This summer, WashingtonExec reached out to successful leaders in government and government contracting to learn more about their habits, experiences and perspectives.
Haresh Bhungalia is CEO of Casepoint, which offers litigation software. Previously, he co-founded 2020 Company, a services business he ran from 2000 to 2012.
WashingtonExec: What was on your summer reading list?
Haresh Bhungalia
Bhungalia: This summer, I read “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari, which is considered a “must read” by Bill Gates and others. It was a phenomenal book. Historically, I’ve read more business books. We have teenagers and so we read parenting books as well, but I do have an interest in history and I don’t get to spend as much time on it as I would like. This was a wonderful read on how humans came to be the way we are, over the course of time. It also gave a perspective on why the world is the way it is economically, socially and politically.
WashingtonExec: Tell me about a time in your life when you had to really stretch yourself in order to learn and grow.
Bhungalia: I started my first professional business, 2020 Company, LLC, when I was 25 years old. Considering this was only a few years out of college, I did not have much life experience. We were learning in real time; figuring out a go-to market strategy, how to acquire customers, building and managing a team, etc. Over time, 2020 evolved into a government services business with over 650 people. We ending up selling the business in 2012.
Today, I run Casepoint, a legal technology company. Coming in and learning a completely new industry, services versus technology, an entirely different customer base, government versus private sector, not to mention a global footprint was challenging. Today, the business is performing very well because we have a great team with some amazing people that have helped me close my personal knowledge gap.
WashingtonExec: If you could go back and give your younger self career and/or life advice, what would you say?
Bhungalia: I wish I had taken the time to read more on various topics like history, arts, sciences, etc. I did read a lot when I was younger, but it was mostly government proposals, or on professional development and business-related topics. Looking back, I think it is important to acquire a broader interest and knowledge base.
WashingtonExec: What is your favorite city to visit? What do you enjoy doing there?
Bhungalia: We have a number of favorite cities to visit. Our favorite would be Miami. We have a beach condo, and we enjoy going with the kids to simply relax. It gives us an opportunity to get away from the day-to-day grind. The people are very nice, the weather is great, and the food scene is amazing. It is nice that we have a second home where we are able to really enjoy and reconnect as a family.
Miami is our top spot, but we also love going skiing in Colorado, our trips to Mumbai are fun, and we are always up for going pretty much anywhere.
WashingtonExec: Tell me about an app, device or type of technology you personally love and why.
Bhungalia: Other than your normal business productivity and newsfeed apps, I like fitness apps. I have recently taken up cycling and really like the Garmin app as it integrates my ride details with vital signs.
