Ankur Gopal to deliver keynote address at Diversity Jubilee
Ankur Gopal will deliver the Diversity Jubilee Keynote Address.
Ankur Gopal will deliver the keynote address at the Speed School of Engineering Diversity Jubilee on Wednesday, Oct. 16th. His address is part of a program which celebrates, highlights diversity and inclusion designed to empower the diverse students, faculty, and staff at Speed School
Gopal is the founder of Interapt, an award-winning IT Services firm that works with Fortune 1000 companies and communities on implementing cutting edge technologies and IT workforce training. As in many companies and communities, Gopal faced difficulty in finding talent to serve the needs of his clients, which led him to create a 6-month paid training program which has now turned into one of the first successful IT Apprenticeship models in the U.S. His program focuses on serving underemployed and unemployed individuals in rural and urban areas, as well as veterans into IT job opportunities with upward mobility.
His model for creating high-wage IT job opportunities; while simultaneously removing people from crises, has been called a national model in solving the skills gap and creating net new jobs for America. Additionally, Interapt has worked with the Department of Labor on helping write the national standards for IT Apprenticeships in the U.S. so other companies can follow suit. Most recently, Interapt announced a national partnership with General Assembly, and is responsible for bringing their training into Kentucky, creating new opportunities for many.
Interapt has created multiple training locations throughout Kentucky, Atlanta, and Detroit, and is now expanding their model nationally with global partners. Interapt’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, EY Strategic Growth Forum, Salesforce Dreamforce, TEDx Palo Alto, USA Today, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
Ankur is the recipient of the EY Entrepreneur of The Year, 40 Under 40, Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and Business First’s Business of the Year. He was honored by his alma mater, the University of Illinois, as their 2018 Commencement Speaker. Ankur has been a featured speaker at The University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship. He continues to speak at conferences and corporations throughout the world on creating high-tech job opportunities by blending capitalism, altruism, and entrepreneurship. He credits the guidance of his teachers, mentors, and family for helping him on his entrepreneurial journey.
Ankur is an alumnus of Second City Chicago, where he performed stand-up comedy and improv on the Main Stage. He is a lifelong tennis player, and continues to play and compete. He enjoys live music, straight-to-Netflix movies, video games, and cooking for his friends and family.
He and his wife, Dr. Kiran Gopal, reside in Louisville and have 2 children.