DASH DHAKSHINAMOORTHY

Dash is one of the earliest fire-starters in the startup ecosystem.

Dash’s involvement in the local and regional startup ecosystem began in the early 2000s.Over the years Dash has mentored, invested in, designed and organized many cool programs and events that has brought the startup ecosystem together and helped further ignite the entrepreneurial enthusiasm and energy in young Malaysians to want to become venture creators. Through some of his programs, Dash has played a pivotal role in helping Malaysian entrepreneurs connect to the global entrepreneurship community.

Dash founded StartupMalaysia.org in 2011 for the organization to play the role of catalyst and connector of the startup ecosystem. Dash’s interest was to seed startups. To get young people to think entrepreneurially to solve real problems. Many founders we see today can be said to be the product of Dash’s seeding activities.

Some of Dash’s notable programs and events are Silicon Valley Comes to Malaysia (SVC2M) and The Global Startup Youth (GSY) which he organized in 2011 and 2013respectively. Dash was one of the first Malaysian attendees of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2010 hosted by President Obama. He is also the recipient of the first IVLP Fellowship in Entrepreneurship by the US State Department.

An alumnus of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University and Heriot-Watt University, Dashnow spends his time mentoring and coaching early-stage entrepreneurs. He has just completed his stint as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a local private university. Dash is also Judge for MIT Review Innovator’s Under 35 and a Founding Board Member of Allied For Startups –A EU Based Policy Group for Startups.

Dash was a Director of a Silicon Valley based accelerator program, The Founder Institute and ran the Perth chapter for 2 years Dash now spends most of his time mentoring and coaching early-stage entrepreneurs and startups. He is also currently coaching changemakers and social entrepreneurs in 5 countries in the ASIA-PAC region.