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Kanwal Rekhi’s Journey from $8 Immigrant to Silicon Valley Mentor
Kanwal Rekhi grew up in a very large refugee family with little money.
As a child, he helped his mother manage the family budget.
People thought he was weak and would not achieve much, but he worked hard and entered IIT Bombay.
In 1967, he moved to the United States with just $8.
He became an engineer and later helped start a technology company called Excelan.
Excelan became a public company, making Rekhi one of the first Indian-American technology founders to achieve that milestone.
He then helped create TiE, an organization that connects entrepreneurs with mentors and investors.
Rekhi also gives money and advice to students and startup founders, especially in India.
He continues mentoring entrepreneurs and supporting rural startups at the age of 81.
Kanwal Rekhi left India for Michigan in 1967 with only $8 in foreign currency.
After earning an IIT Bombay degree and moving to California, he co-founded Excelan in 1982.
Excelan went public on NASDAQ in 1987 before merging with Novell.
Rekhi helped establish TiE, a global network focused on fostering entrepreneurship and mentorship.
His philanthropy now includes KREST, a rural startup center aiming to support thousands of Indian entrepreneurs.
- Who
- Kanwal Rekhi, an Indian-born technology entrepreneur, investor and mentor.
- What
- He built a technology career in the United States, co-founded Excelan, helped establish TiE and supported entrepreneurs through investment and philanthropy.
- Where
- He was born in Sukho in Rawalpindi district, grew up in India, studied at IIT Bombay and built his career in California’s Silicon Valley.
- When
- He left India in 1967, co-founded Excelan in 1982, helped form TiE in the 1990s and remains active at age 81.
- Why
- After feeling underestimated and reaching a career ceiling as an engineer, he pursued entrepreneurship and later sought to provide other founders with the mentorship he had lacked.
Key facts
- Birth
- 29 August 1945
- Migration to United States
- 1967, with $8 in foreign currency
- Education
- Master’s degree and IIT Bombay undergraduate degree
- Company
- Co-founded Excelan in April 1982
- Public offering
- Excelan went public on NASDAQ in 1987
- TiE
- The organization was formally constituted globally in 2000
- KREST funding
- Rekhi gave ₹20 crore to establish the rural entrepreneurship center
Quotes
Kanwal Rekhi
Indian-American technology entrepreneur and mentor
“You get more than you pay. When you mentor a young entrepreneur, you think you’re giving to him. But you get more than you gave — because a person like me would very quickly start to go stale.”
financialexpress.com
“Silicon Valley had a very technical, meritocratic culture. It didn’t care whether you’re Indian, Chinese, or anybody else. Either you’re a competent engineer making stuff work, or you’re not.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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