Shri Thanedar was an Indian-American entrepreneur, scientist and politician who transcended his humble beginnings to achieve extraordinary things. He is a three-time winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year award and made history as the first person of Indian descent to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which includes the city of Detroit, Grosse Pointe and Downriver.
Wiki/Biography
Shri Thanedar was born on Tuesday, February 22, 1955 (age 68; as of 2023) in Chikkodi, Bombay State, India (now in Belagavi District, Karnataka State). His zodiac sign is Pisces. He attended Chintamanrao High School, Shahapur, Belagavi, Karnataka, and then obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Govindarama Seksaria Science College, Belagavi, Karnataka in 1973. He received his MSc in Chemistry from Bombay University in 1977. He immigrated to the United States in 1979 and received his PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Akron, Ohio, in 1982. He subsequently completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan in 1982-84 and received his MBA from Fontbonne University in Clayton, MO, in 1987.
Shri received his bachelor’s degree from GSS College here
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′7″
Weight (approximately): 60kg
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Shri Thanedar was born into a lower-middle-class Brahmin family in Karnataka, India.
Parents and siblings
His father worked as a court clerk and his mother, Sulochana, was a housewife. Thanedar has five siblings, four of whom are named Rajni, Veda, Veena and Vandana, and a brother named Ravi. He has two stepsisters.
Shri’s father stands in front of Belagavi’s house
Shri’s mother, Sulochana
wife and children
Shri married Shamal, a neurologist, in May 1984. Shamal suffered from severe depression and tragically committed suicide in 1996. They have two sons, Neil and Samir. Shri married Shashi on August 7, 1999; Shashi is a housewife.
Shri Thanedar with his wife Shashi and sons Neil and Samir
interpersonal relationships
Shri Thanedar is in a relationship with Merlyn, whom he met while pursuing his PhD in the United States. He then dated 2-3 girls, including one of his students named Virginia.
religion
Shri Thanedar was a follower of Christianity.
caste
His caste was Desshasta Brahmin.
address
Shri Thanedar resides with his family at 19460 Lowell DR, Detroit, Michigan 40203, USA. After becoming the United States Congressman for Michigan’s 13th District, he moved to Washington, DC.
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Profession
entrepreneur
Shri took his first job in the United States in 1984 as a polymer synthesis chemist and project leader at Petrolite Corp. in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1990, Shri joined Chemir Polytech Laboratories to learn business. In 1991, he took out a loan to buy Chemir for $75,000 and increased sales severalfold in the first year when the company had just three employees. Chemir Analytical Services specializes in chemical and materials analysis. It provides troubleshooting resources for companies experiencing product failures and technical difficulties.
Shri Thanedar in his Chemir laboratory
By 2005, the company had 160 employees and revenue rose to $16 million; Chemir was included on the FAST-50 list of fastest growing companies from 1998 to 2005.
Shri Thanedar celebrates this achievement with family
To create an empire, Shri borrowed $24 million from Bank of America, acquired seven entities, and mortgaged everything he owned at the time. One of the seven companies is Azopharma, which does early-stage development for pharmaceutical companies. In 2003, Azopharma’s revenue at the time of acquisition was US$2.2 million, and by 2008 Shri had increased it to US$50 million. In 2008, the business was put up for sale, with 21 offers ranging from $90 million to $132 million.
Shri Thanedar works at Azopharma Laboratories AniClin
In 2008, a financial crisis hit the United States in the form of the Great Recession, and Azopharma lost 70% of its revenue and eventually declared bankruptcy. Bank of America sold Azopharma for $2 million to recoup the loan amount. Talking about this issue in an interview, Shri said:
I worked 18 hours a day and kept telling the bank to give me time and we would get enough money for all of us. “
After a short break, Shri founded Avomeen Analytical Services in 2010 in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Avomeen is a full-service chemical testing laboratory specializing in deformation, emergency testing services, investigative analysis, product innovation, and expert witnesses testimony.
Shri works at Avomeen Laboratory
In 2015 and 2016, Avomeen was included in the INC 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies. In December 2016, Shri sold approximately 60% of Avomeen’s shares to Chicago-based private equity firm High Street Capital, and then distributed approximately $1.5 million to his 50 employees as Christmas bonuses in the form of rewards for the company’s profits.
Avomeen employees are elated after receiving bonus
politician
In 2018, Shri retired as a businessman and scientist to pursue a career in public service. He filed as the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s gubernatorial election. Despite spending $10 million on his campaign, Shri lost to Gretchen Whitmer and placed third. Although he had gained a reputation among the people of Michigan, now they knew him and his “rags to riches” story.
