KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 31, 2019

Two local business leaders dedicated to providing opportunities for Kennesaw State University students were inducted Wednesday night into the Michael J. Coles College of Business Hall of Fame.

Coles College supporters Sid Mookerji and Richard Taylor were recognized for promoting and embodying personal integrity, leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit. In a ceremony at Kennesaw State, Mookerji and Taylor were honored for their commitment to innovation, community service and global engagement, elements at the heart of the College’s mission.

“Over the last five years, the Coles College has inducted some extraordinary people into the Hall of Fame, and this year is no exception,” said Robin Cheramie, interim dean of the Coles College of Business. “It is an extremely rewarding experience to honor two exceptional leaders like Sid and Richard, who have done so much for our students.”

Mookerji is the founder and CEO of Silver Spirit Global, an organization that helps grow U.S.-based startup companies through funding, mentorship and real estate initiatives. Mookerji previously co-founded Software Paradigms International (SPI), a technology products and service provider that grew to 3,000 employees on five continents before he sold the company in 2016. 

His relationship with Kennesaw State began with SPI offering internships to Coles College of Business students, many of whom became full-time employees. SPI sponsored the Department of Information Systems while Mookerji became a frequent guest lecturer, mentored students in the Master of Business Administration program and Shore Entrepreneurship Center, and provided support for the India China America Institute, the Student Managed Investment Fund and the Modular Agile Deployment Lab.

“Sid’s passion for business is contagious, and he seeks out opportunities to help students across the College,” Cheramie said. “Between his work on the Department of Information Systems advisory board, the Student Managed Investment Fund and our Shore Entrepreneurship Center, the impact of Sid’s engagement in the Coles College will be felt for years to come.”

Taylor has been a certified public accountant for more than 40 years, specializing in business and tax consulting, financial planning, and audit and assurance services. He is president and owner of Avid Wealth Management Group after having held several positions at accounting firm HLB Gross Collins from 1973 to 2018. 

Taylor has recruited on campus at Kennesaw State every year since 1981 and been instrumental in hiring dozens of KSU graduates, including several alumni in prominent positions throughout the country. He was a member of the School of Accountancy’s advisory board from 1992 to 2018, including three years as chairman, and has provided keynote addresses at honors banquets and master’s program hooding ceremonies.

“Richard has created opportunities for dozens of our students over the years through his recruitment activities, and for countless more through his work on the School of Accountancy advisory board,” Cheramie said. “He has left a lasting impact on our accounting programs.”

Established in 2015, the Coles College of Business Hall of Fame now includes 14 members. Mookerji and Taylor join previous inductees Michael Coles, Jack Dinos, Connie Engel, Gene Henssler, Tom Hughes, Harry Maziar, Lee Rhyant, Doug Shore, Kerstin Valdes Benden, Valery Voyles, Shelby Wilkes and Mark Wilson.

—Paul Floeckher

Photography by Jason Getz