Karthik Iyer

Commander
DISC Type : D

Chairman and Chief Mentor at Vanguard Business School

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Karthik Iyer is the Managing Partner of Gurukul Ventures, an investment firm focused on long-term wealth creation in alternative assets. A graduate of IIM Bangalore and Kings College London, he has over a decade of experience in investment management. He is also deeply committed to education, serving as the Chairman and Chief Mentor of Vanguard Business School.

Beyond his professional roles, Karthik is passionate about social impact and mentorship. He is a trustee for the Sakhi Foundation, which works to empower and educate women to fight poverty, and the Harsha Trust, which supports tribal communities in Orissa. He believes in using education as a transformative force for individuals and society.

He has a unique dual focus on both wealth management and grassroots-level education and community upliftment.

Personality Overview

Impact-Driven

Strong-Willed

Decisive

More than the product, they care about the impact of the product.  They prefer to be the ones controlling the conversation or defining the terms. They like to move fast and expect the same from others.

Topics They Care About

Venture Capital Innovation
He advocates for innovating the venture capital model itself, not just at the startup level, and has written about the need for a specific 'Bharat VC model' for India.
Transformative Education
As Chairman of Vanguard Business School, he is passionate about creating managers through industry-relevant education and transformational mentorship.
Wealth Preservation
His investment firm, Gurukul Ventures, employs a conservative style with an emphasis on wealth preservation and compounding over the long term for its select investors.

Media Appearances

Chairman's Message – Karthik Iyer, Chairman & Chief Mentor. Featured in Vanguard Business School

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Who We Are – Leadership Team (Karthik Iyer). Featured in Vanguard Business School

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Work History

4-2018
Chairman and Chief Mentor at Vanguard Business School
1-2018
Managing Partner at Gurukul Ventures
1-2018
Director at Vanguard Learning
1-2018
Trustee at Sakhi Foundation
1-2018 - 10-2018
Member Board Of Trustees at Harsha Trust

Education

2014 - 2014
Chevening Gurukul Leadership Fellow from King's College London
Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 13 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Chairman and Chief Mentor at Vanguard Business School
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Insights For Selling To Karthik

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Objectively showcase the impact that your product creates
  • When negotiating terms, help them build an impression that they are the ones calling the shots
  • Hold your ground without indulging in one-upmanship

DONT's

  • Don’t take too much time in sending them information if they ask for any
  • Don't try too hard to forge relationships with them
  • Do not hesitate from asking counter questions, just avoid challenging their authority

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Karthik is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Karthik

  • If they decide not to go ahead, they will say no without hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Karthik move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Karthik take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Karthik

Personality Compatibility


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