Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 4, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 19 W B J H A L L O F F A M E F O C U S Aer rising from homeless- ness, Mitra wants to give back BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer D r. Satya B. Mitra is a bio- chemistry whiz turned tax and investment expert, whose pathway to the American dream started at rock bottom. In India, his mother died when he was only 3. Aer that, his father became ill, lost his eyesight and was forced to stop working at the age of 42. "ere was a time when we had no place to live," Mitra said. To create an opportunity for himself, he hit the books and won scholarships in India. e entrepreneur earned his doctor- ate in biochemistry in India, came to the U.S. with $6 to his name and landed a job at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1976. He moved to Worcester in 1982 to be a research scientist with the EG&G Mason Re- search Institute. In New England, the business culture is more robust than Kentucky, he said. "Everyone started asking me to invest," he said. "I didn't know anything about this." He began taking tax and finance, investment, and tax law classes at then Worcester State College. In 1989, he took the rigorous Special Enrollment Examination from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, seeking a license as a nationally authorized tax agent. At the time, only 5 percent of exam takers passed in one shot. "I had no chance," Mitra said. "I had two sons and a full-time job." Still, he wanted to try, and he passed all four parts of the exam on his first try. A career change Aer Mitra received a blessing from his guru, Sri Sri Mohanananda Maharaj, the man of Hindu faith opened Guru Tax & Financial Services in a small 80-square-foot office in his basement. Initially, business was slow, and Mitra had no clients. His older son would sit by the window and watch cars drive down the street, hoping they'd slow down and pull in for some tax or investment help. His wife, Sheema Mitra, helped and raised the couple's two sons so Mitra could focus on his work. In 1994, Maharaj asked him to quit his career in science to focus on tax and investment work. Despite some apprehension and concerns he wasn't secure enough financially to leave a well-paying job, he jumped into his new career at his guru's urging. "It was really a bombshell," Mitra said. "If he says something, we can't deny him." Now, Mitra's firm is on the 16th floor of the Worcester Plaza Tower. He has more than 500 clients in 26 different states and multiple countries, but each gets the same amount of attention. Kathy Roseen, a Graon resident, first met Mitra as a single mother of four in 1991 when his firm was still in its infancy. Over time, with Mitra's help and investment expertise, Roseen and her new husband Bruce retired early and are more than comfortable. Mitra "invests in you as a person," she said. "He cares about each one of his clients personally, doesn't rush you and doesn't send you some gigantic bill." Right way, she knew he was a family man, as his two young sons were run- ning around and hiding between file cabinets in the basement office. Years later, Roseen said her rela- tionship with Mitra isn't just business. Rather it feels like the families grew up together. e first conversation in his office usually has nothing to do with finance or taxes. "His greatest desire is to bless other people with that which he and his fami- ly have been blessed," she said. In the last few years, Mitra has been focused on serving the community. He sits on about 10 boards in the city, in- cluding the Worcester Planning Board, Mechanics Hall and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. He stared a charitable foundation – Joy Guru Humanitarian Services – Mi- tra describes as the ultimate goal given to him by his guru, who died in 1999. "We're trying to follow up on that promise we made to him," Mitra said. e foundation's work includes feed- ing the homeless, offering services to the blind population and funding a school of self defense for women. e ultimate goal is to build an international human- itarian center to combat homelessness, blindness and drug abuse. "is is the greatness of this country," he said. "I am a living beneficiary of the community's choice to help people." WBJ Hall of Fame Dr. Satya B. Mitra President & CEO e Guru Tax & Financial Services, Inc. Location: Worcester Birthplace: Tirodi, India Funny guy: Mitra is known for his sense of humor and can make everyone laugh instantly, whether they are young or an adult. W PHOTO/MATT WRIGHT

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