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{{short description|Indian-American businessperson (born 1945)}}
{{COI|date=May 2016}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Kanwal Rekhi
|image = Kanwal Rekhi.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Rekhi in Bangalore on 23 September 2013.
|birth_date = {{Birth year and age |1945}}<ref name="dob">{{cite web |url=http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/kanwal-rekhi.html |title=Kanwal Rekhi on I Love India | accessdate=22 January 2014}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Rawalpindi]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br><small>(now in [[Punjab, Pakistan]], [[Pakistan]])</small>
|alma_mater =
|years_active = 1982–present
|occupation = Managing director at Inventus Capital Partners
|known_for = Co-Founder of [[Excelan]], Co-Founder of TiE, [[Venture capital]]ist, EVP of [[Novell]]
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|awards = Arthur-Young/Venture Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, 1987<br />Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service by [[California Institute of Integral Studies]]
|website = {{URL|inventuscap.com/team/kanwal-rekhi/|inventuscap.com/team/kanwal-rekhi/}}
}}

'''Kanwal Singh Rekhi''' (born August 29, 1945) ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] : ਕੰਵਲ ਰੇਖੀ) is an [[Indian-American]] businessperson. He is credited as the first Indian-American Founder and CEO to take a venture-backed company public on the [[NASDAQ]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-21/ahmedabad/42271919_1_indian-entrepreneurs-kanwal-rekhi-inventus |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202140853/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-21/ahmedabad/42271919_1_indian-entrepreneurs-kanwal-rekhi-inventus |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 February 2014 |title=Entrepreneurship is tapasya |first=Runa Mukherjee |last=Parikh |date=21 September 2013 |website=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=22 January 2014}}</ref>

==Career==

===Entrepreneur & Industry Executive===

Rekhi had worked as an engineer, systems analyst, and manager before venturing into entrepreneurship. At the age of 36, he moved to [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], California and co-founded [[Excelan]] in 1982, a manufacturer of smart [[Ethernet]], and was named president and CEO in 1985. The company went public on the [[NASDAQ]] in 1987, and merged with [[Novell]] in 1989. Kanwal remained at Novell as an executive vice-president and the chief technology officer of the company, later joining the board of directors. Kanwal retired from Novell in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/1995/09/pr00212.html |title=Novell Announces Departure of Kanwal Rekhi from Board of Directors |date=1 September 1995 |website=Novell |accessdate=22 January 2014}}</ref> After leaving Novell, Kanwal also served as the CEO at CyberMedia{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} from January 1998 until its merger with Network Associates (now [[McAfee]]) in September 1998.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

===Venture Investor===

In 1994, Kanwal became a full-time [[Angel investor]], investing in more than 50 startups of which he led the initial financing and was a member of the board of directors for 23 companies. His venture financings have resulted in 21 exits including 6 IPOs to date. Also active in Indian [[Public policy]] related to venture, Kanwal advised India government policy makers in reforming venture regulations. This encouraged fund formation in India, and Kanwal was the founding limited partner behind Infinity Capital-India a successful early-stage India venture fund.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inventuscap.com/team/kanwal-rekhi/ |title=Kanwal Rekhi |website=Inventus Capital Partners |accessdate=22 January 2014}}</ref>

In 2007, Kanwal co-founded Inventus Capital Partners, and currently serves as managing director. During his time at Inventus, Kanwal has invested in companies including GENWI, Salorix, Poshmark, and [[Sierra Atlantic]] (acquired by [[Hitachi Consulting]]).{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

===India Entrepreneurial Leader===

In 1995, Kanwal Rekhi co-founded TiE, [[The Indus Entrepreneurs]], a nonprofit support network to provide advice, contacts, and funding to Indian Americans hoping to start businesses. Apart from the services to the company, he also acted as an expert in advising the [[Prime Minister of India]] and his government for laying the foundation for the country's Information technology expansion. Kanwal has served as a trustee on the global board of TiE. He is also a former chairman of the [[Centre for Civil Society]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccsindia.org/pro_k_rekhi.asp |title=Bio details at Centre for Civil Society |website=Centre for Civil Society |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009082606/http://www.ccsindia.org/pro_k_rekhi.asp |archivedate=9 October 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Philanthropy==

Kanwal has contributed in increasing the profile of educational institutions in India and US. He contributed $5 million to [[Michigan Tech]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/breaking/2000/rekhi.html |title=Rekhis Give $5M To Michigan tech |website=Michigan Tech |date=20 June 2000 |accessdate=22 January 2014}}</ref> To help set up a new school of Information Technology, Kanwal Rekhi donated $3 million to [[IIT Bombay]] which named one of its schools after him as "Kanwal Rekhi School of Information Technology (KReSIT)"(which was merged in 2006 with the department of computer science and engineering).<ref>{{cite book|title=Chair Professors at IIT Bombay|date=2010|publisher=Indian Institute of Technology|location=Bombay|pages=4, 45}}</ref>

==Awards and Accolades==

Kanwal was felicitated with 2010 Haridas and was also conferred Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service by California Institute of Integral Studies. He was also awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year in 1987 by the Arthur-Young/Venture magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-01-07/news/27537281_1_ensim-kanwal-rekhi-serial-entrepreneur |title=Rekhi dons CEO hat in Net automation firm |website=The Economic Times |date=7 January 2003 |accessdate=22 January 2014 |author=Pragati Verma}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/ Kanwal Rekhi School of Information Technology, IIT-B]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rekhi, Kanwal}}
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:American communications businesspeople]]
[[Category:American businesspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American people of Punjabi descent]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Indian venture capitalists]]
[[Category:Novell people]]

Kanwal Rekhi - Revision history

imported>PearBOT II at 16:48, 16 April 2021