Surya Yalamanchili

Surya was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the child of blue-collar Indian immigrants. From watching his mom go to work at midnight to sort mail at the post office six-nights a week, he learned the value of hard work. Surya’s own work ethic took form as he shoveled driveways to earn money while in middle school, started his first business (an Internet company) in high school and worked full-time as an executive while graduating with honors from Rutgers University. After spending a summer in Cincinnati in 2001 with Procter & Gamble and falling in love with the area and company, he laid down roots here while working as a brand manager. His up-and-coming status caught the attention of producers at The Apprentice, and he was asked to join the 2007 season. Surya went on to hold high-level positions at various Internet companies, including LinkedIn in Silicon Valley. As someone who has benefited greatly from his parents’ hard work, Surya is deeply concerned about the millions of families today who don’t have the same “opportunity to struggle” that he did. It is this concern, among others, that spurred him to put aside his career and run for Congress. Surya is facing Congresswoman Jean Schmidt in the November 2, 2010 election. Learn more at http://votechili.com.