w/Entrepreneur Philosopher Sid Mohasseb

ETOP Podcast with Richard Walsh

Sid is a published author, serial entrepreneur, venture investor,

university professor, board member, business thought leader and public speaker.

From a very young age, Sid learned not to leave change to chance.

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At 7 he learned to be self-sufficient in treating the genetic blood disorder (Hemophilia) he suffered from. At 14, he learned to balance intellect and humility and published his first book of poetry. At 16 he convinced his parents that his future must be shaped in America and migrated to US without his family. Working through engineering school he learned that self-sufficiency begins with selflessness; to succeed one must be able to continually deliver value to friends, family and society.

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Embracing his entrepreneurial talents, at 21, Sid started and exited his first company while at college. Pursuing his curiosity around the purpose of life, he explored various spiritual and philosophical schools of thoughts. At 25, he taught comparative Eastern and Western philosophy. Sid’s professional career was built on being a trusted advisor. At 27, he became the youngest partner of a national management consulting firm serving fortune 500 clients.

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Early in his career, Sid realized that trust, flexibility, agility and authenticity are the cornerstones of progress. During the next three decades, he supported large scale acquisitions, acted as the principal investor and operator in company turnarounds. As serial entrepreneur, Sid founded and led several early-stage and hyper-growth companies from inception to acquisition. Many times over, he shouldered the responsibility for meeting payroll and wrote checks to acquire or invest in companies; learning to think both like an investor and a founder; facing, accepting, and overcoming his share of failures and successes in ideas and ventures. Along the way, Sid learned that the wounds of failures are the pathways to our next best version.

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As an educator, he has influenced the minds of many across the globe. To see students comprehend concepts through the sparkle of their eyes, is Sid’s true passion. He has taught Strategy, Finance, Venture Capital, Negotiation and Data Analytics to MBAs and Graduate level Engineers at University of Southern California (USC), Chapman University, and University of California in Irvine (UCI). He has also created and delivered leadership and management programs attended by thousands of corporate executives. Sid considers the privilege to impact others on their life path and to provoke and motive them to discover their authentic self and excel as his greatest accomplishment.​

As a professional fund manager and angel investor, Sid has mentored dozens of entrepreneurs, met with hundreds of start-up companies, and reviewed countless business plans. In his support of the entrepreneurial community he served as a mentor for Kaufman Foundation and a commercial evaluator for National Science Foundation. Sid contributed to the California Legislature in empowering the small business community. He founded The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) organization in South Coast and served as the president of the largest seed funding organization in US.

​As an advisor and board member, he has counseled corporate leaders across a wide spectrum of industries and scale – from fortune 500 to a man and a laptop ventures. In his journey, Sid appreciates the perspectives of conglomerates, middle market players and start-ups. Working with some of the most exciting leaders and organizations, Sid has learned the value of people and cultures, experimentation and innovation, and clarity of thought and communication.

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As a thought leader, he has been featured at