Biography
Amir is an accomplished entrepreneur with expertise in business development, management, finance, digital technologies, telecom, and distribution. He has started three companies, raised over $5m from venture investors, and built networks impacting the lives of millions of people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He was born in Chicago and completed his Bachelor’s with Honors from the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan University. He worked in marketing and production at leading new media companies in New York City during the “.com boom” and spun-out a human-powered portal for the holistic health industry, webreathe.com. He then received his Master's in the Management of Technology from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
During the course of his study at MIT, Amir co-conceived and patented DakNet, a novel store-and-forward "drive-by" WiFi technology for rural connectivity. He worked with engineers at the MIT Media Lab to lead the development and deployment of WiFi networks in rural India, while managing business development for Media Lab Asia, an R&D lab started by MIT.
Based on this MIT research, Amir spun-out First Mile Solutions, which developed and implemented wireless Internet solutions for public and private organizations in developing countries. Amir led First Mile Solutions to profitability, managing product development and projects for NGOs, telcos, and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Development Program in countries such as Cambodia, Rwanda, and Paraguay.
Amir then founded United Villages, Inc., a VC-funded company that acquired First Mile Solutions and now operates rural India's first mobile phone supply chain, enabling thousands of retailers to procure and manage their inventory of products and services through UV's proprietary mobile platform. UV has been recognized as of one Top 20 Most Impactful Companies by Investors' Circle.
Amir has published several papers and has spoken at over 30 events internationally. He is the inventor of two issued and two pending patents and has been interviewed and cited by major media organizations including CNN, the BBC, the New York Times, and Le Monde. Amir was featured as one of the Top 25 [Entrepreneurs] Under 35 by Red Herring Magazine in 2006 and one of the Top Young Innovators (the "TR35") by MIT Technology Review in 2010. He has participated in several Aspen Institute and Aspen Institute India "roundtables" and was sponsored as a Fellow in the inaugural 2009-10 Aspen Institute First Movers program.
Amir recently sold a majority stake of United Villages to a strategic partner and is looking for the next challenge.
During the course of his study at MIT, Amir co-conceived and patented DakNet, a novel store-and-forward "drive-by" WiFi technology for rural connectivity. He worked with engineers at the MIT Media Lab to lead the development and deployment of WiFi networks in rural India, while managing business development for Media Lab Asia, an R&D lab started by MIT.
Based on this MIT research, Amir spun-out First Mile Solutions, which developed and implemented wireless Internet solutions for public and private organizations in developing countries. Amir led First Mile Solutions to profitability, managing product development and projects for NGOs, telcos, and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Development Program in countries such as Cambodia, Rwanda, and Paraguay.
Amir then founded United Villages, Inc., a VC-funded company that acquired First Mile Solutions and now operates rural India's first mobile phone supply chain, enabling thousands of retailers to procure and manage their inventory of products and services through UV's proprietary mobile platform. UV has been recognized as of one Top 20 Most Impactful Companies by Investors' Circle.
Amir has published several papers and has spoken at over 30 events internationally. He is the inventor of two issued and two pending patents and has been interviewed and cited by major media organizations including CNN, the BBC, the New York Times, and Le Monde. Amir was featured as one of the Top 25 [Entrepreneurs] Under 35 by Red Herring Magazine in 2006 and one of the Top Young Innovators (the "TR35") by MIT Technology Review in 2010. He has participated in several Aspen Institute and Aspen Institute India "roundtables" and was sponsored as a Fellow in the inaugural 2009-10 Aspen Institute First Movers program.
Amir recently sold a majority stake of United Villages to a strategic partner and is looking for the next challenge.