He earned his medical degree in southern India and then completed his residency in New York and Fellowship in Connecticut before transferring to Wisconsin, where he became President of the Multi-Specialty Neillsville Clinic and Chief of Staff at Neillsville Hospital. Dr. Neel continued his medical practice at Northridge Medical Center, where he also served as Chief of Staff. He then worked with Georgia Baptist Hospital and Emory Midtown before affiliating with Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Recognizing the absence of an Indian-owned banking business in Georgia, Dr. Neel leveraged his financial administration and bank board experience to assemble initial investors for Quantum and has provided leadership for banking operations and small business investment since inception. In 2017, he sold his medical practice to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville and continued to serve as Founding Chairman at Quantum.

Dr. Neel has served on the Board of Directors for CIGNA Health Spring Insurance Company, the Athens Area Coalition of Physicians, the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Bankers Association of Georgia. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Executive Board and Community Coordinator under International Development for the Indian American International Chamber of Commerce (IAICC) as well as Chairman of the IAICC SE Region. He has been a member of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin since 1979 and has served as President of the Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

Dr. Neelagaru was appointed to the GSFC Board of Commissioners in May 2024. His term expires April 2029.