EXECUTIVE
Venturing Out
Former Senate candidate takes on his second act
BY MANDY WOLF DETWILER | PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN WATSON
Andrew Takami is the director of Purdue
Polytechnic New Albany. Once a candidate for
the U.S. Senate, he withdrew from consideration
after failing to secure enough signatures to run.
But never count a good man down. different time. I really saw the public square as an
opportunity to sort of espouse these philanthropic
principles that are very much at the core of our
Constitutional Republic. Our ultimate goal is to help get the information
nonprofit organizations need to endure without
external assistance, making them more sustainable
longer-term.
Takami has his second act planned, and he
credits a longtime mentor, faith and family for
the ability to make a difference. Extol recently
talked to Takami about his plans for the future. EXTOL: That leads us to your newest venture.
Tell us a little about it.
TAKAMI: My new venture is Andrew Takami
Philanthropy (ATP), a business my wife and
I launched after my 17-year career in higher
education, 14 of which was connected to resource
development.
ATP is a project management consulting
business committed to helping nonprofit
organizations fundraise and strategically plan
their sustainability. In addition to serving nonprofit
organizations, we also help businesses and units of
government manage their philanthropic initiatives
and strategic special projects.
For our service area, we target the Southern
Indiana/Greater Louisville region, as well as
Indiana statewide. We assist a broad range of
clients, but specialize our efforts on small to
midsize nonprofits. We love connecting the dots
for passionate executive leaders and their boards
of directors, helping them achieve their goals.
When I hear the comment: “We just don’t know
where to begin,” I am reminded why we have great
passion for helping others, through our business.
With the customized services we offer, we
believe we are in a unique place –– in sectors
really looking for greater impact, in an affordable
way –– to meet and exceed the desires of our
clients towards the communities they serve. EXTOL: You’re also writing a book –– what’s
the catch and why are you writing it?
TAKAMI: Impacted by several key mentors,
including my parents, my pastor, and J. Robert
Shine, I have long desired to assist others; I
recognize it is my turn to help others on their
pathways, something many others recognize
during the course of their lives, too. In looking
at several generations of young people who have
followed mine, I understand there is a role for me
to play. Part of the realization came through my
formal education, particularly a master’s (degree)
in philanthropy, which focuses on how to sustain
and grow civil society within our country, but also
through the mentorship of these key individuals.
My book seeks to communicate the role we all
play towards creating better civil society and
indeed a way of life for everyone living in our
neighborhoods, something that ultimately plays a
role within our nation’s public policy conversation.
EXTOL: As a Republican, you once ran for a
U.S. Senate seat. Why did you feel it was your
civic duty to do so?
ANDREW TAKAMI: I think many people
wonder about their responsibilities in life, and
I’m no different. I’ve had people who have really
mentored me over the years and really poured
into me, and I realized that I really have a lot of
responsibilities for my life. I’ve always been willing
to work diligently for whatever God had for me to
do. One of the things I remember is I got a book
from a Purdue professor and it’s a picture book.
The name of the book is What To Do When It’s
Your Turn (and It’s Always Your Turn). The thing
that I was really impressed about is that at some
point, it’s your turn to do something, and it’s
your responsibility to get out and try. You have
to do the best you can, because tomorrow it’s
somebody’s else’s turn and it’s your turn to help
mentor them … My wife came to me and said
if (running for the Senate) was something God
wanted me to do, that she would support me. All
these years, she’s discouraged me from running
for public office because she recognized it was a
64 EXTOL : FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
EXTOL: As the director of the Purdue Polytechnic
NA campus, you’ve got a lot on your plate. How
do you balance your home and work life?
TAKAMIE: My role as director of the Purdue
Polytechnic Institute campus in New Albany
certainly has kept me busy for the past seven years,
but there have been many who have been willing
to assist towards ensuring everything could be