Rakesh Sood

Venture capitalist Rakesh Sood received his undergraduate education from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in New Delhi, India, earning his Bachelor of Science First Class with Distinction. Subsequently, Rakesh Sood immigrated to the United States to study at State University of New York Stony Brook. After earning his Master of Science with a 4.0 GPA, Rakesh Sood enrolled at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Finance and made the Dean’s List while obtaining his Master of Business Administration. Commencing his career, Rakesh Sood accepted positions at the Silicon Valley headquarters of major technology firms Intel Corporation and Hewlett-Packard, where he worked as a Product Marketing Manager and a Sales Representative, respectively. In Rakesh Sood’s next role with AT&T;, he served the company’s Personal Communication Systems Division as Director of Worldwide Marketing & Business Development. While there, Rakesh Sood built up the telecommunications company's personal communication devices by developing global teams of marketers and software experts. Subsequently, Rakesh Sood joined Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management LLC in San Francisco, California, where he launched the wireless practice, co-founded the Internet franchise, and also was an angel investor in up-and-coming technology ventures as Senior Technology Analyst. Later, Goldman, Sachs & Co. hired Rakesh Sood as Vice President and Senior Research Analyst at its New York office. After three years, Rakesh Sood left Wall Street for venture capital by joining Sprout Group as General Partner in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Continuing in the field, Rakesh Sood became a Partner for Reed Elsevier Ventures in Palo Alto, California. Today, Rakesh Sood continues in the Palo Alto business community with DOCOMO Capital, Inc., where he acts as a Venture Advisor. Throughout his career, Rakesh Sood has engaged in several professional organizations. As a Charter Member of TiE, an organization that promotes Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs, Rakesh Sood inspires new business leaders. Additionally, Rakesh Sood is a cofounder of the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley and active with the Bay Area nonprofit group, SVForum.