Mehlam Shakir

Mehlam Shakir is a Partner at Dreamit Ventures, specifically leading the Securetech vertical, where he focuses on working with cybersecurity startups to enhance their market strategies and operational capabilities. He has been in this role since February 2020 and is recognized as a leader in cybersecurity and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) technology.

Professional Background

Shakir's career in cybersecurity spans over 15 years, during which he has held various significant positions:

• Founder & CTO of PrivacySteward.org (2014-2022), a platform aimed at empowering families regarding digital rights.
• SVP of Product Development at Securonix (2017-2020), where he was responsible for the development and market strategy of a Next Generation Cloud SIEM solution.
• Director of Product Management at RSA, The Security Division of EMC (2015-2017).
• Group PM at McAfee (2011-2014) and CTO at NitroSecurity (2008-2011) and RippleTech (2006-2008).

Shakir began his career in cybersecurity as the CTO of Incache, a database security solution he founded in 2004, which was later acquired by RippleTech and subsequently by NitroSecurity.

Education

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mumbai and a Master of Science in Electric Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Additional Roles

In addition to his role at Dreamit Ventures, Shakir continues to serve on the advisory board of Securonix and is actively involved in initiatives that promote cybersecurity awareness and education.123