Entrepreneur and Alumnus Uses Tech Background to Create Opportunities for Others

“Success should not be about how much money you make; it is about how many other people around you make money,” Mr. Singh said. “You can enable them to make more, and that is a satisfaction I enjoy.” 

Born in India, Mr. Singh completed his bachelor’s degree at the Delhi College of Engineering in his native country. Seeking opportunities to continue his education in the United States, he arrived in New York City eager to pursue a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree, but needing tuition assistance.  

Admitted to St. John’s, Mr. Singh missed the deadline to apply for a scholarship or a graduate assistant position. Undeterred, he asked the University for guidance and was told an assistantship was possible if he passed three exams.  

“I passed the exams and received a partial scholarship and an assistantship where I worked with several professors,” Mr. Singh recalled. “That helped. However, I still did not have enough funds, so I took a job at a local community college. I would teach in the morning, then go to my assistantship, then to class, and still find time to do my homework.” 

After earning his M.B.A. in Quantitative Analysis, Mr. Singh settled into a corporate position that offered him a sought-after salary and benefits, but left him unfulfilled. Sensing an opportunity at the dawn of the internet age, he established his first start-up company, a firewall and security firm called Internetware, which he sold to Quarterdeck, which was ultimately bought by cybersecurity titan Symantec. Symantec has since become a part of Broadcom, Inc. 

He quickly started another tech firm, CyLAN, which he sold to semiconductor manufacturer Hifn, which was later sold to a larger, now extinct manufacturer. He then had an itch to create a company that could live beyond him, starting ipVers, a voiceover IP switching company that went public in 2007 as Veraz Networks–a company that later merged with Dialogic.  

Several other launches and sales followed before Mr. Singh established Startup Strategies in 2016. The firm, based in Silicon Valley, partners with start-ups to navigate the complexities of growth, consulting on funding, market strategies, and sustainable revenue practices. 

In 2017, Mr. Singh joined the faculty of Northeastern University as an adjunct instructor in its Semester in San Francisco program, where he shares his insights with the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. He has also been an adjunct at the University of California, Berkeley.  

Mr. Singh’s message is the same wherever he teaches: Education is about more than pursuing a grade.  

“I tell my students, ‘If you are here just for a grade, it is neither good for you nor me. I am not teaching just for your grade’,” Mr. Singh said. “I am teaching because I love to teach, and I want you to get something out of it. If I can make a difference in your life in terms of where you want to go, it will be a successful experience. However, if the only thing you care about is a grade, I will be disappointed, and you should not take my class.” 

Mr. Singh has traveled the globe as an entrepreneur, educator, and business executive. Rome, Italy, is his favorite city. Wherever he goes, however, his heart is never far from St. John’s.  

“There are several classmates from that time that I am still close to,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience.”