COMPANY

Chief Executive Officer

Kirit Desai is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Derive Technologies. His company has provided IT infrastructure solutions to large, medium and small businesses, government agencies, and public sector enterprises in the New York Metropolitan area and across the U.S. for three decades. Today, Derive has over 100 employees, in sales, consulting, engineering/support and administration. In 1981, Mr. Desai founded a predecessor to Derive in Lower Manhattan that became a recognized leader in corporate and government technology sales. With the formation of Derive, he and his team added a complete suite of infrastructure offerings, currently comprising data center, cloud computing, virtualization, business continuity, information security and support services.

Initiated under the direction of Mr. Desai and his management team are Derive’s targeted IT infrastructure offerings for the Health Care, Financial Services, Legal, Advertising, and other industries, as well as the Government and Public Sector (both Federal and local). Mr. Desai’s team has achieved Elite, Platinum, Gold and other important alliance levels with global technology leaders such as HP, Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, VMware, as well as many others, including specialized industry-focused IT manufacturers. The company was a member of the VARBusiness 500 for five consecutive years, was placed on the list again in 2010, and, in 2011, was ranked #302. Derive also received a 2002 VARBusiness 500 Fastest Growth Award.

Mr. Desai and Derive have received Minority-Owned Business certifications from the NYS Department of Economic Development, and the NYC Department of Small Business Services, in recognition of their continued commitment to diversity. Mr. Desai and Derive are also recipients of MBE awards from the NY/NJ Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. and the Port Authority of NY/NJ. In 2011, Derive added the important distinction of being named Minority Global Technology Firm of the Year by the United States Department of Commerce.

Mr. Desai received a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a MBA in Management from Roosevelt University. He has been a member of the Channel Advisory Boards for Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Synnex Corporation and of the Synnex President’s Club. Mr. Desai is a Trustee of the Vraj Hindu Temple of Schuylkill Haven, PA. He directly supports medical camps, education charities, and housing and education for homeless and orphaned children in India. Mr. Desai is a supporter of the Share & Care Foundation, founded in New Jersey by a group of Indian-American business leaders who are committed to enhancing the quality of life of “underprivileged woman and children by supporting programs in the fields of Primary Healthcare and Education.” He also provides support to I Create, Inc., which is “dedicated to providing Integrated Entrepreneurship Training and seed money to aspiring entrepreneurs and disadvantaged communities in India.”