Emerging Talent: Meet Two Recent Davidson Grads Transforming Forest’s Technology & Business for the Better


Emerging Talent: Meet Two Recent Davidson Grads Transforming Forest’s Technology & Business for the Better

At Forest Systems, our people are a vital part of our continued growth and success. Over the years, we’ve made it one of our top priorities to find talented and driven individuals to join our organization. We’ve been fortunate to find success in those efforts, and we are pleased to introduce you to the newest members of the Forest Systems team, who bring both expertise and energy to their respective roles.

Safwan Islam, a native of Wichita, Kansas, has joined Forest Systems as a software engineer. He is a graduate of Davidson College, where he earned a degree in computer science. Kishan Vyas hails from Alpine, New Jersey, and is also a graduate of Davidson College, where he earned a degree in computer science and economics. He serves as our manager of client success.

We sat down with both Safwan and Kishan to learn more about their backgrounds and their work at Forest. Below are excerpts from these conversations.

Forest Systems (FS): Tell us about your professional experience so far.

Safwan Islam (SI): I have been with Forest since last summer. I started as an intern working on the website for 6 months. Then I joined as a software engineer after I graduated this past December.

Kishan Vyas (KV): I’ve had the opportunity to work in branding and sales across several companies, which has given me a deep understanding of how to connect with clients and effectively communicate the value of our products. These experiences have shaped my approach to helping businesses grow and thrive.

FS: How have you seen Forest grow and change since your time on the team?

SI: Forest has hired exciting talent, and it seems like we are now ready to break more into the market.

KV: Since joining the Forest team, I’ve seen us make incredible strides, particularly with the development of cool AI features. These innovations are setting us apart in the industry and enhancing our platform’s capabilities.

FS: What’s exciting to you about the future of Forest?

SI: To Kishan’s point about cool AI features, we are currently working on a very exciting AI solution. It is very innovative, and I am certainly excited to see how it will reduce downtime for our clients.

KV: What excites me most about Forest is how easy to use and accurate our platform is. We’re constantly pushing the boundaries to make sure our users have the best possible experience with the most reliable results.

FS: What do you wish every prospective client knew about Forest?

SI: We are working every day to improve our clients’ lives. We have the best people in the best roles, especially in customer service.

KV: For the niche we target, which includes CPA firms and family offices, Forest is definitely the best platform with the best support. We really care about our customers and are committed to providing top-notch service and solutions tailored to their specific needs.

FS: What’s a trending business story you’re following right now?

SI: It was fascinating to see how the Crowdstrike update on July 19, 2024, impacted the entire world’s operations. It shows you how vital technology is to businesses and systems everywhere.

KV: One of the stories I’ve been following is the increasing integration of AI in accounting. Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz about how AI-driven analytics are transforming audit processes, making them more efficient and accurate. This trend aligns perfectly with Forest’s direction, as we continue to innovate and incorporate advanced AI features into our platform.