Rafiq Ahmed

Managing Director

2016 - Current

Early stage VC investments in hard tech de-risked via design and engineering-based technical diligence Residency program. Focus areas include climate, industrial, manufacturing and medical devices. Dipalo Ventures Fund I portfolio includes Jiobit (exit to Life360), NuCurrent, Azumo, Amulet, MITO Materials, Immersed, Car Scanner, Ascent Integrated Tech, Novascan, GRIND Interactive, Flora, WasteWizer and Throne Labs. Selective prior angel investments in the US Midwest and Bangladesh include Factor (exited to HelloFresh 2020), Avail (exited to Realtor.com 2020), Kin Insurance (unicorn, 2023), Rivia Health, Quicklly, SeaMachines, Hyperloop One, Zantrik, Kludio, Truss (exited to Avison Young 2020), BallotReady, Draftbit and Jiobit (exit to Life360 2021). Launched ServiceChai to provide customer care and business services in Bangladesh. Startup advisory services for CareBand (first wearable LoRa device for the elderly), Embodied Labs (virtual reality enabled healthcare training), XYSTUS FitEverywhere (travel gym and mobile apps) and Nephron Bangladesh (kidney dialysis centers). Limited Partner, early stage tech VC Funds.

Venture Partner

2016

Source and evaluate startups for national venture investment firm.

Mentor

2018

Member

2019

Mentor

2017

Co-Founder

2017 - 2018

Co-founded early stage angel investment firm focused on Chicago and Midwest-based technology startups. Investments in Seed and Series A rounds with other angel investors and early stage funds. Industry focus in FinTech, Real Estate Tech, Healthcare Services, B2B SaaS, Education and Hardware/IoT with recurring revenue. Led operations, community outreach, deal flow, underwriting and investments in Jiobit, Avail, Kin and Factor75.

Co-Founder, CEO

2010 - 2015

Led startup from inception through funding, launch, product development, customer acquisition, growth and exit to Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ:EDUC) in 2015. Demibooks fosters creativity, critical thinking and learning through interactive storytelling. Products include Demibooks® Composer, an iPad-based story app development platform; Demibooks Storytime, a marketplace for apps by children’s publishers; and Demibooks Share, a marketplace for interactive presentations, games and lessons from students and educators. • Assembled a multinational team with mobile, tablet, games and user experience expertise. Built a global creative community of artists, illustrators, authors, students and educators. Platform technologies included iOS, Objective C, AWS, Ruby on Rails, with HTML5 for custom development. • Executive Producer and Experience Designer on 25+ interactive book apps for Demibooks, McGraw-Hill Education, Kane Miller Books, Chafie Press and Pixelpanthers. • Partnerships with Hard Rock Hotels, Britannica School, Pixuru, EDC and over 350 independent publishers. Launched Pixelpanthers, a studio for interactive children's apps on the Composer platform. Frequent speaker on digital publishing topics at conferences such as O'Reilly Tools of Change, Storyworld, Book Expo America, Digital Book World, Media Apps Summit and TechWeek.

Sr. Product Manager, MOTOBLUR Multimedia Services

2009 - 2010

Delivered next generation social media services on the MOTOBLUR Android platform. Led carrier sell-in requirements (Telefonica, T-Mobile, AT&T) and managed multiple industry partners.

Principal, Consumer Experience Design

2005 - 2009

Worked across company and with ecosystem partners to bring new concepts/designs to life in product and service portfolio. Delivered compelling consumer experiences for applications and services across multiple mobile platforms (Android, LinuxJava, Symbian/UIQ, P2K and ODM). • Led research, concept and reference designs for US patent-published socially connected phonebook featured on the MOTOBLUR service on Motorola's first Android devices CLIQ/DEXT, CLIQ XT, Devour and Backflip. • Led cross-functional teams in designing emerging market opportunities such as Motorola's first mobile application (“widgets”) framework and ecosystem. • Managed Platform UI team, delivered designs, User Interface guidelines and product User Guides for new Motorola LinuxJava User Interface (UI). Launched mobile handsets such as A1200, ROKR E2 and ZN5.

Principal

2000 - 2005

Mobile/web product design, development and management services for corporate and startup clients. We take ideas to market by applying lean startup and agile methods with a laser focus on user experience. Clients included Tangible Software, Nokia, Yahoo, Verizon Communications, mobile apps and content startup EssTec, collaboration platform Collatus and insurance tech firm FirstSalvage.

Senior Manager

1998 - 2000

Helped Fortune 500 clients transition their businesses online for the first time. Managed large-scale integrated web strategy and implementation projects for premier financial services clients in insurance, brokerage and investment management. Piloted integrated multidisciplinary “One Team” methodology across creative and technical consulting disciplines. Responsible for client relationship management, Agile software development, overall scope, integration of business and technical solutions, fixed price/fixed time delivery and program office. Key projects: online claims and loss reporting system for Allstate; online strategy and development of Advisory services portal for Morningstar; online brokerage for American Century; and business strategy for Classified Ventures.