Anil Sunkara founded AdvanSoft
International Inc. in 1998, leaving a
lucrative job as a consultant with Arthur Andersen.
Based on prior experience, he developed a business strategy that he knew
clients would benefit from. He was only
26 years old at the
time, and worked
hard and took on
huge personal and
financial risks in
the early stages of
the business.
Within just four
months, he had 25
consultants and a top training center in
Chicago.
By 2000, he had 100 consultants and
was still growing.
Sunkara’s business development skills
reached into other industries when the
dot-com bust and economic downturn
hit in 2001. The company suffered a loss,
but he took a leap of faith and started an
ethnic grocery chain, mainly to make
sure that all the employees had enough
work so he wouldn’t have to lay them
off.
This change in business paid off,
because regardless of the economy,
everybody needs food. Today, his chain,
Namaste Plaza, is the second biggest
Indian grocery chain in the United States
with 15 stores.
In 2005, seeing the boom in the infrastructure industry in India, Sunkara
started AK Estates, a real estate construction company, and in 2006, started
AdPharma when he saw the potential in
clinical trials outsourcing.
Sunkara built a family-friendly culture
at his company, and has provided free
accommodation and training to all of his
out-of-state consultants during the time
they go through training.
HOW TO REACH: AdvanSoft International Inc., www.adso.com
or (847) 952-0000