Page 31 - The Indian EYE 042525

Newsmakers of the Week APRIL 25, 2025 | The Indian Eye 31

JAAYSHREE V. ULLAL SHANNON K

Santa Clara University to honor Singer to perform at

alumna with honorary degree Coachella 2025

anta Clara University has announced to honor Jayshree V. Ullal an alum-
na of the university with an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree at
Sthe University’s 2025 undergraduate commencement ceremony. inger-actor Shannon K is all set to join the likes of Bollywood singing
On June 14, the University will host the largest of its commencement cer- sensations Diljit Dosanjh and AP Dhillon with her performance at the
emonies—for undergraduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, Siconic Coachella festival in April this year.
the Leavey School of Business, and the School of Engineering. The speaker Daughter of legendary Bollywood playback singer Kumar Sanu, Shannon
will be Jayshree V. Ullal M.S. ’86, CEO and chairperson of Arista Networks, a K’s Coachella performance marks a landmark achievement for her, as she be-
pioneering leader in the technology industry who has been widely recognized comes the first Indie Indian-origin singer to represent India at the Coachella
for her strategic vision and leadership. Festival 2025.
Ullal will share remarks at the undergraduate commencement ceremony on The festival will be held from April 11 to April 13 and from April 18 to
June 14 before more than 1,400 graduating students, their friends, and their families. April 20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The estimated crowd
Born in London and raised in New Delhi, India, Ullal moved to the Unit- will be 120,000 music lovers.
ed States for higher education, earning her bachelor’s degree in electrical Shannon K expressed her excitement about performing at the Coachella
engineering from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in en- 2025. In a press note shared by her team, the singer said, “It’s in the bucket list
gineering management from Santa Clara University. She began her career at of every Indian-origin Indie artist working hard to break the boundaries and
AMD and later joined Crescendo Communications, which was acquired by make their music heard. Indians are extremely talented. Indian music, while
Cisco Systems, where she played a crucial role in the success of the company’s rooted in Indian classical to RnB and pop, is underrated. This is the beginning
Catalyst switching business. of something incredible and I’m so excited for it”.
In 2008, Ullal was appointed CEO of Arista Networks, a company special- The versatile artist who has impressed her fans will treat Coachella at-
izing in cloud networking solutions. Under her leadership, Arista has grown tendees to a fusion of her original indie-pop tracks and some of her father
into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, redefining data center networking with Kumar Sanu’s most iconic Bollywood blockbusters.
its cutting-edge technology. She successfully led the company through its IPO With a mesmerizing stage presence and a distinctive voice, Shannon is
in 2014, positioning Arista as a dominant force in the industry. Throughout expected to deliver a performance accompanied by nostalgia and high-energy
her tenure, Ullal has earned accolades, including E&Y’s “Entrepreneur of pop for Coachella’s diverse audience.
the Year,” Barron’s “World’s Best CEOs,” and Fortune’s “Top 20 Business She will be seen treating the audience with some of her most popular
Persons.” She was named “Global Indian of the Year” by The Economic tracks, including Give Me Your Hand - a massive hit that brought her inter-
Times and recognized twice as a “Silicon Valley Power 100” by the Silicon national acclaim and won her the Best International Singer Award--A Long-
Valley Business Journal. time, Always, Run, Retrace, OMT - a cross-cultural collaboration with Indian
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ullal champions diversity in music icon Sonu Nigam--and many more.
tech and actively supports women in leadership roles. She serves on multiple Over the years, Shannon K has steadily carved her own musical identity
advisory boards and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of engi- on the global stage with her indie songs. The Coachella debut is a proud mo-
neers and entrepreneurs. She has also been recognized for her philanthropic ment for the singer as she becomes one of the few Indian talents to perform
efforts, including establishing a foundation with her husband to support can- at Coachella 2025.
cer research, social services, and hunger relief in India. Continued on next page... >>

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