Niket Desai

Alumni Part-Time Partner, since 2020
Favorite ice breaker?
What is a book you would recommend to anyone?
What's a little-known secret about you?
I grew up in Singapore which provided me an international-American perspective.
What are you most excited about right now?
The explosion of financial tools and enablement targeting underserved communities
Our mission is helping Berkeley's kind, quirky, and revolutionary minds improve our society for everyone.
Bio

Niket is currently VP of Product at Time by Ping (a THF portfolio company) and Executive Chairman of the Time Foundation in San Francisco.

Previously, Niket was Investment Fellow with the University of California, Office of the Chief Investment Officer. Niket co-founded Punchd, a mobile loyalty startup, which was acquired by Google. He recently worked as Chief of Staff at the major e-commerce company, Flipkart, in Bangalore, India. Prior, he worked on mobile computing systems for Motorola and Google, with a focus on connected devices and ambient notifications.

Niket loves working with other entrepreneurs on the early parts of building companies and is a mentor and speaker at kStartup, Founders Institute, 500 Startups and Berkeley Engineering. His interests include network optimization, cognitive psychology, propulsion systems, and causing trouble for his friends. He has been described as "droll." Niket earned a degree in Industrial Engineering at UC Berkeley.