Page 27 - ChildArt_2021.Q1_Global Creative Leaders

26 CHILDART GLOBAL CREATIVE LEADERS JAN-MAR 2021 27

ENGINEERING

THE FUTURE

RON D’VARI

DR. RON D’VARI

CEO

NEWOAK
NEW YORK CITY

One of the most important fundamental mathematical shapes, proof, and forms, he earned the nickname options and understanding when it is time to Hall. Now he lives in New York and still frequents
concepts we learn in school is the Pythagorean of ‘Future Pythagoras’ from his eighth-grade teacher. transition into something new. Rather than being museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Theorem. While at first we practice this concept married to an idea, he emphasizes flexibility.
to find the missing side of a triangle in geometry Ron gained admission to a prestigious technical He describes his work as creating a “LEGO kit of An optimist, Ron prioritizes looking at the bright
side of situations even when solutions seem
university to study engineering, a highly desired field
class, we later learn that it has many more real
life applications. These can range from using the in a country that was growing rapidly. As the political finance”—putting together the right building blocks difficult to find. Considering the increased use
formula in architecture or navigation, to the making of atmosphere in Iran grew tense, Ron decided to study for credit, assets, risk, or compliance. “Finance and of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic he
video games, and so much more. By using problem in the United States instead. He completed his BS, engineering are actually very close; it’s a game of says students will learn to “use tools they may have
solving and creativity, individuals have found this one MS and PhD in engineering at UCLA before joining modeling and projections.” Since he also works on avoided for a long time and they will learn to use
Boeing Corporation, only to return to UCLA after a
them before being afraid of them. It’s sort of like the
derivatives, he compares his life to “a series of ten-
concept to be useful and applicable in many fields.
few years for an MBA with a concentration in finance. year options. At every one of my jumping points, I first time you jump off a diving board. It’s scary, but
Dr. Ron D’Vari is a leader whose love for solving gave it a lot of thought. If you’re not thinking about once you do that, you want to do that every day. Kids
math puzzles began in the classroom at a young He was one of the early “financial engineers” to your choices, you’re giving an option away.” will have the ability to look at a virtual world that was
age and led to eventually working in the field join Wall Street, where he worked with BlackRock, coming, but now in a much faster way.” Furthermore,
of financial engineering. When he was a student weathered the 2007 financial crisis, and then As a boy, Ron was motivated by his mother to perseverance is important to him. He lost both his
enter a national art contest where he chose to
founded NewOak Capital, a financial services
in Tehran, Iran, Ron realized he had to be always company in New York City. parents at a young age. Having a strong sense of
prepared for when the teacher would call on him draw using charcoal. He had a strong interest in purpose combined with the ability to adapt to change
to come to the board to solve a problem. With his Through his life experiences, Ron has come to drawing portraits. As an adult, when he lived in Los with optimism and innovation is what makes Ron an
particular passion for trigonometry as it involved understand the importance of exercising one’s Angeles, he and his wife donated to the Los Angeles exemplary global creative leader.
County Museum of Art, as well as the Disney Music

DR. RON D’VARI ENGINEERING THE FUTURE https://icaf.org