Mahendra B. Vora, Founder and MD of Vora Ventures

Known as the Serial Entrepreneur, Mr. Vora is considered the high-tech poster child in the Midwest United States. Over the last 20 years, he has helped co-found and sell multiple successful technology ventures to Fortune 500 companies and has held senior management positions at large global organizations. Mr. Vora collaborated with Timothy Matthews to invest in and create Vora Technology Park, one of the largest and most advanced technology parks in the country.

Mr. Vora has extensive experience in working with and developing information technology solutions for multi-billion dollar organizations across the world. During his career, he has innovated sophisticated information technologies in the areas of distributed (client/server) and Internet-based computing, including advanced search engines and text-mining.

Mr. Vora was named on INC. 500 (2004 and 2005) - the list of the nation's 500 fastest growing privately held companies as the Founder and Chairman of Intelliseek. He was also placed on the ICIC 100 - the list of the 100 fastest growing companies located in the inner cities of the United States, for three years in a row. Mr. Vora was the recipient of the 2001 "Entrepreneur of the Year" award from the Association for Corporate Growth.  Mr. Vora has been in Cincinnati, USA area for over 19 years and he is known for his active involvement, contribution and commitment to the local and the global community.

Professional Background
Recognized as a seasoned high-tech industry veteran, Mr. Vora brings nearly 20 years of experience as an information technology executive and dynamic motivator. Mr. Vora possesses a rare combination of skills: technology vision, marketing, and interpersonal leadership. Currently as the Founder and Managing Director of Vora Ventures, a unique private equity investment banking firm in Cincinnati region, Mr. Vora is involved in the following portfolio and serves as the:

• Founder and MD - Vora Ventures Worldwide
• Chairman - Vora Technology Park (http://www.voratechpark.com ) 
• Chairman & CEO - Ascendum Solutions Worldwide (http://www.ascendum.com/ ) 
  One of the fastest growing IT Solutions company headquartered in Cincinnati,Ohio - with offices worldwide
• Executive Chairman - Bluespring Software (http://www.bluespringsoftware.com/ )
  A state-of-the-art Business Process Management software company, one of the top 250 ISV's for Microsoft, located in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Executive Chairman - Vinimaya Corporation (http://www.vinimaya.com/ )
  A Spend Management (Catalog Integration & Supplier Enablement) solutions provider in Shelton, CT, USA
• Chairman - iCALL India (http://www.icallindia.net/ )
  A BPO company in Ahmadabad, India, delivering customer service to domestic (Indian) telecom clients and financial (loan processing, title processing, accounting and equity research) outsourcing services to G2000 clients
• Investor and Director - dbaDirect Incorporated (http://www.dbadirect.com/ )
  The leading outsourced data management company in Kentucky, USA
• Investor and Director, Marshal8e6 Technologies (http://www.marshal8e6.com/ )
  Leading internet security and filtering company in southern California, USA

Mr. Vora (Vora Ventures) has invested in many other high tech companies worldwide. Mr. Vora founded Intelliseek in the late 1990's as a smart search company which is a world leader in measurement of the Word of Mouth (WOM). Intelliseek was recently acquired by Buzzmetrics and the merged entity, with majority ownership by VNU (AC Nielsen), does business as the Nielsen Buzzmetrics.

Prior to founding Intelliseek, Mr. Vora was the Vice President and General Manager with Unisys Corporation where he headed the Unisys NT Software Business and was integral in forming strategic alliances between Unisys and Microsoft, Oracle, Computer Associates and BEA.

Prior to Unisys, Mr. Vora was Founder and Chairman of Pioneer Systems, which was acquired by Unisys in July, 1997. While at Pioneer, he also co-founded SecureIT, which was merged with Verisign in 1999. Before that, Mr. Vora served as the Vice President of Development for Intercomputer Communication Corp. (ICC) and Digital Communication Associates (DCA, now Attachmate), where he co-authored the Universal Communication Architecture (UCA) to support heterogeneous network protocols with single API.

Community Involvement to Create Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Mr. Vora moved to Michigan, USA, in 1984 at the age of 21 and has resided in Cincinnati, Ohio since 1988. He travels to India frequently and is actively involved in community affairs. He takes tremendous pride in creating unique global opportunities, creating high-tech jobs, funding the innovative high-tech burgeoning companies forming strategic partnerships with the G2000 companies (customers, partners) and leading Venture Capitalists and working with the local and state Government authorities on economic development initiatives. Some of his involvements include:

• Board Member, Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati Area
• Member, Advisory Board for the University of Cincinnati, School of Management Information Systems (MIS)
• Member, Citizens Advisory Council of Miami University, Hamilton
• Member, CincyTechUSA Council
• Active Supporter, Wright Center of Innovation (Third Frontier)
• Trustee, Cincinnati-Dayton Jain Temple
• Member, United Way Tocqueville Society
• Hon. IT Advisor to the Chief Minister and IT Minister for the State of Gujarat (1999)

Awards and Recognitions:

• 2007 and 2008 - Among the Top 25 fastest growing IT firms in Ohio
• 2006 - Visionary for the Region (Hamilton, Ohio) - first non-American and first Indian to win the award and achieve such honor
• 2004/2005 - INC. 500 ranked number 294 of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the USA (Intelliseek)
• 2004 and 2005 - "Fast 50" -listed in fastest growing 50 companies in Tri-state (Intelliseek)
• 2003 - ICIC 100 - number 25 of the 100 fastest growing companies in the United States Inner Cities (Intelliseek)
• 2003 - Winner of the "Forty Under Forty" for Tri-state region
• 2002/2003/2004 - eContent 100 and KMWorld 100 - 100 Best Companies in the Content Management World
• 2002/2001 - Ernst and Young "Entrepreneur of the Year " Finalist
• 2000 "Entrepreneur Deal Maker of the Year" from the Association for Corporate Growth
• Numerous technology and public speaking awards from 1990-2007

Academic Background: 
Mr. Vora holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications from India, and a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Mr. Vora is also a frequent guest speaker on entrepreneurship, real life transactions, and venture creation, to MBA students at University of Cincinnati and Xavier University.

Contact:
Office phone: (513) 867-7272
Fax: (513) 895-2900