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Newsmakers of the Week MAY 15, 2026 | The Indian Eye 33

RAJ BIYANI SOUTH ASIANS

Goshen College names its Leaders Gather in Washington to

inaugural Chief Innovation Officer Assert Political Voice

oshen, IN: Goshen College has appointed Raj Biyani, a 1992 alum- ashington, D.C.: More than 300 South Asian American leaders,
nus and former Microsoft executive, as its first chief innovation officer, elected officials, students, artists and advocates gathered in Wash-
Gmarking a new step in the institution’s approach to artificial intelli- Wington last week for the annual Summit, Gala and South Asian Hill
gence and leadership in higher education. Day organised by Indian American Impact.
Held under the theme “We Belong,” the event marked the organisation’s
Biyani brings more than three decades of experience in technol- 10th anniversary and came at a time of growing political polarisation, rising
anti-immigrant rhetoric and renewed debate over the place of immigrant
ogy and AI to the role, returning to the Indiana-based liberal arts communities in American public life.
Over two days, participants engaged in policy discussions, advocacy meet-
college where he began his academic journey. His appointment ings and community-building exercises aimed at strengthening South Asian
signals the college’s intent to shape what it describes as respon- American political engagement and civic participation.
sible AI leadership within an academic setting. One of the central events was South Asian Hill Day, where advocates
joined representatives from 21 partner organisations serving the South Asian
diaspora to meet more than 70 House and Senate offices. Discussions focused
The announcement follows Biyani’s visit during Homecoming 2025,
where he received the college’s Culture for Service Award. Since then, he has on immigrant rights, voting rights and combating hate violence.
Organisers said the meetings were intended to reinforce the message that
contributed his time to support the institution’s efforts to adapt to the growing South Asian Americans “belong at every decision-making table.”
influence of artificial intelligence, underscoring both his ongoing ties to his The summit opened with a conversation featuring former US Surgeon
alma mater and his view that the evolving landscape requires new approaches General Vivek Murthy, who spoke about community care, loneliness and the
to leadership, education and service. importance of solidarity during difficult political moments.
Since September 2025, he has delivered guest lectures in more than 25
Participants also attended policy sessions on issues including artificial in-
classes, engaged more than 100 regional business leaders, and designed and telligence, immigrant rights and next-generation political leadership. Action
taught a 12-part AI seminar customized for Goshen faculty and staff. He has Labs included phonebanking efforts targeting South Asian voters in Virginia
also been the catalyst behind Goshen College’s AI Innovators Program, which ahead of a key referendum election, as well as workshops on media advocacy
has already generated 45 funded innovation projects from faculty and staff and opinion writing.
across 14 academic departments and 10 administrative offices — a signal of The gathering concluded with the annual gala honouring leaders from the
the creative energy being unleashed across campus. South Asian American community. Honourees included Nikil Saval and Neera
“At Goshen College, we are not limiting ourselves by just asking what AI
can do, but rather what we should do with it and why. I am excited to con- Tanden, while former Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta addressed
attendees on the broader political climate facing immigrant communities.
tribute to this mission because those are questions worth dedicating the next Other featured speakers included Ghazala Hashmi and US Representatives
chapter of my life to.” — Raj Biyani, chief innovation officer Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Suhas Subramanyam and Raja Krishnamoorthi.
The appointment is both strategic and personal. Goshen College is mak-
The event took place against the backdrop of renewed political attacks
ing a deliberate bet: that the future of AI in higher education is focused on targeting immigrant communities. Organisers noted that shortly after the ad-
cultivating our human wisdom to use these new tools at our disposal. vocacy meetings on Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump amplified rhetoric
After graduating from Goshen College in 1992, Biyani earned an MBA
with honors from the University of Chicago and later completed the Advanced on social media targeting Indian Americans.
Management Program at Harvard Business School. At Microsoft, he served
as the managing director of Microsoft IT’s India operations and drove a trans- To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
formation so significant it became a case study at Harvard Business School, our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
the Indian Institute of Management and Singapore Management University.

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