Mashing Together A Job Search Engine: SimplyHired CEO Gautam Godhwani (Part 5)

SM: When did you actually open India Community Center?

GG: India Community Center opened up in February of 2003. We did not know what to expect. We had a small membership fee which would never cover the cost of the center. We dreamed up various programs which we hoped would resonate. When we opened the center we had 1,000 people walk in and sign up to be members in the first 10 days. We were amazed by that. It was a far cry from what we needed to be fiscally sound and we did need to rely on donations, but it was a great start.

Over the next three years grew to the point where it was doing anywhere from 500 to 1000 programs a year. It has become the largest non-religious Indian community organization in the United States. We started to teach over 100 classes a quarter to kids and adults. We had daily senior programs that served hundreds of seniors weekly. We actually received a massive donation of books from Syracuse University which made us the largest non-university Indian library in the country.

In the US businesses account for 60% of the economy, the government accounts for 30% of the economy, and non-profits account for about 10% of the economy. It has always been fascinating to me how different each of those worlds are and I have gained tremendous perspective working in them. While it sounds obvious to say, profit is at the core of every business, but at the core of every non-profit is a cost. It is incredible to see what kind of a difference that nuance makes in the fabric of an organization.

SM: If it is done right.

GG: Exactly. For us it was a learning experience. In a startup you can tell in a year or two if you are doing well, in a non-profit it is a decade before you can tell if things are going OK.

SM: It seems that you could almost tell after the first day.

GG: In a way, but in another you couldn’t. In a startup you can deliver a massive return to an investor in two and a half years and everyone is happy. Making a difference in a child’s life takes many years. We don’t measure ourselves by membership, but rather if we build ourselves into the fabric of the community and become part of people’s lives.

SM: How is the community doing now?

GG: In 2007 we went from a rented 20,000 square foot facility to a purchased 40,000 square foot facility that we built on a budget of $17M. We are two-thirds of the way through a fundraising campaign to cover that cost. That facility doubled virtually all programs and now there are well over 1,000 programs a year. It was built with three to four years of operating experience behind us, so we knew what was needed. That facility is going to take us much closer to being able to serve a broader set of people in the community as well as being fiscally balanced. It was an amazing, amazing project.

SM: When did you move away from India Community Center towards SimplyHired, and what was your reasoning?

GG: As we were moving towards our one year anniversary in the first facility I knew it was time for my role to change. I had always known the moment my job became more ‘day to day management’ than ‘one time setup’ that it would be time for me to move on. I have never intended to move my career in the direction of a non-profit executive.

SM: Are you still involved at some level?

GG: My brother continues to be very heavily involved and I am a trustee. India Community Center now has a board of trustees, a board of directors, a staff of 60 peoples, and a set of volunteers, donors and members. There is a community around it. It has a life of its own and it is growing.

This segment is part 5 in the series : Mashing Together A Job Search Engine: SimplyHired CEO Gautam Godhwani
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