At 23 years old, Bhavesh Kalia is pushing fan engagement in college athletics into new territory.

Almost exactly one year ago, the Dallas native graduated from SMU's Cox School of Business. Since then, Kalia has turned his passion for sports and innovation into Krida, a fast-growing company with direct ties back to the Hilltop. Through a new partnership between Mustang Partners and Krida, Kalia is helping launch the SMU Mustang Coin platform, an initiative designed to create deeper connections between fans, student-athletes and the university community.

For Kalia, the opportunity represents more than just a business milestone. It's personal.

"Returning to SMU just one year after graduating to build something meaningful with the university is incredibly special," Kalia said. "This partnership is about creating new ways for fans to engage, for students to learn, and for Krida to continue building for the future."

Kalia studied Finance at SMU while also pursuing a minor in Sports Management, combining two interests that had shaped much of his life. Growing up, sports were always central to his identity. While his early ambitions focused on competing at the highest level, his interests gradually evolved toward the business side of athletics and the systems that power it.

That shift in perspective ultimately sparked the idea for Krida.

While still a student, Kalia recognized the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics. With NIL, revenue sharing, and evolving fan expectations transforming the industry, he believed universities needed more modern tools to build sustained engagement with their passionate fan bases.

During and after his time on the Hilltop, Kalia also gained key experiences at the intersection of sports and business. Those experiences helped shape the vision for Krida.

The Dallas-based company partners with universities to launch official digital engagement platforms — including community-driven "University Coins" that unlock interactive experiences, rewards and exclusive access for fans. SMU is the inaugural partnership announced for Krida — despite additional partnerships already on the horizon — and that was by design. Kalia wanted his alma mater to serve as the foundation of the company's launch.

Through the new SMU partnership, Mustang fans will gain access to premium experiences, behind-the-scenes opportunities and game-day activations designed to strengthen connections across the Mustang community. The partnership also includes NIL components supporting SMU student-athletes and creates educational opportunities for current students. A cohort of 125 students from SMU's Sport Business Society will receive SMU Mustang Coin and gain hands-on experience with emerging digital engagement technology.

For Kalia, the connection back to SMU remains at the center of everything.

Even as Krida continues to grow, he sees the platform as more than a technology company. At its core, he believes sports are about community — bringing people together through shared experiences, school pride and meaningful connection.
That philosophy continues to guide his work as one of a new generation of entrepreneurs bringing fresh ideas to college athletics.

And fittingly, it all started on the Hilltop.