Vijay Vashee, MBA ’77
Founding Presidents and Chairman, TiE Seattle
Vijay is a long-time Microsoft veteran, having joined Microsoft in 1982 as its 160th employee, when the company was a $25M corporation. During his tenure, he set up many firsts, including the first registered database, the first Demo Days tours, the first Windows seminar, and the first ISV program. He dramatically boosted several applications’ bottom lines as general manager for each application. In two years, he drove Microsoft’s project market share from number four to number one, growing a $5M business into a $100M business. In four years, he drove PowerPoint from number three to number one, building it into a $600M business. Recent investment areas include big data, cloud computing, media, and First Date, a Broadway musical. He also serves on the boards of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the division of Computer Science at Cornell University, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Seattle Art Museum. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from Chicago Booth.