Northeastern University has appointed Indian-American venture capitalist, Hemant Taneja, to its board of trustees. The CEO of Global Catalyst, is expected to leverage his extensive expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and venture capital in the new role.
Taneja, whose wife Jessica is a Northeastern alumna, praised the university’s co-op program and its global university system for preparing students for success in an AI-driven world. He emphasized the need to rethink educational paradigms to equip future generations for societal roles dominated by AI.
“In this world where artificial intelligence is going to be playing a huge role in society, we need to rethink how we train our next generation to thrive in that society as well,” Taneja, who is known for supporting founders with transformative, society-changing visions said.
“Hemant leads one of the country’s most important venture capital funds and is a thought leader in today’s innovation economy,” Richard D’Amore, chair of the Board of Trustees said noting that his leadership along with his deep understanding of AI and innovation, will greatly benefit Northeastern’s mission.
Northeastern president Joseph E. Aoun highlighted Taneja’s contributions, stating, “Hemant is one of the most forward-thinking innovators in Silicon Valley. As Northeastern continues to play a leadership role in the world of artificial intelligence, his visionary thinking and deep understanding of AI will be invaluable to the board and to the university.”
Taneja, an early investor in companies like Stripe, Snap, and Grammarly, also co-founded Responsible Innovation Labs, a nonprofit aimed at promoting technology as a positive force globally. He serves on the Stanford School of Medicine board of fellows and has worked on climate and energy issues as the co-founder and chairman of Advanced Energy Economy. He is also a founding board member of Khan Lab School, an innovative K-12 school.
His educational qualification includes Bachelor of Arts/Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Master of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Master of Science in Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login