When Javier Saade (M’92) was growing up in Puerto Rico, parental guidance, persistence, and Purdue were all waiting to play a part in his life; they eventually would help him become one of the highest-ranking Hispanics in the federal government and a voice for 28 million small businesses and startups in the United States.

Saade’s recent return to the private sector as an investor at Fenway Summer, a venture capital firm, was preceded by a position that called for him to use many of the skills he gained as a student and throughout his career. “Through some twists of fate, I ended up on an outreach list of President Obama’s White House,” Saade says. “After deciding to throw my name in the hat, the most unlikely thing happened after 10 levels of screening and vetting.”

His new role gave Saade unique responsibilities and a lengthy title. He became the associate administrator and chief of investment and innovation at the US Small Business Administration (SBA). He oversaw programs that invested tens of billions of dollars in American small businesses and tech-driven startups. “In addition to my day job, it was humbling to serve on a committee at the Securities and Exchange Commission advising its chairman on policies,” Saade says. “I had a lot to learn. Government — especially at high levels — is a very different world.” Saade’s goal for a few years was to bridge the public and private sectors — to help small-business owners get off and running, build their companies, and pursue their career dreams.

“My original plan was to study aeronautical engineering at Purdue, but I ended up choosing industrial management with a minor in manufacturing engineering,” Saade says. It was a plan that was popular with Saade’s peers in San Juan. Out of his high school graduating class, roughly 10 of those students pursued their college education at Purdue. That foundation, combined with his business experience and public service, prepared Saade for the next step in his career.

“My whole life I had been a business person, and the key goal of any business is to make a profit,” Saade says. “My role was different at the SBA. We aimed to develop and implement economic policies that would catalyze innovation, commercial opportunity, and capital access — inclusively.” That perspective broadened Saade’s appreciation of the social impact that businesses have on communities.

“Life is full of curves, twists, and turns, and very little of it can be planned,” Saade says. “You should be open to new experiences and not be afraid to fail. While you can’t control most things in life, one thing you can control is how hard you work for what you want to achieve.”