“The world is waiting for you.”: Tubi CEO Anjali Sud Inspires Seidenberg School Grads at 2025 Pace Commencement

Pace University Commencement, 2025. Two jam-packed days of celebrations, degree conferrals, proud families and friends, and spectacular speeches.

Tubi CEO Anjali Sud, a first-generation Indian American and one of the tech industry’s most prominent leaders, addressed thousands of graduates and guests at Pace University’s Commencement.

During her remarks at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems ceremony, which honored hundreds of international graduates, Sud urged the Class of 2025 to pursue impact, embrace authenticity, and lead with boldness in a rapidly changing world.

“Get out there and be passionate,” said Sud. “Be brave. And most of all, be you. The world is waiting for you, and we need you.”

Drawing on her journey from Flint, Michigan to the helm of Tubi, one of America’s most-watched streaming platforms, Sud shared lessons from her career and reflections on family and identity, noting how her upbringing helped shape her approach to leadership, resilience, and purpose.

“Surround yourself with optimists,” she continued. “If you look across every technologist, entrepreneur or innovator you admire – across all personalities, styles, mantras, philosophies, you’ll find that they all have this trait in common.”

Sud, who received an honorary PhD in Computer Science degree, previously held leadership roles at Amazon, Time Warner, and Vimeo—where she served as CEO and scaled the platform to over 300 million users globally—before joining Tubi in 2023. She is also a mother of two and a vocal advocate for inclusive storytelling and accessible technology.

“The way to create enduring value in the world is to build tangible things,” Sud told graduates. “Ideas are powerful, but impact comes from real products that help real humans.”

“You each possess the power in your brains and fingertips to build things. So use your craft. Hone your craft. Accelerate your craft.” Pace University’s Commencement ceremonies regularly attract a global audience, reflecting the University’s reputation for academic excellence and its strong appeal to international students, particularly from South Asia. With international students representing 22% of its student body, Pace University exemplifies a vibrant, inclusive community shaped by global perspectives.

Sud’s biographical information was read by Lolita Tiwari, a double alum from Pace with a BS in Economics and Statistics and an MS in Enterprise Analytics from the Seidenberg School. Tiwari, who is a Strategic Partner Manager at Google, first met Sud at the Seidenberg Innovation Awards, where Sud was an honoree. Sharing similar backgrounds, Tiwari was impacted by seeing someone like herself represented at the executive level.

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Since first meeting Sud, Tiwari has joined the Seidenberg Advisory Board and leads the Seidenberg Young Alumni Engagement Committee.

“It is an honor to have a place in the Pace community where I am able to represent women empowerment and equity,” Tiwari said. “I believe my life purpose includes forming pathways and extending light that ripple effects to others finding their voice. Sharing this moment with my mentor Anjali on stage at commencement was a moment that merged present and future, reminding me that limits truly do not exist.”

Pace University attracts strong interest from Indian students across its academic schools, particularly its Seidenberg school of technology. The university saw a 10% increase in enrollment from 2022 to 2023, with the the Seidenberg School in particular seeing a remarkable surge of Indian students of a nearly 400% increase since 2020, reflecting the school’s global appeal in STEM education.

Sud’s remarks resonated with many in attendance.

“Hearing Anjali Sud speak at our Commencement was truly inspiring,” said Rahul Mani Subramani, a graduating international student from the Seidenberg School. “Her message about building real things that help real people, and doing it with courage and authenticity, really resonated with me. As someone about to enter the tech industry, it was empowering to be reminded that optimism, honesty, and purpose matter as much as code.”

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Pace University, with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, offers students a front-row seat to some of the world’s most dynamic professional and cultural opportunities. The combination of New York City’s opportunities and Pace’s highly ranked programs in business, law, and technology continues to make it a destination for aspiring global leaders.

The two-day Commencement celebration welcomed nearly 20,000 attendees and featured five school-specific ceremonies, student speakers, a food village, and live music—showcasing the breadth of Pace’s academic offerings and its community spirit. Sud’s address was among the highlights of the two-day celebration.

Other distinguished speakers included Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, Golden Globe–nominated actor Cooper Koch ’18, Northwell Health executive Dr. Launette Woolforde ’93, and New York City Fire Department Commissioner Robert S. Tucker ’96.

During the main ceremony, Pace President Marvin Krislov reminded students that their education carries both opportunity and responsibility.

“You carry more than a degree—you carry a promise,” President Krislov said. “A promise to your family, to yourselves, and to the Pace community. A promise to keep learning, to stay curious, to lead with empathy, to use your education not just for you to advance, but to bring others along with you.”

“Stay open. Stay resilient. Keep asking, ‘What can I do?” Krislov continued. “Because higher education does more than just prepare you for a job. It does more than prepare you for a career. It prepares you to ask hard questions that will make your life meaningful, to help build strong communities, to speak up, and to successfully carry forward.”

Students celebrating this exciting achievement were a mix of undergraduate, graduate, law, and doctoral students, spanning a variety of disciplines and future careers, such as nurses and physician assistants, cybersecurity experts, lawyers, accountants, teachers, performers, and much more.