Meet Sanat and Sundip | AVANA Companies

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sanat and Sundip and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sanat and Sundip, what values or principles matter most to you? Why?
At AVANA, we have five values that guide the work we do: 1) put people first, 2) do the right thing, 3) take the lead, 4) excellence is a journey and 5) make an impact. Recently, our team launched a new platform called EqualSeat which brought those values to life. The platform is centered around creating inclusive investing opportunities for all. This includes breaking down barriers through education and improving accessibility to investment opportunities for underserved groups including minorities and women. Our team’s focus is to help investors do the right thing for themselves and surrounding communities by understanding the greater impact that their investment has. In addition, our team strives to improve our services and platforms in our pursuit to level the playing field for retail investors.

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

AVANA Companies is an asset management and lending company that creates impact lending and investing opportunities that support growing local economies and a sustainable future. We work with our customers to build capital, educate others with a focus on financial literacy, and provide accessible opportunities to create and preserve wealth.  What we are most excited about is our ongoing initiatives to better serve local communities by providing options for investors to get involved with projects that create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and contribute to sustainable initiatives. 

Our team has learned a lot since we first started and one of our biggest takeaways has been to go into everything with a true learner mindset. One of the biggest challenges we overcame was learning which leadership style aligned with our overarching mission. Staying grounded in our values and the “Why” of AVANA is really that key stabilizer that helps our team stay on track with our goals and mission, especially as the industry continues to evolve. In finance, leaders must navigate change, stay supportive, and keep up with trends. We’ve found that putting trust and transparency at the forefront of all our decisions has been a key contributor to our team’s success. 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?

Monday: The Coffee Builders for breakfast, then over to the Musical Instrument Museum. Lunch at First Cup Ethiopian Restaurant and dinner at Testal on Grand Ave.

Tuesday: Breakfast at Original Breakfast House (cash only!), lunch at Pane Bianco, and dinner at Taco Chelo, because no trip to Phoenix is complete without some awesome tacos.

Wednesday: Early morning hike at any one of the hundred trails at South Mountain followed by a breakfast burrito at El Norteño (another cash only spot). Lunch at Nelson’s Meat & Fish to grab their famous Wednesday lobster roll. Dinner at Bacanora, then a short walk over to Novel for dessert – ice cream sandwich in a warm donut? Yes, please!

Thursday: Grab breakfast from Bagelfeld’s (THE best bagel in the state), and down to the Desert Botanical Gardens to take in the beauty of the Sonoran desert (and it’s neighbors). Ingo’s Tasty Food for lunch and Lom Wong for dinner. After dinner, over to The Theodore for excellent beer and bar trivia.

Friday: The Bread and Honey House for chilaquiles then over to Scottsdale Fashion Square to check out Wonderspaces. Lunch at Glai Baan. Hit up First Friday on Grand Ave in the evening and the Phoenix Art Museum (free on First Fridays) to check out some incredible art, then over to Roosevelt Row for the party! Grab dinner from one of the million food stalls scattered around the street.

Saturday: Walk around the Downtown Farmer’s Market for breakfast and to visit all of the amazing vendors. Lunch at Hidden Track Uptown – super cute wine shop with a great café. Dinner at Belly, followed by live music at The Nash, Rebel Lounge, Crescent Ballroom, or The Van Buren.

Sunday: Back to Scottsdale for brunch at Prep and Pastry, followed by a short journey out of town to explore the incredible Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Dinner on Cibo’s lovely patio to finish a pretty perfect week.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

Currently, AVANA is involved with several community organizations including for Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children fighting critical illnesses, and the Phoenix chapter of Pratham USA, a nonprofit that raises awareness and funding for children’s education in India. Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Phoenix Chapter of Pratham USA are built by teams of people dedicated to finding innovative solutions to create positive change within local and national communities. Like AVANA, their mission-driven work has created opportunities for people in the community to contribute meaningful change to the lives of countless people and has created a sense of belonging for the volunteers who serve to support their efforts. Our team enjoys working with these organizations as they align with our mission to create accessible opportunities for people to foster more inclusive communities.