Elevate’s Aakash Patel Emerges with Influence

Deanne Dewey Roberts believed in empowering our area’s emerging leaders. She also believed in the importance of connecting young leaders to one another so that talents could be pooled and the Tampa Bay area strengthened. While Deanne passed away in 2012, her legacy lives on. One of the ways Tampa Bay still benefits from Deanne’s many contributions is through the Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay Program. She founded the program because she understood the importance of not only recruiting talented, young leaders to our area, but of also ensuring they stayed here. After her passing, the Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader award was created. Annually, the award is bestowed upon an Emerge participant who has used his/her leadership to make positive imprints on the Tampa Bay area. This year, #TeamElevate is pleased to announce that our own, Aakash Patel, has been named as one of four finalists.

Earning the Emerging Leader Award is preceded by years of strong moral character and community involvement. Aakash’s moral compass has helped guide him from a young age. From his grandfather, who helped immigrants facing religious persecution in their homeland come to our country, he learned the importance of working to help others achieve justice. Aakash’s wide net of community involvement demonstrates his intentionality in working toward justice for our area’s residents. While it’s true that he is known as Tampa’s Master Networker, his work with organization’s like Hillsborough County’s Early Learning Coalition show that he is deeply invested in our area’s future. His commitment to Tampa Bay’s continued growth and sustainability is evident in his decision to run for Hillsborough County Commissioner. It is true that Aakash is a regular at many bay area galas. But, the choice to be so active socially is because it’s directly connected to being active civically—he’s committed to supporting local leaders and causes he believes in so that he helps secure Tampa Bay as one of our Nation’s greatest cities.

Emerging Leader Award recipients demonstrate persistence and the ability to implement action plans. If you know Aakash, you don’t doubt his persistence. It’s an attribute that has proven instrumental in co-founding programs like the Bucs Connection Young Professionals and the Leaders’ Friday Luncheon Group. The success of both #Elevate and Patel 2018 show his success in carrying out action plans. Aakash’s leadership and professional accomplishments are plain to see and testament to his work ethic. Perhaps less obvious but most important are the threads of selflessness woven through Aakash’s work. Beyond monetary donations, Aakash gives much time to being involved with the Sheriff’s office and not-for-profits. Donations matter, no doubt, but he understands the power of human connection—it’s a founding pillar of Elevate, Inc.

Aakash and Deanne shared the vision of securing Tampa Bay’s place as a creative, thriving city by investing in young leaders. For him, Emerge Tampa Bay was a defining life experience. Through the skills he further honed, Aakash is now prepared to show he is Emerging with Influence. He’s focused on helping other young leaders develop into professionals who build lives in our magnificent area and, in turn, positively impact the lives of others.

Join us in congratulating Aakash on all of his achievements, which have helped him earn this special nomination. The 6^th Annual Emerging with Influence event takes place on November 9^th, and we look forward to celebrating some of our area’s most accomplished and philanthropic young leaders.

Categorized in: Work

This post was written by Elevate, Inc.