Alumni Highlight: Surag Patel

The CCI periodically has students sit down with Cal Poly alumni working in or alongside the cybersecurity industry. Parker McKenzie (COMS) recently conducted this interview with Surag Patel.

Surag Patel | CPE 2004
Co-Founder/CEO
Pixee

Surag Patel graduated from Cal Poly in 2004 with a degree in Computer Engineering in Upsilon Pi Epsilon (Computer Engineering Honor Society). Surag Patel is the CEO/co-founder of Pixee, an automated product security engineer designed to fix vulnerabilities and harden code. Surag drives the product vision and value in the product at Pixee. He and his team recently launched Pixeebot, the free and open-source product they have been working on.

Surag had an amazing experience at Cal Poly and is incredibly appreciative of the “learn by doing” philosophy for allowing him to get his hands on applicable work to carry into his career. The hustle culture, having to take initiative to have a good experience, and diving in headfirst to make your ideas a reality that Cal Poly encourages went on to define Surag’s career working in start-ups.

Surag’s advice to Cal Poly students for any career field is get your foot in the door. Do a great job with what you are hired to do and the more you make your leadership team’s life easier, the more opportunities will open. Hustle, learn quick, and dive headfirst into whatever you are doing.

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