they are selling to. The company became a touchstone of the 'relationship management' trend in business, ultimately resulting in the company's acquisition by LinkedIn in April 2015.
The buyout gave Shah the resources to take some time off and set about building his next big idea -- an enterprise software company that is still under wraps.
Meanwhile, taking a page from his father's retirement notebook, Shah decided to get serious about philanthropy. "I've hit a number of milestones in my career, and I want to have an enduring impact," he says. "I want to inspire my own children to achieve their maximum potential. And then, when life is good to you, you give back."
Read the complete profile of Bhavin Shah on the Jacobs School website.