The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) has honored Indian American entrepreneur and owner of American professional basketball team Sacramento Kings, Vivek Ranadivé for his contributions to advancing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation and leadership.
Also honored at TAFF Heritage Summit and Awards Dinner on May 22 were actor Stephanie Hsu and actress Lucy Liu. The Summit convenes voices from entertainment, business, public service and grassroots organizing for high-impact panels and discussions that shape the national dialogue on identity, inclusion and intergenerational change.
The three honored “AAPI visionaries and leaders … work tirelessly to pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future for our community,” TAFF stated on Facebook.
READ: Forbes coins new billionaires, the list surpasses 3000 for the first time (April 3, 2025)
“We are deeply grateful for their leadership and commitment to advancing representation across sectors, as they continue to create a world where AAPls are seen in our full complexity and remind us that together, we are more,” it stated.
“I’m humbled and deeply honored to receive this recognition from The Asian American Foundation, and grateful for the opportunity to participate in this meaningful event,” Ranadivé said. “It’s a privilege to stand alongside many inspiring leaders who are shaping the future and uplifting our communities.”
Ranadivé, 66, is best known for leading the group that saved the American professional basketball team Sacramento Kings in 2013, when the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sacramento city leaders feared the franchise might be relocated to a larger market. He not only kept the team in the city, but also spearheaded the construction of the Golden 1 Center, a state-of-the-art downtown arena that revitalized the area.
Born and raised in Mumbai’s Juhu neighborhood, Ranadivé is the youngest of three children in a Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu family. He studied at Bombay International School and is the nephew of Indian leaders Balkrishna Trimbak Ranadive and Ahilya Rangnekar.
Ranadivé moved to the U.S. as a teenager with just $50 in his pocket. Inspired by America’s Moon landing, he enrolled at MIT at age 16. He went on to earn degrees in electrical engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
His career began in consulting and tech, where he founded a UNIX consulting firm and later held senior positions at Ford, M/A-Com Linkabit, and Fortune Systems.
Before buying the Kings, Ranadivé served as co-owner and vice chairman of the Golden State Warriors. In 2013, he led a group that acquired majority ownership of the Kings.