The graduating address at Virginia Tech will be given by Mehul Sanghani.

April 23 :
At Friday, May 10, Virginia Tech's University Commencement ceremony will feature keynote speech given by Indian American CEO Mehul Sanghani. Octo, a tech company Sanghani established in 2006 with the goal of resolving the most complicated issues pertaining to national security, is now headed by Sanghani, a graduate of Virginia Tech.

The company Octo was named by Inc. Magazine the 23rd fastest-growing private company in the nation and received multiple innovation awards while he was its CEO. The announcement of the acquisition by IBM for somewhat less than $1.3 billion was made in January 2023.

Mehul and his wife Hema Sanghani, who is also a graduate of Virginia Tech, gave $10 million in 2021. Out of that, $1.5 million went towards building The Market of Virginia Tech, an innovative food pantry on campus that helps students who are struggling with food insecurity.

The Sanghani Centre for Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence and the Sanghani Player Lounge, which is dedicated to the Virginia Tech football team, were also established with the help of this generous contribution. In addition, Sanghani is a member of the board for Virginia Tech's Pamplin School of Business.

Virginia Tech president Tim Sands remarked that Mehul's life, career, spirit of service, and exceptional support for his alma university and community inspire Hokies everywhere. “These graduates are about to embark on their own impactful journeys, and his experience serves as a powerful example for them.”