Ignition Partners Adds New Advisors: We Welcome Jim DuBois, former Microsoft CIO and Satbir Khanuja, Former Amazon Executive and Datasphere CEO as Venture Advisors
We are happy to announce the addition of two new venture advisors to the firm’s roster, former Microsoft CIO Jim DuBois and Datasphere CEO Satbir Khanuja.
by: John Connors
At Ignition, we strive to be a transformative partner to our portfolio companies. We invest not only our capital, but our time, expertise and network to accelerate the early-stage companies in which we invest. The Ignition network is unparalleled. We have deep relationships with well-respected entrepreneurs and key decision makers within technology leaders and members of the Fortune 500. Our relationships with Jim and Satbir reflect the high-quality of our network, and in bringing them into Ignition as venture advisors, we will continue to deliver on our promise to deploy everything in our arsenal to accelerate the early-stage companies in which we invest.
Jim Dubois
As chief information officer of Microsoft, Jim DuBois held one of the largest CIO roles in the world, overseeing the company’s global security, infrastructure, IT messaging, and business applications, and in this role he was an early adopter and a leader in how to adopt and consume services, not just technology. A Microsoft veteran, he held a number of leadership positions prior. He began his career at Accenture, where he focused on financial and distribution systems. Jim is an advisor to several startups and sits on the Board of Directors of Expeditors. He is the author of “Six-Word Lessons on How to Think Like a Modern-Day CIO.”
Jim will work clousely with Ignition’s portfolio of early-stage startups, helping founders iterate rapidly on product, build high-performing teams, and deliver at the speed needed in a modern enterprise. We are thrilled to have such a highly accomplished, insightful and proven technology leader join Ignition. Jim understands the balance between financial value and creating effective processes and procedures to exceed business targets and will be an incredible resource for our companies.
Satbir Khanuja
Former Amazon executive Satbir Khanuja understands how to identify a market and build a full-stack, data driven business. As an Amazon executive, he led Amazon.com’s Worldwide Traffic organization, driving billions of dollars in sales through free and paid traffic to all Amazon.com websites worldwide. Satbir previously was a Vice President and General Manager of Amazon.com’s IMDb.com and In-Theater businesses, where he built out business functions and created one of the 50 most-trafficked websites in the world. Prior to Amazon.com, Satbir led engagement for McKinsey and Company. Making an entrepreneurial leap from Amazon, Satbir joined SecondSpace. Satbir reinvented the company under the name Datasphere Technologies, and as CEO created a new business providing hyperlocal web technology and ad sales for national media. Satbir is a member of the Board of Directors of Digi International. He holds a Ph.D. in Ceramics Engineering from MIT and a B.Tech. degree from IIT in Bombay, India.
As an investor in Datasphere’s Series A round, we have known Satbir for a long time, and consider him among the most accomplished, respected and forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the industry. He will be a tremendous resource to our partnership and to companies in our current portfolio, bringing a wealth of insight into how to build data-driven businesses, as well as through his deep relationships across the technology and business landscape.
