About Us
The Global Catalyst Foundation is a private foundation established by the principals of Global Catalyst Partners, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm.
Its mission is to improve peoples’ lives through the effective application of information technologies.
The Foundation initiates and supports innovative projects worldwide to improve education, alleviate poverty, promote social tolerance and celebrate diversity.
Who We Are
Kamran Elahian
As an Innovation Catalyst, Kamran advises various governments on the needed transition from fossil based economies to sustainable innovation economies. In the past, as a global high-tech entrepreneur, he co-founded ten companies, produced 6 exits, 3 of them Unicorn IPOs with a total market cap of over $8B. For 15 yrs., he was Chairman of Global Catalyst Partners, a global VC firm ($350M under management) with investments in the U.S., Japan, China, India, Israel and Singapore.Underlying his vision for global philanthropy is the conviction that modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be instrumental in dissolving barriers between nations and bridging the social and political differences among people. This vision was reflected in Schools-Online, a nonprofit he co-founded in 1996 to connect the world, one school at a time (6400 schools in 36 countries were provided with computers and access to the Internet) and merged with Relief International in 2003; Global Catalyst Foundation, co-founded in 2000 to improve lives through effective education and empowerment of the youth (with special emphasis on young women) using the leverage of ICT, and UN-GAID, a United Nations global forum that promotes ICT in developing countries where he served as Co-Chairman (2009-2011). Additional information may be found on www.KamranElahian.com.
Art Schneiderman
Arthur Schneiderman has been a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (www.wsgr.com) since 1979 and specializes in corporate and securities law. He has extensive experience in venture capital financing, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, strategic partner relationships, public company SEC reporting, contracts, licensing, and executive compensation.
Mr. Schneiderman has been involved with the following companies from their earliest stages: Centillium Communications, Cirrus Logic, CyberMedia, Ikanos Communications, Kalpana, Inc., Linear Technology Corporation, NeoMagic Corporation, Quantum Corporation, Sagent Technology, Inc., and Silicon Graphics.
Mr. Schneiderman received his undergraduate degree from Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Koji Osawa
Koji Osawa, Ph.D. has extensive experience in investment and management of high-tech companies in Asia and the United States. Dr. Osawa was at Mitsubishi Corporation for 14 years, starting in 1985, and served as division manager, Mitsubishi International Corporation (Palo Alto office), 1993 through 1999. He was responsible for business development with Silicon Valley companies in the areas of semiconductors, communications, and software. During this period, he invested in several private companies and venture capital funds. He arranged a wide range of business agreements between these private companies and prominent Japanese and Asian companies, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of business. Dr. Osawa also served as general manager of MC Silicon Valley, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp., and has been responsible for managing a U.S. investment fund since 1998.
Dr. Osawa received his BS in electronics from Keio University, Japan, and his Ph.D. in engineering from Tohoku University, Japan.
Vijay Parikh
Vijay C. Parikh has experience as both a successful start-up CEO and established company executive. He served as president and CEO of StratumOne Communications, founded in 1997, which Cisco Systems acquired in 1999 for $435 million, Cisco’s most expensive acquisition to that date. StratumOne developed framers and layer 2/3 engines for 10G solutions in high-end routing/switching applications and was funded by Sequoia Capital, Brentwood Capital, Institutional Venture Partners, and Redwood Ventures. Following the acquisition, Mr. Parikh served as Cisco’s Public Carrier IP Group vice-president and general manager. He was responsible for developing and introducing the 10G solution on the 12416 GSR platform, which drove sales from $400 million in FY 1998 to several billion dollars in FY 2001.
He received his BSEE from the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences in India and MBA from the University of Michigan.
Zohre Elahian
Zohre Elahian has been actively involved in international development for over 10 years. With her husband, she began Schools Online, a non-profit organization that has brought computers to schools and introduced ICT in education in many countries around the world and within the U.S. As the Managing Director of Global Catalyst Foundation, Ms. Elahian has also evaluated many projects, addressing critical needs in education, ICT and microfinance; and her Foundation has provided funding to such projects in many countries.
Previously, she also served on the board of directors of Relief International for over 8 years working on various developmental and humanitarian projects in countries such as Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and many other countries. Prior to her humanitarian activities, she co-managed a successful private business for 15 years. Ms. Elahian holds an M.A. in Anthropology. In 2009, Zohre received the Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award and a special blessing from his Holiness, The Dalai Lama.