Kirthiga Reddy is an Indian-American entrepreneur. She is president of Athena SPAC and co-founder and CEO of Virtualness.
Wiki/Biography
Kirthiga Reddy was born in 1971 in Nagpur, India. From 1988 to 1992, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Mahatma Gandhi Mission College of Engineering and Technology, South Branch, affiliated to Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Won second place in the class. After graduation, she moved to Nagpur with her parents and worked briefly with Yashavant Kanetkar, assisting him in writing programming examples for his books to demonstrate basic concepts. She then decided to pursue higher education in the United States, earning an MBA from Stanford University and a master’s degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University.
appearance
Height: 5’6
Hair color: black
Eye color: brown
family
Kirthiga belongs to a middle-class family.
Parents and siblings
Her father held a government position and worked for Lloyds Steel, while her mother was a homemaker. She has a sister.
husband and children
Kirthiga Reddy got engaged to Devanand Reddy four days after their first meeting and tied the knot a year later. The couple has two children named Ashna and Ariya.
Kirthiga and her husband Dewanand
Profession
Kirthiga Reddy has extensive work experience and has held positions in well-known companies such as Silicon Graphics and Motorola. At Silicon Valley Graphics, she was the youngest director of engineering and the only woman at that level on the team. In 2008, she returned to India and started her career with Phoenix Technologies in the United States.
business manager
In July 2010, Reddy joined Facebook and became its first employee in India. She played a key role in building and leading the India business from the ground up, even opening the office herself on day one. Under her guidance, Facebook India has achieved significant growth in its user base, significantly contributed to the company’s global business through successful ad sales, and established key partnerships with major companies such as Coca-Cola India and Yepme . However, Reddy decided to resign after India terminated the ‘Free Basics’ programme. On February 12, 2016, she revealed her plans to move back to the United States within six to twelve months in a Facebook post. She wrote:
When my family moved to India, we knew one day we would move back to the United States. It’s a bittersweet moment to share with everyone that the payoff timeline is coming over the next 6-12 months. Our two daughters will start high school and middle school next year – a natural transition point back. “
Kirthiga Reddy with Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of social media platform Facebook
Softbank
Kirthiga Reddy worked at Facebook for eight years and worked in India and the United States before joining SoftBank Investment Advisors. In her new role as a partner at the $100 billion Vision Fund, she focuses on cutting-edge and enterprise technologies on a global scale. The Vision Fund manages the world’s largest technology investment pool and has made massive commitments, investing more than $65 billion in companies including Uber Technologies Inc., WeWork Cos. and China’s Didi Chuxing. According to statistics from the American Venture Capital Association, in 2016, the total investment in the entire U.S. venture capital industry was US$75.3 billion.
Other companies
Kirthiga Reddy is actively involved in several impactful initiatives besides being a CEO and founder of various ventures. She co-founded Laddrr, a social impact project dedicated to supporting the careers of millions of mothers. In addition, she is a founding investment partner of F7 Seed Fund. In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Kirthiga is a prominent board member of several businesses, including WeWork, Fungible (acquired by Microsoft), Collective Health, Pear Therapeutics, and Alcatraz Communications within the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Additionally, she serves on prestigious boards such as the Stanford Graduate School of Business Governing Council, Stanford University Dean’s Leadership Council, Syracuse University School of Engineering, and Teach for India America Advisory Board.
Honors and Achievements
- In 2011, she was named one of India’s 50 most powerful women by Fortune magazine.
- She was named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company.
- She has also been named one of the 25 most influential women in India.
- Kisiga also received recognition as a Lifetime Assistant from Stanford University and is considered the university’s most dedicated volunteer.
Facts/Trivia
- Kirthiga is SoftBank’s first female investment partner.
- In 2021, Kirthiga announced her first book draft, titled Engines of Opportunity. This is a semi-autobiographical book about her journey on Facebook, her thoughts on building a sustainable business, and her current adventures as an investor.
Book cover draft for Engines of Opportunity
- Before Kirthiga Reddy was born, her family thought she would be a boy and decided to name her ‘Karthik’ in honor of Lord Karthikgayen, the deity revered in their family. However, after she was born, they decided to name her Kirthiga.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education