ed that because of all these challenges, Oakland made perfect sense as a location to be electrified. He noted that in addition to an innovative mindset at Zum, Oakland leadership also had a similar visionary mindset.
‘I Found My Calling’ In 1997, Prakash joined the submarine division of the
Indian Navy. He noted at that point the Indian Navy had electric submarines with batteries charged with diesel engines. He explained that the complexity of using such a power source is that submarines are wartime equip- ment but operate like a miniature city underwater. “The only thing that goes on your mind is what hap- pens if the batteries don’t work or if we were consuming too much of the batteries,” he shared. “So, energy plays a huge role when you are inside a sub underwater, maybe 1,000 feet deep and in a hostile environment.” Eight years ago, Prakash retired with the rank of com-
mander after 20 years of service. He wanted a career change and a location change, so he immigrated to the U.S. He said he originally wanted to go into health care and received his MBA from The John Hopkins University with dual specialization in healthcare management and enterprise risk management. As time progressed, he started working with AnitaB.
org, an organized nonprofit that helps women and non-binary individuals gain entry into technology roles. He noted that he was honored to have the opportunity to continue to learn. During a summer internship at Chi- cago Public Schools, he started working in the office of strategy and computer science. “One thing that I always carried was, how can I give back to the system that has given me so much?” he asked. “It has allowed my family to flourish, it has al- lowed me to learn and advance my career.” For about four years he continued working with
AnitaB.org, eventually becoming program manager. For a short time he also worked in healthcare providing services to children on the autism spectrum during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic was bad, but I thought, again, give it to the system, give it to the children,” he said, adding that addressing their mental wellness was a priority. He went back to school and obtained a doctorate de-
gree in innovation and strategy from Westcliff University in Southern California. He began working at Zum in December of 2021. “The
driving factor was children, children’s safety and what can I do for the next generation?” he commented. In addition to working at Zum, Prakash mentors and
CONGRATULATIONS! We applaude the
2024 STN Innovator of the Year Award Winner Dr. Pallav Prakash from Zum Services
ICBUS.com © 2024 Navistar, Inc. All rights reserved. All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
68 School Transportation News • JULY 2024 IC
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