Determined Yet Flexible – Vinit Nijhawan

In this podcast episode, Naji Gehchan interviews Vinit Nijhawan, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, exploring his journey and insights into building successful startups and leading high-performing teams. Vinit shares his simple yet impactful journey from founding and scaling startups in tech to transitioning into a role where he mentors and invests in other entrepreneurs. He emphasizes the importance of a strong team, good technology, and timing in the success of startups. Vinit also highlights the qualities he looks for in a founding team, including coachability and a balance of determination and flexibility. The conversation delves into the nuances of building teams, navigating cultural differences, and fostering trust within organizations. Vinit stresses the significance of trust, generosity, and genuine care in leadership, advocating for an entrepreneurial mindset that constantly questions the status quo and seeks innovative solutions.

"Leadership is about genuine care and generosity; it's the ultimate empathy in action"

MEET OUR GUEST Vinit Nijhawan Investor, Entrepreneur, and Academic.

Vinit Nijhawan is a strategic visionary who has conceived and built several technology organizations that have been acquired by companies such as Boeing, Motorola and Qualcomm. He is an admired leader and mentor who has built or inherited and then effectively managed several high-performance teams. He has worked in many industries: computing, aerospace, logistics, supply chain, manufacturing, telecommunications, medical devices, biopharma, synthetic biology, advanced materials, etc. Vinit is an empathetic and collaborative team member and stays connected with all his past supervisors, mentors and many of his former employees and students.

In 2008, Vinit intentionally pivoted his career from technology entrepreneur and CEO, to helping other entrepreneurs with a special focus on academia. He began teaching Entrepreneurship at Boston University and subsequently led the Office of Technology Development from 2010-2016 (he published a peer reviewed paper on that experience: Maximize Collisions, Minimize Friction). In this role, Vinit participated in several BU committees and organizations, such as the BUildLab, Faculty Innovation Network, Conflict of Interest Committee, Coulter Translational Program, Fraunhofer Grants, CTSI and on the board of the National Academy of Inventors. Additionally, he has represented BU on several boards and business plan/grant review panels.

Subsequently, Vinit took the OTD experience and launched a national academic IP monetization program with 40 institutions engaged, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. He launched Waterloo Alumni Angels at his alma mater. Most recently, Vinit is the Managing Director of MassVentures.

Steeped in respect for diversity and with a deep passion for exploration and adventure, Vinit is strong in his commitment to family, friends and colleagues.