Sonu Ratra

Sonu Ratra
President, Akraya, Inc.

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California
Website: www.akraya.com
Primary Business: IT Staffing & Managed solutions
Revenues: $40 million
Employees: 300

With Success Comes Responsibility

As the president of Akraya, Inc., I have long been involved with workforce diversity and inclusion. I arrived in the melting pot of cultures that is America 15 years ago to pursue the American dream and found my own business. Armed with the first hand knowledge of the difficulties diversity businesses are confronted with, I have been committed to sharing my experiences with other businesses in need of guidance.

I feel it very important to sustain Akraya’s strong diversity program; we are also a minority- and woman-owned business and as such, my goal was to initiate new strategic ways for Akraya to take advantage of its diversity status. As a result, we have been able to grow the business significantly and acquire new clients. I believe that with success comes responsibility, and I try to do my best to share this knowledge with other businesses in a number of venues. I serve as the Vice Chair of the MBE Input Committee for the Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) and am a regular speaker at diversity conferences & forums.

I am also a member of the Indian Business and Professional Women (IBPW), Women in Technology International (WITI) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) and I use these forums to extend Akraya’s diversity supplier reach. In 2012, I plan to grow Akraya’s Diversity Supplier Network while also continuing to educate diverse suppliers about the benefits of the certification. I am committed to workforce diversity and hope that Akraya can serve as a resource and role model for other minority businesses.

Education:MS, Tata Institute of Social Studies, India
First Job: Tata Consulting services
What I’m Reading:Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
My Philosophy:“Doing best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” —Oprah Winfrey
Best Advice:“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”
Family: Husband, Amar and daughter, Ananya
Interests: Skiing, travelling and exploring new countries, building friendships
Favorite Charity: India Literacy Project (ILP)