Wells Fargo Distinguished Speaker Series presents 'The Mission Generation'
Arun Gupta and Mehul Sanghani will discuss careers, entrepreneurship and leadership in the AI era Oct. 1 at the Virginia Tech Center for the Arts.
The Wells Fargo Distinguished Speaker Series returns Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. for Meet the Author: The Mission Generation at the Virginia Tech Center for the Arts.
Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach Foundation and Mehul Sanghani '98, founder and managing partner of Greycore Ventures, will discuss insights from Gupta's nationally bestselling book, “The Mission Generation,” in a conversation moderated by Saonee Sarker, Richard E. Sorenson Dean of the Pamplin College of Business.
In “The Mission Generation,” Gupta illustrates that the old career scripts have collapsed and a new compass is needed. The institutions we know—public, academic, and corporate—are fracturing under the weight of converging crises: AI disruption, ecological collapse, political polarization, and geopolitical conflict. In his view, these are not isolated shocks. These are tectonic shifts that are reshaping the very definition of work.
During the presentation, the conversation will include topics such as career pathways in the AI era, the importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset, and how to be leaders in mission-driven organizations. The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the conversation.
This event builds on on Sarker and Gupta’s previous discussion focused on mission-driven entrepreneurship and Gupta's national bestselling book, “Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society.”
Registration is free and all attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the book.
Meet the speakers
Arun Gupta is a venture capitalist, co-author of the national bestsellers “The Mission Generation” and “Venture Meets Mission,” and CEO of NobleReach Foundation, where he works to rekindle a spirit of national service through innovation and entrepreneurship. After more than two decades investing in companies at the intersection of technology and national security, he enjoys working with entrepreneurs building for impact and teaching the next generation how to do the same. At Stanford and Georgetown, Arun challenges students to see entrepreneurship not just as a path to success, but as a platform for purpose.
Mehul Sanghani, a Blacksburg native who built a $1.3 billion federal technology company from scratch, sold it to IBM in the largest acquisition in IBM Consulting history, and returned to Virginia to build what comes next — channeling more than 25 years of expertise into the defense technology ventures and institutions shaping America’s AI future. In May 2025, he was elected president of the Pamplin Advisory Council (PAC) and served on Governor Spanberger’s inaugural committee through January 2026. He was also appointed to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors on April 10, 2026, by Governor Spanberger.
Saonee Sarker is in her fourth year as the Richard E. Sorensen Dean of Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. During that time, she has helped reshape the college around a more technology-forward vision, including the ambition to become an AI-native business college and the launch of Pamplin+. Her research focuses on smart infrastructure, responsible digitalization, and AI-human collaboration. She has published in leading information systems journals, received support from the National Science Foundation, and co-authored a Palgrave-Macmillan book on work-life balance and information technology.
