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Newsmakers of the Week JANUARY 17, 2025 | The Indian Eye 27

DR. NEERAL SHAH

Professor gets Virginia’s

Outstanding Faculty Award

Gupta has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry
and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation, and building
high-performing teams across leading organizations.
“I’m honored to join Renew Financial and work alongside this talent-
ed team to advance our mission of providing homeowners with equitable fi-
nancing to make sustainable and critical home improvements,” said Gupta.
“Renew Financial has built a strong foundation, and I’m excited to lead the
company as we continue to grow and innovate in this space.”
he State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has selected Dr. Before joining Renew Financial, Gupta served as President of Dividend
Neeral Shah for Virginia’s 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards. UVA
THealth’s Neeral Shah, MD, is one of 12 recipients of the State Council Finance, where he led the company’s remarkable transformation, growing it
10x and establishing it as a major player in residential solar and home im-
of Higher Education for Virginia’s 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards for fac- provement lending. His leadership culminated in Dividend Finance’s success-
ulty, who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service. ful acquisition by Fifth Third Bank. Gupta has also held leadership roles at
During his 15 years at the University of Virginia, where he serves as a pro-
fessor of medicine in the gastrointestinal/hepatology division, Shah has used Credit Karma and Capital One.
Gupta holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Indian Institute
his knowledge and skills to care for patients, research ways to improve care of Management, Calcutta, and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering
and educate thousands of future physicians and healthcare providers. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
As a gastroenterologist and digestive health specialist, Shah has per-
Gupta will succeed Mark Floyd, retiring after a successful career of over
formed thousands of colonoscopies and now specializes in liver disease, caring 45 years, including four years as Renew’s Chief Executive Officer.
for patients with chronic liver disease and those in need of a liver transplant. “We are thankful to Mark Floyd for his leadership, dedication, and trans-
As a researcher, Shah helped develop a better way to care for patients
with liver disease who experience bleeding problems. The innovative work by formative contributions,” said Raj Mundy, board member and partner at LL
Funds, a major investor in Renew.
Shah and collaboration with biomedical engineers led to a National Institutes
of Health grant and the eventual creation of the Quantra Hemosonics ma-
chine, widely adopted by anesthesiologists to best use blood products during SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM
patient care.
As an educator, Shah played a key role in creating the UVA School of Democrat leader sworn into
Medicine’s NxGen pre-clerkship medical education curriculum, which pre-
pares students to be lifelong learners who provide patient-centered, evi- US Congress
dence-based medical care. He has won every major teaching award at UVA
while also developing a series of medical education infographics now used in
98% of American medical schools and 70 countries around the world. uhas Subramanyam was sworn into the 119th Congress earlier on Friday,
Shah’s passion for learning and teaching came from his parents, who im-
marking a historic moment as the first Indian-American and South Asian
migrated to the United States from India with just two suitcases and $8. Sto represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.
“Their philosophy was, ‘Knowledge is something that nobody can ever
take from you,’ a belief they deeply instilled in me,” he said. Subramanyam, who succeeds retiring Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton,
now represents a district that spans Loudoun, Rappahannock, Fauquier, and
parts of Prince William and Fairfax Counties. This achievement not only sets
VINAY GUPTA a precedent for Virginia but also for the East Coast, where Subramanyam be-
comes the first individual of South Asian descent to serve in the US Congress.
Fintech executive appointed as Subramanyam’s rise to Congress is deeply personal. His mother, who im-
migrated through Dulles Airport within District 10, was present to witness her
CEO for Renew Financial son’s swearing-in. As he placed his hand on the Bhagavad Gita and took the
oath of office, Subramanyam reflected on his family’s journey.
He shared, “Today my parents got to see me sworn in as the first Indian
enew Financial, a leading provider of the residential Property Assessed American and South Asian Congressman from Virginia. If you had told my
Clean Energy (R-PACE) financing program, announced recently the mother when she landed in Dulles Airport from India that her son would
Rappointment of Vinay Gupta as Chief Executive Officer. Gupta will go on to represent Virginia in the United States Congress, she might have
start his new role effective immediately. Continued on next page... >>

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