Born in a freshly independent India with an insatiable desire to grow up, Nikhil Trivedi realized his interest in metallurgical engineering at the age of five. Trivedi’s pursuit of higher education and love for minerals brought him to the Mackay School of Mines in Reno, Nevada, and on to the University of Minnesota for his PhD. After overcoming the obstacles of being a foreign student in the United States, Trivedi became a US citizen and went on to join Pfizer’s Minerals Division. Noting Pfizer as a company that encourages innovation and growth through research, Trivedi achieved a 30-year career there, contributing to the evolution of the mining industry. Trivedi became an expert problem solver, a voice for the industrial Minerals community, and a driving force behind R&D at Pfizer. Trivedi’s devotion to the minerals industry also expands to his commitment to organizations like SME and AIME, where Trivedi highly values his service as SME president or as an active member of committees. SME fostered Trivedi’s career and has become the love of his life.