From Court Side to Client Side

For Palash Islam (BA 2000), success in business is a lot like basketball: it’s all about the assists. The Tri-Cities native, who now runs a concierge financial firm in Silicon Valley, learned this lesson courtside at the University of Washington.

His journey began with atypical application jitters. As someone who has always had a single-minded focus, he applied only to the University of Washington.  

“I was like, ‘What the hell am I going to do if I don’t get accepted to the University of Washington?'” Islam recalls with a laugh.

The fates aligned, and Islam received his acceptance letter in the mail. Fast forward to a few months later, he was on campus, diving headfirst into every opportunity that came his way.

In 1997, Islam made what would prove to be two game-changing moves. He was accepted into business school and simultaneously approached Bob Bender, then the head basketball coach, with a simple request: “I want to be a coach.” They gave him a shot, starting as a team manager. “You’ve got a towel; you’re doing all the dirty work, wiping sweat off the floor,” he says.

For Islam, the experience was “phenomenal.”  Over the next three seasons he went from undergraduate manager to video coordinator to student assistant coach.  The team went to two NCAA Tournaments, including a thrilling Sweet 16 finish in 1998.

“Everything I learned in basketball applies to business,” he says. “Recruiting, networking, effective communication, and managing relationships—I do the same thing now. I built Synergy the same way. It’s the same model: personal attention, high-quality relationships, going above and beyond, continuing to get better.”

A memorable marketing class on Red Square

The Foster School of Business classroom provided its own highlight reel. In one memorable marketing class, Seahawks running back Curt Warner gave the class $5,000 to run a real-world marketing campaign for one of his car dealerships. Students divided into teams handling marketing, HR, and finance, culminating in actual car sales in the middle of campus on Red Square.

Later, a Foster professor connected Islam with Baden, a family-owned basketball manufacturing company that produced balls for the NBA. These experiences, including hearing from classroom guest speakers like Rich Barton (who shared Expedia’s origin story within Microsoft), helped Islam understand that success isn’t about one big shot—it’s about collecting experiences and knowing when to use them.

A lay-up with the Seattle SuperSonics

Following graduation, Islam went to work for the Front Office of the Seattle SuperSonics as a coach’s assistant to Paul Westphal and Nate McMillan.

His time with the Sonics coincided with the closing days of one of the most successful eras in Seattle basketball history. Beyond the wins and losses, Islam learned lessons about relationship building that would prove invaluable in his financial career.

The most transformative moment came off the court during breakfast with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Expecting basketball talk, Islam instead received life wisdom. “He talked about not making basketball my entire identity,” Islam remembers.

Two weeks later, a signed photo of their meeting arrived in the mail. It was a gesture that exemplified the personal touch Islam would later bring to his own business. Wooden’s words resonated with him, leading to his decision to pursue a career in finance.

Bringing coaching to finance

Today, as the founder of Synergy Financial Group in Silicon Valley, Islam runs a financial concierge office serving select high-performance professionals worldwide. He combines the precision of a well-executed play with the personal attention of a dedicated coach.

The full-circle moment? His daughter’s decision to attend the University of Washington, where she is also working for the men’s basketball program. “I honestly felt it was just the best place for her from the day she was born,” he says.

It’s particularly fitting since Islam signed his first NBA client, fellow Husky and NBA star Bobby Jones, when his daughter was three months old.

Seattle as the opportunity

For anyone considering business school, Islam’s advice is straightforward: “It’s all about the people, and it’s all about the network. Nothing else matters in business.”

Islam especially values Seattle’s entrepreneurial spirit. “As a business student, Seattle is the biggest opportunity. Going to school here, you can become who you want to be because Seattle is still growing in many ways, and you can easily make connections with your classmates and the business community. Doors are open here.”

Islam’s career, from a student manager wiping sweat off the floor to a successful entrepreneur, proves that sometimes the best plays are the ones you don’t see coming. He’s created a different route to success by staying open to change. And like his 7^th-grade basketball coach told him, “Focus on the execution, and the scoreboard will take care of itself.”

As for wiping sweat off the floor?  Successful people do whatever it takes.