Nikhil Basu Trivedi
Student at Princeton University (A.B., Molecular Biology). Founder & President of PostcardTech. British-Indian now living in Silicon Valley.
| Headline: | Entrepreneur |
| Work status: | Full-Time Student |
| Website: | http://www.PostcardTech.com |
| Skills: | Business, C/C++, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Java, Languages, Languages and Platforms, Leadership, Marketing, Sales |
| Next step: | Also Working on a new college web startup as Founder & CEO - more soon! |
| Location: | Atherton, CA/Princeton, NJ |
| Interested in: | Brainstorming, Finding business partners, Finding cofounders, Finding team mates, Meeting new people, Professional opportunities, Promoting my startups, Recruiting for my startup |
| Schools: | Princeton University |
FULL BIO
From the PostcardTech website:
Nikhil Basu Trivedi was born in Oxford, United Kingdom, but moved to California at the age of 12. A finalist in a prominent Business Plan Competition at the age of 15, and having grown up in Silicon Valley, he has been thinking about entrepreneurship and business for the best part of his life. Nikhil graduated with Highest Honors from Menlo School in Atherton, CA, and currently attends Princeton University, where he plans to pursue an A.B. degree in Molecular Biology with Certificates in Finance and Engineering and Management Systems. Nikhil is deeply passionate about two activities in particular: cricket and billiards.
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | Plug and Play Tech Center, Palo Alto & Sunnyvale, CA |
| Position: | Internship |
| Time period: | May 2008 - Present |
| Description: | Helping to develop Plug and Play Tech Center’s university relationships, especially with Princeton University. Analyzing technology startups in fields such as Social Networking, Mobile, Advertising and Digital media. Also attending entrepreneurship events, such as Web 2.0 conferences, and funding pitches from startups looking for angel or VC investment. Plug and Play is one of the leading startup incubators in the world, housing over 150 startups, and investing in many of the startups through the center’s access to $500 million in venture funding. |
| Employer: | PostcardTech LLC, Princeton, NJ |
| Position: | Co-Founder and President |
| Time period: | January 2008 - Present |
| Description: | Making sales pitches and presentations, and negotiating deals around the United States for PostcardTech, a company that I helped to co-found with Princeton classmate Seth Priebatsch. Being a Co-Founder, I am also generally involved in the major decisions of the company, including our strategic planning and business development. PostcardTech’s goal is to bring creative marketing to complex messages through our innovative CD Postcard product. Customers include Covington Associates, Boston City Hall, and Google. |
| Employer: | Firelake Capital Management, Palo Alto, CA |
| Position: | Internship |
| Time period: | June 2007 - September 2007 |
| Description: | Made supply/demand models of segments of the supply chain in the solar energy industry to predict future levels of solar energy use in the U.S. Learned tools of portfolio management and investing, and attended IPO, financing and other presentations. Firelake Capital Management possesses a hybrid private/public portfolio (VC/Hedge fund), and invests primarily in alternative energy startups and public companies. |
| Employer: | Feedback Ventures, New Delhi, India |
| Position: | Internship |
| Time period: | July 2006 - August 2006 |
| Description: | Worked in a 3-man team (others were a current Wharton undergrad and a Yale grad student) writing a manual to describe Feedback’s strategy for facilitating Public-Private Partnerships through their latest India Infrastructure Initiative. I specifically wrote sections on Integrity and Quality Management, and the actual III Process for which I made diagrams that are already being used by the CEO and Vice-Chairman in presentations. Daily meetings with all senior executives. Feedback Ventures is India’s leading infrastructure services company. |
| Employer: | System Biosciences (SBI), Mountain View, CA |
| Position: | Internship |
| Time period: | June 2006 - July 2006 |
| Description: | Worked in the lab doing a lot of micro-pipetting, gel electrophoresis, PCR, transformations, transductions, transfections, many dilutions, and manufacturing such things as master mix for PCR from basic components. Learned about new advances in molecular biology such as genome-wide functional screening using RNAi and siRNA, benefits of miRNA, shRNA, cDNA cloning vectors, constructs, and many others. Worked in sales, marketing, and product management. SBI is a biotech company developing functional genomics technologies. |
EDUCATION
| University: | Princeton University |
| Time period: | 2007 - 2011 |
| Degree: | Molecular Biology with Certificates in Computer Science, Finance, BA |
INFORMATION
| Sports: | President of Princeton Billiards Club, Cricket at Stanford Cricket Club, Menlo School Junior Varsity Tennis (2 years). |
| Hobbies: | Princeton South Asian Theatrics, Official Chorus Announcer and Member of Knights & Knightingales, Menlo Select Mixed Chorus (12th). Piano for 6 years -until 10th grade. |
| Clubs: | Princeton Entrepreneurship Club, Princeton South Asian Students Association (Member of the Board), Orange Key Tour Guide at Princeton, Menlo School Math and Computer Science Team (Vice President), Menlo School Quiz Team, Menlo School Multicultural Awareness Club. |
| Memberships: | • Elected leadership positions: Princeton University – Co-Chair, Butler College Council (2008). Menlo School Student Government – Class President (9th), Class Senator (10th), Student Council Clubs Coordinator (11th), Student Body Vice-President (12th).
• Appointed leadership positions: Chair of Student Advisory Board, 2006-07. Monthly meetings with the Head of School to discuss the state of the school and how to improve it. Member of Teacher Interview Committee, 2005-07. An integral part of the process for interviewing and hiring teachers at Menlo School. |
| Awards: | • Henry P. Welton Award, 2007. Awarded annually to the one girl and one boy in the senior class who have had exceptional academic records, have made major contributions to the school and community, and above all else have exhibited strength of character in their years at Menlo. Regarded as the highest honor and most prestigious award at Menlo School.
• National AP Scholar, 2007. Granted to students in the United States who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. • Highest Honors (GPA>3.90), Menlo School, 2003-2007. • Menlo School Senior Academic Honor Society Award, 2007. • Menlo School Student Council Award, 2007. • National Merit Scholarship Finalist, 2007. • AP Scholar with Distinction, 2006. Granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. • Menlo School Muse Award: The Communicator, 2006. This Muse inspires the Menlo community with his enthusiasm for classroom discussion. Our community is greatly enhanced by this student's ability to speak articulately, listen well and respond respectfully to the subject at hand as well as to other voices in conversation. • Venture Capital ~ Angel Roundtable Student Business Plan Competition (sponsored by Microsoft) Finalist, 2005. Advanced to finalist round for Social Entrepreneurship in India/China business plan. • Menlo School Upper School History Award, 2004. Outstanding History student of the year. • Scores of over 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 in all 4 years of high school, gaining automatic qualification for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (top 2% of the country) 4 years in a row. • Coaches Award, Junior Varsity Tennis, 2005. |
