Payal was born and raised in Texas and is the daughter of immigrant entrepreneurs. After graduating as Valedictorian of her high school class, she went on to graduate summa cum laude from Texas A&M University (whoop!) earning both a MSc in Finance and BBA in Accounting. She was honored with the prestigious Buck Weirus Spirit Award as a senior and credits her alma mater as the place where she learned about community, honor, service, and being a part of something greater than yourself.
Payal sees the world as a puzzle to be solved and thus began her career as a management consultant with Alvarez & Marsal, a rapidly growing professional services firm. She advised corporations, non-profits, and public sector organizations across a variety of industries including energy, environmental services, and higher education. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for Payal to help build a consulting practice while working with people who took their work seriously but themselves not too seriously. She credits Alvarez & Marsal as the place where she learned and experienced firsthand the value of true leadership.
Outside of work, Payal has pursued her passion of working with children. She is a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and previously manned the snow cone cart at Texas Children's Hospital on Sundays. In 2008, Payal helped found and launched the Houston chapter of Friends of St. Jude. This successful non-profit benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric cancer research and treatment facility where no child is ever turned away because of a family's inability to pay. Payal also enjoys working with and mentoring college students. In 2009, she was thrilled to win the inaugural Mentor of the Year award given by the Horizons programme at Texas A&M University.
In fall 2010, Payal moved across the pond to London and accepted a position in the MBA 2012 class at London Business School. She currently leads the Women's Touch Rugby Club as well as the Volunteers Club, is a Student Ambassador, and somehow manages to find the time to go to class. For Payal, living in central London and attending London Business School has been a privilege. When asked why, she responds that it's because of the relationships formed with incredible students, faculty, and staff. Payal loves this diverse community of talented yet humble individuals who all have the audacity to believe they can make a difference in this world. She credits London Business School as the place where she learned to discount continental contrasts and instead focus on the similarities we all share regardless of age, race, nationality, religion, or class.
After business school, Payal plans to continue working in professional services and ultimately start her own business. Wherever or whatever her occupation is, she hopes to make a career out of building people and organizations.
A self-confessed TED fanatic, Payal is excited and grateful for the opportunity to speak at TEDx London Business School. She also has a personal blog "Patel It Like It Is" which can be followed.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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