Good evening, everybody. My name is Phil, and I’m Ittai’s best man.
I’d like to thank the bride, the groom, and the Cotant and Svidler families for putting on such a lovely evening. To be up north, surrounded by good friends and celebrating the union of these two incredible people, is a blessing and an honor. Thank you.
I first met Ittai about a decade ago in Ann Arbor. I still remember the first time we hung out one-on-one. There was this jacked, 19-year-old Ittai sitting across from me, eating a Chipotle double chicken bowl and telling me how he was somehow simultaneously working at a private equity firm while also crushing our spring term coursework.
Toward the end of lunch, Ittai looked me directly in the eye and said, “We’re going to be friends.”
Walking home afterward, I remember thinking, “Wow. This guy is intense.”
Ten years of friendship, six years of living together across three cities, and a million hangouts later, I’m pleased to report that my first impression was exactly right.
Let me give you a few examples.
Back in Ann Arbor, Ittai and I studied together a lot. We’d both gotten into meditation, and Ittai proposed that we work it into our study habits. We’d study for 25 minutes, meditate for five, and repeat. We got a lot of very funny looks.
But our grades were excellent.
The same energy follows Ittai into the gym. Most people are perfectly happy using the 2.5-pound plates the gym provides to progress their lifts. Ittai owns his own 1.25-pound plates.
And he brings them to the gym with him.
Or consider the time Ittai became interested in redesigning his bedroom. Most of us would buy a lamp. Ittai taught himself the 3D modeling software Blender, built an exact replica of his bedroom, and installed light-diffusion models to simulate the natural light coming through his windows.
All of this enabled him, with an incredible degree of precision, to buy the perfect lamp.
I absolutely love this about Ittai. He is somebody who is constantly seeking to understand, to achieve mastery, and to expand his perspective on the world. Having him in my life has constantly encouraged me to reach higher, and my life is far better because of him.
And who better a match for him than Meghan, who, by the way, looks absolutely radiant tonight.
Meghan is somebody with a lot of go. Back in Chicago, she was the chief organizer, getting Ittai off the MacBook and out to the park, to friends’ houses, and to dinners.
I got to see that same energy last year playing Monopoly Deal with Meghan and her friends at Radegast. She was intensely competitive, completely locked in, and having an absolute blast.
She cares fiercely for her friends, loves to have fun, and works insanely hard.
What strikes me most about Meghan and Ittai’s relationship is their dedication to each other. They started dating during the second semester of senior year and almost immediately had to figure out long distance between Detroit and Chicago.
Then Ittai moved to Chicago. Later, he moved to New York, and they had to figure it out all over again.
There was always another visit being planned, another weekend being carved out, another adjustment being made. Across cities, jobs, and different phases of life, they kept finding a way to make the relationship work.
And over that time, I’ve gotten to know Meghan on my own terms too. Whether it’s a coffee walk in New York or getting destroyed in Monopoly Deal, she’s someone I genuinely enjoy spending time with. She’s sharp, competitive, social, and she brings a lot of energy into Ittai’s life.
That matters because Ittai has always been extremely deliberate about the things he cares about. He does not do much halfway. Whether it’s school, lifting, bedroom lighting, or the people in his life, he commits.
I learned that pretty early.
Ten years ago, after one lunch, he looked me in the eye and said, “We’re going to be friends.”
When Ittai decides someone matters to him, he means it.
And Meghan has matched that commitment every step of the way.
So please raise a glass to Meghan and Ittai. I’m very happy for both of you, and I can’t wait to see what you build together.
Cheers.