Suggestions
Samir Mayekar
Managing Director, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UChicago; Former Chicago Deputy Mayor
Samir Mayekar is a tri-sector leader with extensive c-level experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
He specializes in business development and organizational growth, excelling in negotiating complex deals with multinational companies and leading transformational change on nonprofit boards to enhance capacity.
Mayekar holds a BA in Political Science, International Studies, and Spanish, and an MBA in Finance and International Business, both from Northwestern University.
Throughout his career, he has held various roles, including lecturer and managing director at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy and Polsky Center, respectively.
His experience also includes being a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, co-founder and former CEO of NanoGraf Corporation, deputy mayor of the City of Chicago, and co-chair of the transition team for Lori Lightfoot.
Additionally, he has served as an advisor at the Albright Stonebridge Group, deputy chief of staff at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, director of National Security Personnel at The White House, budget manager at Obama for America, management consultant at Marakon Associates, and in the Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Department of Commerce.