In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Rams are highlighting the diverse AAPI experience through the voices of our employees.
This year's series continues with Ticket Coordinator Karan Desai.
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Karan Desai's self-described "very middle class" upbringing in the city became fundamental to the beliefs and values he upholds today as an adult.
"My culture taught me to always helps others, especially the less fortunate ones, never disrespect anyone's beliefs and values and no work is too big or small," Desai said. "I was raised very middle-class. My father had a small business which he had started in our living room and my mother was a homemaker who somehow managed the household on a shoestring budget. The value of hard work, money, patience, and humility were engraved in me by my parents from an early age.
"Even though I moved to Los Angeles about 10 years ago now, I still celebrate Indian festivals like Diwali and Holi with friends and family, I still watch and listen to Indian movies and music, and I hope to embody the essence of my Indian heritage in every aspect of my life so I can pass it down to my future children someday."
Today, Desai is using and applying those lessons as Ticket Coordinator for the Rams, a role in which he works closely with the organization's sales and service team in managing and servicing all of its Season Ticket Member (STM) accounts. His duties include handling internal and external ticket requests, building out event manifests in our ticketing system, and act as a Ram's box office supervisor during the team's home games at SoFi Stadium.
Desai said the best part of his job is the collaboration across the organization, in addition to achieving the dream of working for his favorite team.
"We have such a diverse workforce, and you get the opportunity to get to know so many cool people and learn about their backgrounds and journey," Desai said. "Plus, having access to tickets this season excites me and I'm looking forward to enjoying this perk."
Having accomplished that lifelong goal of working for his favorite team, what motivates Desai is the future and seeing how far he can take his career in this industry.
"Winning a championship ring with the Rams is also a huge motivating factor for me," he said.
When it comes to being better allies for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, Desai points to being curious. Having the same open-mindedness that was engrained in him at an early age can go a long way.
"Take an initiative to learn about something new about your AAPI colleagues' background and culture," Desai said. "You would also have to be open-minded about different beliefs and customs. This is applying to all of us, being open-minded only enhances our own individual growth and understanding but also contributes to building a more inclusive, harmonious and interconnected world."
Meanwhile, Desai said celebrating AAPI Heritage Month can be as simple as sending a nice message to a friend or colleague who is a part of that community.
"Reach out to your AAPI friends and colleagues, send them a nice greeting card or text them a nice message saying how incredibly proud you are of them for everything they have done and achieved in life," Desai said. "It'll guaranteed make their day. Simple gestures like these are quite underrated."
