Giving back to Poly to benefit the world
Ezra Callahan '99
When Ezra Callahan '99 joined the founding team that had launched the social media site Facebook, he says he was ready for the demanding schedule—and the remarkable opportunity—thanks to years of preparation at Poly.
"In the beginning, I needed to do just about everything, from helping build the website and selling ads to interacting with users and putting chairs together," Ezra says. "Later I had to figure out how to manage internal communication and culture at a company that had grown from 20 to 2,000 employees in just five years." Prior to his tenure at Facebook, Ezra had tackled a tough multidisciplinary program at Stanford University that had spanned computer science, cognitive science, and philosophy. He remembers telling his parents a few years ago that a Poly education was the best gift they'd ever given him.
After leaving Facebook and Palo Alto in 2010, Ezra returned to Pasadena to work on local development projects and advise start-up businesses. He also donates his time and resources to the school he credits for his achievements. His annual gifts to Poly support the future impact he knows other graduates will have. "I firmly believe that Poly is largely responsible for getting me where I am," he explains. "I feel it's important to give back so that Poly can continue to develop strong and bright young adults for the world's benefit."
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