Nima is responsible for building relationships among IdeaMarket’s key constituencies of investors, inventors, corporate innovators, and entrepreneurs — all to the purpose of prospecting for ideas that will serve as the starting point for the company’s unique way of creating companies. He’s also charged with extending this approach to established companies to help them source, fund, and develop internal startups as a way to become more nimble, cutting-edge, and competitive.
In addition to his role at IdeaMarket, Nima is the founder of PITME (Progress in Technology Middle East or Peace in the Middle East), an organization devoted to turbo-charging the region’s startup eco-system. PITME Labs brings select growth stage startups from the region to Silicon Valley for a month-long accelerator program supported by more than 300 top mentors, a group he gathered into what Nima considers to be one of his proudest professional achievements.
He’s also the host of “Technology in a Tent,” a online video interview series that uses storytelling to illustrate startup and business lessons. On the show, he’s hosted more than 125 of the world’s top entrepreneurs and investors, including Steve Blank, Tim Draper, Vivek Wadhwa, and Naval Ravikant.
Previously, Nima has been the head of Business Development at Founder Institute, where he helped launch more than 400 startups in more than 15 cities.
Nima is half German and half Iranian, has traveled to 65 countries, and speaks 4 languages. One thing most people don’t know about him: He didn’t speak any English when he immigrated to the U.S. at age 13, but within a year he’d achieved his school’s highest GPA and was honored with a U.S. President’s Education award.
