Hosting Cristiano Ronaldo, EDM concert in Europe—ImpactGuru CEO’s post-COVID wish list

ImpactGuru.com CEO Piyush Jain.

Note to readers: While we accept the reality of the coronavirus, it is important to be optimistic. We must believe that there will be a day when the disease will no longer be the all-destroying scourge it is today. And when that day comes, we will be able to enjoy life, maybe with a few adjustments, the way we did before COVID-19. To that end, we are starting ‘If Covid Vanished ...’, a series of interviews with corporate heads and achievers, where we ask them where they’d like to travel or eat, who’d they like to meet, and so on, if the world became Corona-mukt.

You can lead a crowdfunding drive to help with medical emergencies and at the same, have a taste for fun things in life. Piyush Jain, CEO, ImpactGuru.com, a crowdfunding platform for health expenses, seems to embody these qualities. Life is short and we must make the most of it, says the public policy graduate from Harvard University.

In a world free of the coronavirus, Jain will play football with colleagues, visit Santorini, attend an electronic music concert in Europe and work on his chess game—he harbors the dream of being a grandmaster, though most experts reckon it is a near impossible after the age of 20. And if he could throw open his doors to a guest, it’d be for Cristiano Rolando. Edited excerpts from an interaction:

If COVID-19 went away or became easily manageable, which city would you like to travel to first and why?

I would love to go to Santorini in Greece. Great Mediterranean food, fantastic view, great weather for most part of the year—it certainly is one of the most beautiful places in the world. This location has been long due on my list.

Which restaurant/ bar would you go to first and why?

I'm a big fan of vegan, raw organic food. One of my favourite restaurants is Sequel in Mumbai.

Which famous stranger would you like to invite home, talk to and why?

One of the people I admire the most, who has been a role model, is Cristiano Ronaldo.

The reason why I would like to talk to him is to understand what keeps him going and keeps him so motivated. He's a legend in terms of his achievements. He's a real role model both on and off the field. There's so much one can learn from somebody like that.

What public performance/ occasion would you like to attend?

I'm an Armin van Buuren fan and so I would like to attend an electronic music concert in Europe.

What group activity would you like to participate in?

An off-site or trek with work colleagues would be great since we've not been able to do that for over a year. In particular, football with office colleagues is something that I have definitely missed during the pandemic.

What new skill would you like to learn?

I would like to pursue my interest in playing Chess, at a deeper level. Would love to pursue that more seriously to start working towards becoming a Grandmaster, one day hopefully.

What will you do with your masks?

Masks will still be required. Not for protection against COVID-19, but generally, so I am not going to throw them away.

What would be your motto for life after the pandemic?

My motto for life has not changed because of the pandemic. Life is short. We need to make the best use of this incredible opportunity that we have to do something meaningful and interesting with this life. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.