Shri Thanedar runs for governor
In 2019, Shri Thanedar filed his candidacy for State Representative for Michigan’s 3rd District. He won the Michigan House of Representatives District 3 election with 93% of the vote, defeating his opponents Anita Vinson and Stephen Boyle. He served on the Appropriations Committee and helped raise millions of dollars for his district in Detroit.
Shri Thanedar contests state election
Shri Thanedar and his wife cast their votes in the 2020 state elections
In 2022, Shri Thanedar gave up his Michigan House District 3 seat to run for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. About 70 percent of the people voted for Shri, who won the election over state Sen. Adam Hollier.
Shri Thanedar took oath on January 15, 2023
He takes office on January 3, 2023 and will serve the people of Michigan for two years. He is a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Small Business Committee.
Shri Thanedar Appears before Small Business Committee First Hearing
author
Shri Thanedar wrote his autobiography in Marathi and English. In 2004, he published Hi Shri Chi Ichha and in 2008, The Blue Suitcase: Tragedy and Triumph in Immigrant Life.
Hi Shri Chi Ichha Author: Shri Thanedar
Shri Thanedar’s blue suitcase
dispute
commercial fraud
A buyer of Avomeen Holdings LLC filed a lawsuit against Thanedar in November 2017 in U.S. District Court in Detroit. The buyers claim Thanedar made false and misleading statements about the company’s financial condition when it sold its majority stake in November 2016. Thanedar refuted the claims and said the company’s revenue is expected to exceed that of the previous period.
Abandoned animals in the laboratory
In April 2010, after Azopharma went bankrupt, they abandoned many animals, including macaques and beagles, at AniClin, one of Azopharma’s research facilities. When animal rights activists became aware of the problem, Tanidar became the focus of criticism. Although Shri denied the accusation of abandoning the animals, he said,
The lab was controlled by Bank of America, which seized it when I declared bankruptcy. I don’t know how well banks take care of their animals. We comply with all necessary rules and regulations of the USDA and other government agencies. No animals were harmed or subjected to any harmful conditions. We did not perform any electrical experiments while operating the laboratory. “
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- 2023 – Rising Star of the Year at the 12th Congressional Global Community Oscars
Shashi Thanedar wins Rising Star of the Year award
- 2017 – CORP Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
- 2016 – Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young, Michigan Region
- 2016 and 2015 – Avomeen Analytical Services Inc. 5000 Company List
- 2007 – Ernst & Young Missouri Business District Entrepreneur of the Year Award
- 1981- University of Akron Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
car collection
Shri Thanedar owns a Ferrari.
salary
As of 2023, Shri’s annual salary as the Democratic Representative for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District in the United States is $1,74,000.
net worth
According to his financial disclosure, his net worth in 2017 was $17,636,184.
Favorites
- Role Models: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.
Facts/Trivia
- His full name is Dr. Shrinivas Thanedar.
- Shri’s mother nicknamed him “Prasad”, which means a gift to God, because he was born many years after his parents got married.
- Shri’s mother Sulochana was only 17 when she married her father, a widower who was 14 years older than her.
- Shri’s family lived their entire lives in extreme poverty. His mother often traveled long distances to get water in jars.
Shri’s mother Sulochana brought water
- Shri was 14 years old when his father retired at the age of 55. To make ends meet, Shri did many odd jobs, including working as a janitor in a school. He uses the money he earns to buy extra food from the store. Talking about this issue in an interview, he said,
I belong to the Brahmin caste and menial jobs are considered inferior, so I did not tell my family that I was doing cleaning work. My father always thought I was a good bargainer. “
- While pursuing his PhD, Shri Thanedar purchased his first car, a sky blue Chevrolet Impala, from a Chinese student. Although he couldn’t drive yet.
- While studying for his PhD in the United States, Shri served as a teaching assistant with a monthly salary of US$300. He regularly sends $75 of his earnings to his family in India.
- During the summer, when the university was on vacation, Shri was not paid and due to immigration regulations he could not work off campus, so he took a job as a temporary waiter and served whenever there were banquets and receptions on campus. The canteen was rented by a group of people.
- After running out of money in the United States and unable to pay his rent and electricity bills, he slept in his Chevrolet Impala.
- After completing his Masters, Shri Thanedar worked briefly as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai.
- Shri Thanedar is a passionate advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants. He prioritizes quality education, mental health, the environment and gun safety. As a representative for Michigan’s 3rd District, he helped pass the largest per-pupil funding increase for public schools in Michigan’s history.
- He has two grandchildren, Ajie and Kai.
- On June 22, 2023, Thanidar accompanied Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session of the US Congress.
- Shri Thanedar loved to cook. He often cooks for his family in his free time.
Shri Thanedar during family barbecue
- His hobbies are gardening and playing chess.
Shri Thanedar was playing chess with a child in school.
- Shri follows a non-vegetarian diet and drinks alcohol occasionally.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education