Rafiq Ahmed

Rafiq Ahmed Email and Phone Number

Product Innovator, Founder, VC @Dipalo Ventures @ Dipalo Ventures
Rafiq Ahmed's Location
Greater Chicago Area, United States, United States
Rafiq Ahmed's Contact Details
About Rafiq Ahmed

Venture Capital firm Founder, Angel Investor, Entrepreneur and Product Manager. At Dipalo Ventures, we make early stage investments in hard tech. Increasingly focused on climate solutions that reduce emissions across the entire human footprint. Passionate about climate tech, innovation, user experience design and launching new businesses. I like to build products and services that are first to market and have done it in Hard Tech, Ed Tech, Healthcare, Publishing, Consumer Electronics, Financial Services and Government.Mobile products expertise including design of Motorola Mobility's first apps UX framework and co-founding Demibooks, the first platform for developing interactive book apps on the iPad. Demibooks was acquired by Education Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) in 2015.

Rafiq Ahmed's Current Company Details
Dipalo Ventures

Dipalo Ventures

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Product Innovator, Founder, VC @Dipalo Ventures
Rafiq Ahmed Work Experience Details
  • Dipalo Ventures
    Managing Director
    Dipalo Ventures 2016 - Present
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    Early stage VC investments in hard tech de-risked via design and engineering-based technical diligence Residency program. Focus areas include climate, industrial, manufacturing and medical devices. Dipalo Ventures Fund I portfolio includes Jiobit (exit to Life360), NuCurrent, Azumo, Amulet, MITO Materials, Immersed, Car Scanner, Ascent Integrated Tech, Novascan, GRIND Interactive, Flora, WasteWizer and Throne Labs.Selective prior angel investments in the US Midwest and Bangladesh include Factor (exited to HelloFresh 2020), Avail (exited to Realtor.com 2020), Kin Insurance (unicorn, 2023), Rivia Health, Quicklly, SeaMachines, Hyperloop One, Zantrik, Kludio, Truss (exited to Avison Young 2020), BallotReady, Draftbit and Jiobit (exit to Life360 2021). Launched ServiceChai to provide customer care and business services in Bangladesh. Startup advisory services for CareBand (first wearable LoRa device for the elderly), Embodied Labs (virtual reality enabled healthcare training), XYSTUS FitEverywhere (travel gym and mobile apps) and Nephron Bangladesh (kidney dialysis centers).Limited Partner, early stage tech VC Funds.
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  • Nextgen Venture Partners
    Venture Partner
    Nextgen Venture Partners Jun 2016 - Present
    San Francisco, California, Us
    Source and evaluate startups for national venture investment firm.
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  • Techstars Chicago
    Mentor
    Techstars Chicago 2018 - Present
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  • Bangladesh Angels
    Member
    Bangladesh Angels 2019 - Present
    Dhaka, Dhaka, Bd
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  • Gener8Tor
    Mentor
    Gener8Tor 2017 - Present
    Madison, Wi, Us
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  • Nameless Ventures
    Co-Founder
    Nameless Ventures Jan 2017 - Jan 2018
    Chicago, Us
    Co-founded early stage angel investment firm focused on Chicago and Midwest-based technology startups. Investments in Seed and Series A rounds with other angel investors and early stage funds. Industry focus in FinTech, Real Estate Tech, Healthcare Services, B2B SaaS, Education and Hardware/IoT with recurring revenue. Led operations, community outreach, deal flow, underwriting and investments in Jiobit, Avail, Kin and Factor75.
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  • Demibooks
    Co-Founder, Ceo
    Demibooks Aug 2010 - Dec 2015
    Tulsa, Ok, Us
    Led startup from inception through funding, launch, product development, customer acquisition, growth and exit to Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ:EDUC) in 2015. Demibooks fosters creativity, critical thinking and learning through interactive storytelling. Products include Demibooks® Composer, an iPad-based story app development platform; Demibooks Storytime, a marketplace for apps by children’s publishers; and Demibooks Share, a marketplace for interactive presentations, games and lessons from students and educators.• Assembled a multinational team with mobile, tablet, games and user experience expertise. Built a global creative community of artists, illustrators, authors, students and educators. Platform technologies included iOS, Objective C, AWS, Ruby on Rails, with HTML5 for custom development.• Executive Producer and Experience Designer on 25+ interactive book apps for Demibooks, McGraw-Hill Education, Kane Miller Books, Chafie Press and Pixelpanthers.• Partnerships with Hard Rock Hotels, Britannica School, Pixuru, EDC and over 350 independent publishers.Launched Pixelpanthers, a studio for interactive children's apps on the Composer platform. Frequent speaker on digital publishing topics at conferences such as O'Reilly Tools of Change, Storyworld, Book Expo America, Digital Book World, Media Apps Summit and TechWeek.
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  • Motorola
    Sr. Product Manager, Motoblur Multimedia Services
    Motorola 2009 - 2010
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    Delivered next generation social media services on the MOTOBLUR Android platform. Led carrier sell-in requirements (Telefonica, T-Mobile, AT&T) and managed multiple industry partners.
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  • Motorola
    Principal, Consumer Experience Design
    Motorola 2005 - 2009
    Chicago, Illinois, Us
    Worked across company and with ecosystem partners to bring new concepts/designs to life in product and service portfolio. Delivered compelling consumer experiences for applications and services across multiple mobile platforms (Android, LinuxJava, Symbian/UIQ, P2K and ODM).• Led research, concept and reference designs for US patent-published socially connected phonebook featured on the MOTOBLUR service on Motorola's first Android devices CLIQ/DEXT, CLIQ XT, Devour and Backflip.• Led cross-functional teams in designing emerging market opportunities such as Motorola's first mobile application (“widgets”) framework and ecosystem.• Managed Platform UI team, delivered designs, User Interface guidelines and product User Guides for new Motorola LinuxJava User Interface (UI). Launched mobile handsets such as A1200, ROKR E2 and ZN5.
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  • Dipalo Consulting
    Principal
    Dipalo Consulting 2000 - 2005
    Mobile/web product design, development and management services for corporate and startup clients. We take ideas to market by applying lean startup and agile methods with a laser focus on user experience. Clients included Tangible Software, Nokia, Yahoo, Verizon Communications, mobile apps and content startup EssTec, collaboration platform Collatus and insurance tech firm FirstSalvage.
  • Publicis Sapient
    Senior Manager
    Publicis Sapient 1998 - 2000
    Boston, Massachusetts, Us
    Helped Fortune 500 clients transition their businesses online for the first time. Managed large-scale integrated web strategy and implementation projects for premier financial services clients in insurance, brokerage and investment management. Piloted integrated multidisciplinary “One Team” methodology across creative and technical consulting disciplines. Responsible for client relationship management, Agile software development, overall scope, integration of business and technical solutions, fixed price/fixed time delivery and program office.Key projects: online claims and loss reporting system for Allstate; online strategy and development of Advisory services portal for Morningstar; online brokerage for American Century; and business strategy for Classified Ventures.
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  • Beggsheidt
    Senior Software Engineering Consultant
    Beggsheidt 1997 - 1998
    User Interface and Application Development Consultant. Led the design and development of a multidimensional data warehouse for Financial Accounting and HR data domains at the University of Chicago.
  • Fannie Mae
    Business Services Consultant
    Fannie Mae 1996 - 1997
    Washington, District Of Columbia, Us
    Assessed operational risk and production readiness controls for mortgage finance portfolio risk and loan acquisition analysis systems.
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  • Pricewaterhousecoopers
    Senior Associate
    Pricewaterhousecoopers 1992 - 1996
    Gb
    At the Management Consulting division of Coopers & Lybrand (later PriceWaterhouse Coopers and IBM Global Services), delivered technology controls, process re-engineering and customer care solutions. Received 1996 National Performance Review Hammer Award for improving customer care at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
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Rafiq Ahmed Skills

