How I went from a middle class family in a small town TO “accomplished MIT alum” TO flameout TO doing what I love -sharing my insights and helping millions become more successful.
“Ram is an amazing thinker!”
– Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, World’s #1 Leadership Thinker & Coach
“Ram is one of the smartest and nicest people I know. He’s superb at conceptualizing new ideas and business models.”
– Richard Guha, Former CEO Reliant Energy
Ram Iyer is a five-time entrepreneur, immigrant, former Fortune 100 exec, and Silicon Valley venture capitalist. He built one venture that did business in 16 countries and on the next venture, lost his entire life savings. MONEY magazine labeled him as “The Comeback Kid”. He’s had multiple experiences in surviving, recovering, and thriving. He has graduate degrees in engineering and business, one from MIT. He runs the iAchiever Institute and the Business Thinking Institute at Princeton.
He provides unique insights that will help you succeed as an individual, employee, entrepreneur, entrepreneur, business leader, or civic leader. He is a straight shooter who speaks from personal successes and failures, speaks to many experts, and combines research with psychology and common sense.
Ram has been featured at the following institutions & publications:
THIS IS MY JOURNEY
iAchiever institute
Launched the institute to help millions become more successful and lead happier lives by:
1. Become Unstoppable – become better and more confident whether you have individual ‘successes’ or ‘failures’.
2. Make more money by developing a business thinking and a business mindset – yes, there is a method to it!
3. Identify specific reasons why many smart people are not as successful as you could be – yes, I can pinpoint specific reasons why you are struggling with becoming more successful.
Caring People Network
Launched the Caring People Network to connect people needing help with those able to provide help-during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Business Thinking Institute
Launched the Business Thinking Institute to share my learning and insights to help improve people’s lives by becomeing better business thinkers (providing and receiving more value) – see www.businessthinking.com
Introspection
Examined my successes and failures and identified the ‘silent killers of success’, reasons why many smart people are unsuccessful, the need for business thinking to succeed in life, and much more.
Failure and near-bankruptcy
Started a fourth company, when I thought I was ‘too smart to fail’, that almost drove me to bankruptcy.
The Comeback Kid
MONEY magazine named me the COMBEBACK KID for bouncing back from a layoff and two failed startups, and launching a business that served clients in 16 countries…
The Big Success
Started a third company that served clients in 16 countries. Clients included DuPont, Pfizer, SONY, Charming Shoppes and Cargill.
Death on Runway
Started 2 companies that never got off the ground – they died on the ‘runway’.
Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist
Worked as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, investing in wireless startups.
Lucent Technologies
Worked at Lucent Technologies, heading up strategy and marketing for a $4.3B business.
M.I.T.
I gained admission into Columbia, Cornell, the University of Chicago and MIT. I graduated with my second master’s degree… from MIT.
Boeing Airplane Co. – Assembly Robots
Worked for Boeing in Seattle, designing robots to assemble the 777 and 757 airplane fuselages. While in Seattle, I summited Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Whitney (highest point in the lower 48 states) and Mt. Rainier.
Designed Mobile Robots
Designed mobile robots in the late 80s and early 90s long before they were widely accepted. Clients included the US Airforce and Eastman Kodak.
Bachelors in Engineering
I got a bachelors in engineering and came to the US to go to graduate school with a full scholarship – got a masters in underwater robotics.
My Early Years
I was raised in a small town in southern India by my father, a high school principal and my mother, a high school teacher. Dad was the first college graduate in the entire family, and Mom was the first woman to graduate from college. Between my two sisters and our spouses, we have 14 master’s degrees.