The Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony on March 15 will see Santosh Sankar honored with the Alumni Achievement award by The Pennsylvania State University’s Alumni Association.
Graduating in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in information systems management, Sankar currently co-founds the venture capital firm Dynamo Ventures in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During his time at Penn, he actively engaged with various societies and events, including The Nittany Lion Fund, The Penn State Investment Association, The Next CEO Competition, and Penn State Dance MaraTHON. He remains committed to mentoring students at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, a role he undertook post-graduation.
Embarking on his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 13, Sankar co-founded Dynamo Ventures in 2016 and serves as its managing partner, investing in supply chain and mobility startups at the pre-seed and seed stages. He gained recognition in 2017 when Forbes included him in both their 30 Under 30 for venture capital and the 30 Under 30 “Big Money” list.
Prior to joining Dynamo Ventures, Sankar held positions at Citigroup, where he specialized in M&A, capital raising, and risk securitization, and later served as a public equities analyst at Wells Fargo. Presently, he acts as a board director for Guided Energy, PaintJet, and Solvento, which provides AI-driven software and financial solutions to streamline payments for truckers.
The Alumni Achievement Award celebrates professionals under 35 for their remarkable achievements, inspiring students with the message that early success is attainable for Penn State alumni. Recipients are nominated by an academic college or campus and invited back to share insights with students and the University community.
The Penn State Alumni Association, responsible for the ceremony, is a 150-year-old institution dedicated to keeping alumni connected to the University and each other.