Mobile Devices Mobile Applications Product Management Start Ups Strategy User Experience Entrepreneurship Product Development Cross Functional Team Leadership Software Development Agile Methodologies Strategic Partnerships Integration Telecommunications Management Consulting User Interface User Centered Design Crm Integrated Marketing Digital Publishing Online Publishing Customer Relationship Management User Interface Design Angel Investing Venture Capital

Rafiq Ahmed Education Details

  • Virginia Tech
    Virginia Tech
    Mba
  • Virginia Tech
    Virginia Tech
    Information Systems
  • West Virginia Wesleyan College
    West Virginia Wesleyan College
    Electrical Engineering
  • Dhaka College
    Dhaka College
    Science
  • St. Francis Xaviers Greenherald
    St. Francis Xaviers Greenherald
    Science

Frequently Asked Questions about Rafiq Ahmed

What company does Rafiq Ahmed work for?

Rafiq Ahmed works for Dipalo Ventures

What is Rafiq Ahmed's role at the current company?

Rafiq Ahmed's current role is Product Innovator, Founder, VC @Dipalo Ventures.

What is Rafiq Ahmed's email address?

Rafiq Ahmed's email address is ra****@****ast.net

What is Rafiq Ahmed's direct phone number?

Rafiq Ahmed's direct phone number is +131283*****

What schools did Rafiq Ahmed attend?

Rafiq Ahmed attended Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Dhaka College, St. Francis Xaviers Greenherald.

What are some of Rafiq Ahmed's interests?

Rafiq Ahmed has interest in All Things Bangladesh, Entrepreneurship, Vintage Writing Of Kundera And Naipaul, Mobile Health, All Things Mobile, Social Entrepreneurship, Poetry Via The Status Line, Travel.

What skills is Rafiq Ahmed known for?

Rafiq Ahmed has skills like Mobile Devices, Mobile Applications, Product Management, Start Ups, Strategy, User Experience, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Cross Functional Team Leadership, Software Development, Agile Methodologies, Strategic Partnerships.

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