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Pfeffer on Power

Ep 11 – Vivas Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder, Mitra Chem

Jan 3, 2023
20:22

Learn more about Jeffrey Pfeffer and where you can buy or listen to his books:
https://JeffreyPfeffer.com/

Join Vivas Kumar, CEO, and Co-Founder of Mitra Chem, as we discuss why power and influence are essential topics for people doing their own startups. This episode packs an incredible set of actionable insights from a leader in the race to end climate change. Vivas explains how he used and will continue to use the concepts learned in my The Paths to Power class at Stanford GSB.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The motivation for Vivas’ family to move to the U.S. from Singapore 20 years ago

  • His realization that education goes well beyond just books

  • Why just putting your head down and working hard to be successful is not true

  • Who plays by a different set of rules, and the results gained

  • Acquiring power and influence to enact positive change in the world

  • Mitra Chem’s mission to solve climate change and how it got funded

  • What he learned from working for Elon Musk

  • Why IQ and EQ have certain limits while relationships have none

  • Transforming relationships into resources

  • The learned skills of speaking and acting with power and confidence

  • Joining Toastmasters to get out of his own way and a critical skill learned

  • Going beyond the fear of failure and failing with integrity

  • Vivas’ ability to create resources and activate his network

  • Marrying confidence with urgency to solve a global problem

  • How he built an identity associated with solving the problem of batteries

  • Why in-person meetings build credibility and gravitas

  • The ultimate two resources

  • What to do rather than ask someone for an investment


GUEST BIO

Vivas Kumar is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mitra Chem. He was previously at Tesla as a senior manager responsible for the global battery supply chain, and a Principal at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. He earned a BS in electrical engineering from Rice University, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivaswathkumar/


Produced by The www.MunnAvenuePress.com

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