Thomas J. Kosnik

My mission in life is to promote peace on the Pacific Rim by building trustworthy networks from my home base in Silicon Valley to other entrepreneurial hot spots. My top 25 cities for doing business are: Silicon Valley, Singapore, Nanjing, Shanghai, Dalian, Beijing, Bangkok, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Ho Chi Minh City, Copenhagen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Macao, Manila, Melbourne, Palau, Seoul, Stockholm, Sydney, and Xi’an.

I pursue my mission by two complementary roles:

Partner at FoundersX Ventures: https://www.foundersxventures.com/, We are a VC firm focused on ventures using AI, big data, and cryptocurrencies to disrupt different industries. My target vertical markets are Creative Industries (publishing, media, movies, music, fashion etc.), Fintech, and smart water.

Consultant: Help business and government leaders to: 1) create real-time learning programs for employees, customers, and channel partners; 2) assess attractiveness of target markets; 3) accelerate global growth; 4) execute global sales and marketing campaigns; 5) negotiate across borders; 6) attract, retain, and motivate talent; and 7) raise money. Sample of workshop themes: “Gear Up” (see above); “Circles of Influence”: Getting entrepreneurial players in different regions to bet on your new venture; “Negotiating the Triple Chasms of Generation, Gender and Culture:” Building trust across borders; “Global Entrepreneurial Marketing: Marketing new products and entering new country/markets.”

In my past academic career, I was an Adjunct Professor, Stanford Department of MS&E from 1990-2018, Assistant Professor teaching Marketing at Harvard Business School from 1985-89, and as a visiting Adjunct Professor I launched HBS’s Entrepreneurial Marketing course in 1995-97. I was also Consulting Professor, NUS College in Silicon Valley and NUS iLEAD Program from 2002-2019. I taught the New Venture Creation course at NUS College in Silicon Valley.

I am a co-author of a book with Lena Ramfelt, Jonas Kjellberg, and Tom Kosnik (2014) “Gear Up: Test Your Business Model Potential and Plan your Path to Success.” Gear Up is a practical framework to help you successfully launch innovations that will create new markets and disrupt existing markets. It is available in Mandarin, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish and other languages.