Naeem Zafar
Naeem Zafar is a professor of entrepreneurship at several universities including University of California Berkeley and Northeastern University. He is a serial entrepreneur and has guided dozens as a Board member or an advisor. His last venture was being the founder & CEO of his seventh startup, TeleSense, an AgTech startup company that was acquired by UPL. His last startup, Bitzer Mobile, was acquired by Oracle. Naeem has authored five books on entrepreneurship www.NaeemZafar.com. Naeem is also an amateur historian and lectures at the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization. Naeem is an angel investor and has invested seed capital in several Silicon Valley startups. He has mentored thousands of entrepreneurs through his involvement with www.tie.org and www.OPENsv.org
My Story
Naeem’s last venture, Telesense (www.telesense.com) that enables employees to securely access corporate data, documents and applications from their mobile devices, was just acquired by UPL.
Previously he was the president and CEO of Pyxis Technology Inc., Silicon Design Systems, and Veridicom, a Bell Labs spinoff that invented the silicon fingerprint sensors found on most laptops. Naeem has held senior marketing and engineering positions at several companies, including Quickturn Design Systems, which had an IPO in 1993.
Mentoring
Naeem has perosanally advised dozens of successful startups and teaches entrepreneurship at one of the top business schools in the world.
Over the years Naeem has helped thousands of students and business associates navigate past the many pitfalls of business startup. Entrepreneurs at all stages of the startup process have come to rely upon Naeem’s mentoring from th earliest stage idea through funding and implementation. Check out Naeem’s business advice.
Speaking
Naeem is also a speaker known for his fun, interactive, positive, and friendly style. He has lectured on business, innovation, and entrepreneurship in China, Japan, India, Turkey, Brazil, Pakistan, Colombia, the Netherlands, the UK, and Singapore. He enjoys getting to know his audience before and after presentations and delivers his expertise through consulting, advising, keynote speeches, coaching programs, and workshops. Naeem works frequently with the U.S. State Department to promote innovation and entrepreneurship around the world and was invited to the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C. See Naeem’s speaking events.
Due to Naeem’s current venture with Bitzer Mobile, he has greatly cut down on his public speaking egagements. If your organization would like to arrange for such a session, please write to Naeem at naeem@startup-advisor.com.
Authorship
Naeem has written numerous books on entrepreneurship that not only motivate the reader, but also give specific and practical advice on topics critical to startup success. His laser-focused titles provide help with marketing, fundraising, market research, and legal and financial essentials. Find out more about Naeem’s books.
Naeem Zafar
Recognition & Awards
"Succinct, compelling, profound - this book is invaluable with full on-the-money advice that would have been priceless when I was starting my last company. It could take a lifetime to learn what Naeem lucidly summed up in just a few dozen pages. It's a must read for any entrepreneur!"
-Slavik Zorin
Founder and CEO Synchrony Systems, New York
"I have been with five startups in my career mostly as VP of engineering and I clearly see that having followed Naeem's advice would have changed the fate of these companies that I was involved with - very insightful and practical. Excellent!"
-Dr. Bulent Erbilgin
VP of Engineering, SS8 Networks, California
Many of us believe that one day we will start our own companies. But what do you need to know before you take that irreversible step of quitting your job? Naeem Zafar's 7 Steps to a Successful Startup is just what the new entrepreneur needs. Providing clear guidance based on knowledge gained by experience! I commend this book to all who consider launching themselves on this exciting journey.
-Jerome S. Engel
Executive Director Lester Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UC Berkeley
Naeem's classes were a refreshing change from the mundane lecture module. His bluntness and his thorough knowledge & experience is a rare virtue. I had the privilege of a one on one session for our startup. He wasted no time to navigate our ship into deep waters early in the game. He is also very polite & wants students to understand not just the theories & approach to a problem but its long-term impact on business & money. Thanks, Naeem for being our updated & functional GPS!
-Sonnal Ladvva
Founder/CEO, Tokii
PODCAST: Silicon valley life
My Books
The Entrepreneur's Legal Guide to Starting Up!
Market Research on a Shoestring!
Finance Essentials for Entrepreneurs
