Immigrant entrepreneur transforms Birmingham with business, culture, and a second chance
Sanjay Singh, an immigrant from Calcutta, India, has made a profound impact on Birmingham, Alabama, through his successful business ventures and cultural contributions.
Singh, who is a partner at CS Equities and founder of Alabama Capital Network, exemplifies the American dream with his journey from a college dropout to a successful entrepreneur.
"The U.S. is the only country that gives you a second chance, right?" Singh said.
After initially landing in Louisiana and then Austin, Texas, Singh found his footing in Milledgeville, Georgia, where a chance meeting with the admissions director at Georgia College led him to their MBA program.
Despite lacking an undergraduate degree, GMAT scores, money, or transcripts, Singh's leap of faith became a launching pad for his career. He went on to earn his Ph.D., began teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and helped start businesses that were later acquired by industry giants.
"People thought I had lost my mind to leave Georgia and come to Alabama," Singh said. "But being an immigrant, you know, our perspective is already different, right? I already left my home and come to this country. So, leaving Georgia to come to Alabama was not that far of a stretch."
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Singh's students, many of whom became entrepreneurs themselves, helped him build a portfolio of companies across tech, healthcare, and real estate.
"I didn鈥檛 choose anything. They chose me," Singh said. "And the reason they chose me were my students, including this place. None of my companies I started. It all started with students in my classroom."
Beyond his economic contributions, Singh has invested in Birmingham's cultural landscape by bringing Indian art and heritage to the Birmingham Museum of Art and championing immigrant voices.
"UAB has people from a hundred and thirty plus countries, and I'm close to many individuals from many parts of the world," Singh said. "The number one thing everybody aspires for in a new home is cultural acceptance. So, I start working with the museum. How can we create this platform of cultural appreciation? Dance, drama, food, clothes, culture, you know that? And that has been the most satisfying part of my experience of living in Birmingham."
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Singh acknowledges the challenges immigrants face, noting that national conversations often paint them as threats rather than contributors.
"When there's plenty to eat on the plate, nobody cares if a few other people join the plate," Singh said. "And when the food on the plate starts shrinking, that's when you start the infighting. right?"
"This is an age-old story. It happens in all parts of the world. And it's not surprising that it鈥檚 happening here, right? And it's not just this administration. Immigration is always a lightning rod that the politicians use for whatever agenda they have," Singh said.
Despite the political climate, Singh remains optimistic, calling America "the land of second chances" and urging young immigrants to pursue their goals with purpose, education, and persistence.