Harish I. Patel
Harish I. Patel (born 1985) is an Indian-American local and international social activist based in Chicago. Biography. Patel moved from Gujarat, India to the United States at age 15. After initially studying to become a doctor, he developed an interest in philosophy and graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in political science and a minor in philosophy. He returned to UIC to earn a Master's degree in Urban Planning and Policy. While at UIC, he launched the school's Social Justice Initiative and taught a class entitled, 'Youth Engagement in  a Globalized World." Patel considers himself to be a "serial social justice entrepreneur.". He works with Accelerate Change, a 501 c(3) focused on sustainable citizen organizing. Following a yearlong trip to India with the Association for India's Development, he learned about. Inspired by what he saw and a traditional vest he had brought home from his trip, he launched ishi vest, a clothing company focused on fair-trade vests made through environmentally sustainable means. Patel is a Founding Member of Chicago Votes, a voting and political engagement organization. He has served as a fellow at Green For All, New  Leaders Council and the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute. He resides in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago. Activism & Social Ventures. Co-Founder of Project Focus. Uganda Founding Board Member of Chicago Votes. Co-Founder/Co-Owner of Ishi Vest. ishi vest In 2013, Patel and Jackie Mahendra founded ishi vest, a clothing company focused on creating quality vests using sustainable, fair-trade practices. The vests are made from organic cotton, hand-dyed and manufactured by workers making a living wage. 10 percent of ishi vest proceeds go to support sustainability efforts in India and the United States . The company reached its fundraising goal after a successful Kickstarter campaign. The team manufactured and sold their first 300 vests following the launch. Associations. Harish I. Patel was attacked by the conservative KeyWiki site for his progressive political ideologies, and for being connected to Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Barbara Ransby, and Vijay Prashad.