Яakesh Gidwani
An Entrepreneurial Technologist & A Visionary Investor
about me
As a dynamic engineering leader with over two decades of experience, I specialize in driving technological innovation across diverse industries, including blockchain, eCommerce, and financial services. My career has been a journey of building and scaling high-performing global teams, leading transformational projects, and delivering cutting-edge solutions at scale. Whether spearheading complex engineering strategies at hyper-growth startups or navigating technical challenges in established enterprises, I have consistently bridged the gap between technology and business. Currently, as CTO at AION, I am focused on developing decentralized AI infrastructure to democratize access to AI for everyONe. Additionally, as a Venture Partner at Protagonist.co, I collaborate with visionary founders, evaluate emerging tech investments, and shape the narratives driving the next wave of innovation.
Passionate about mentoring future leaders and leveraging technology to solve complex challenges, I thrive at the intersection of engineering, venture capital, and business strategy. My work reflects a deep commitment to fostering diverse teams, scaling innovative solutions, and navigating emerging trends with agility. Beyond technical expertise, I bring a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills, and a relentless focus on operational excellence. Whether it’s pioneering decentralized networks, re-architecting enterprise systems, or guiding startups to success, I remain committed to creating impact through technology and innovation.
Projects I am Passionate about
- From
Jan 2025
- To
Present
AION
Chief Technology Officer
- Lead the design and implementation of Aion’s decentralized compute marketplace, delivering a scalable, secure, and efficient platform to support global enterprise AI needs
- Build and lead a high-performing engineering team, mentoring talent to deliver enterprise-grade solutions while driving the execution of Aion’s technical roadmap from MVP to global scaling
- Collaborate with strategic partners to co-develop and integrate core platform technologies, ensuring seamless compatibility with existing enterprise infrastructures
- From
Jan 2025
- To
Present
Protagonist.co
Venture Partner & Advisor
- Source and evaluate high-potential investment opportunities, while conducting in-depth industry research to shape the fund’s investment thesis
- Represent Protagonist at key industry events and conferences, establishing the brand as a thought leader in crypto-focused venture capital and fostering relationships with visionary founders, investors, and industry stakeholders
- Collaborate with portfolio companies to provide strategic guidance on product development, go-to-market strategies, and technical scaling
- From
Jul 2020
- To
Jun 2022
America Needs You
New Jersey
Mentor Coach (2020 Cohort)
- From
Jan 2023
- To
Dec 2025
Protagonist.co
New York
Chief Technology Officer & Partner
- Sourced and evaluated high-potential Web3 investment opportunities, resulting in strategic investments in companies such as EigenLayer, Sentient, and FHEnix, while conducting in-depth industry research to shape the fund’s investment thesis
- Represented Protagonist at key industry events and conferences, establishing the brand as a thought leader in crypto-focused venture capital and fostering relationships with visionary founders, investors, and industry stakeholders
- Collaborated with portfolio companies to provide strategic guidance on product development, go-to-market strategies, and technical scaling, while enhancing internal processes to streamline deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio management
- From
Sep 2021
- To
Dec 2022
Voyager
New York
Chief Technology Officer
- Scaled the global engineering team across North America, Latin America, Europe, and India to 175 members, more than doubling the team size within a year, while implementing robust hiring processes, career ladders, and salary structures
- Developed and executed an engineering strategy focused on crypto and blockchain integrations, launching consumer-facing fintech products, including crypto trading, crypto-backed debit cards, loyalty programs, and an NFT platform
- Led the transition from a monolithic architecture to micro-services, ensuring seamless delivery of business priorities and establishing best practices for technical architecture, incident management, and system uptime
- From
May 2019
- To
Aug 2021
Two Sigma
New York
Sr. Vice President Engineering
- Defined and led the engineering strategy for the data platform, enabling seamless access to diverse datasets for quantitative research and trading
- Oversaw the technical program management practice, driving the execution of key initiatives across data, quantitative models, and trading systems
- Fostered collaboration across teams to align engineering efforts with business objectives, ensuring efficient delivery of impactful solutions
- From
Oct 2017
- To
Apr 2019
Walmart
New York
Sr. Director of Engineering, Head of Technical Program Management
- Led the integration of Walmart and Jet engineering systems post-acquisition, including payment gateways, supply chain systems, and inventory management
- Expanded and managed the technical program management practice, ensuring seamless execution of complex engineering initiatives across both organizations
- Fostered collaboration between Walmart and Jet teams, driving alignment and efficiency in the integration of critical systems and processes
- From
Apr 2016
- To
Oct 2017
jet.com
New York
Director of Engineering, Head of Technical Program Management
- Spearheaded initiatives to scale the engineering platform, enhancing system performance and reliability to support rapid business growth
- Established and led the technical program management practice, managing large-scale, cross-functional initiatives across business and engineering teams
- Played a critical role in the due diligence process during Jet.com’s acquisition by Walmart, ensuring technical and operational alignment with business objectives
- From
Feb 2013
- To
Mar 2016
Neeve Research
California
Director of Engineering
- Led Neeve Research’s engagement with its largest client, Barclays Capital, as the single point of contact, managing professional services teams and collaborating on the design of high-performance electronic trading systems
- Played a pivotal role in customer success by educating clients on the X Platform, gathering feedback, and driving adoption across multiple business units, while mentoring junior team members and fostering their professional growth
- Contributed to the startup’s growth by introducing best practices like Zero Garbage Coding and TDD, evaluating open-source technologies for scalable solutions, and promoting the X Platform through market research, presentations, and roadshows to attract new customers
- From
Jun 2010
- To
Feb 2013
Morgan Stanley
New York
Sr. Technical Consultant
- Managed and mentored a team of 4 to 7 onshore and offshore engineers, overseeing recruitment, career development, and day-to-day operations, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment
- Led cross-functional projects, including the migration of FX trading systems from mainframe to distributed platforms and the execution of regulatory risk migration workflows, coordinating efforts across multiple teams and ensuring seamless delivery
- Spearheaded Agile adoption within the FX technology division, organized weekly tech forums to address challenges and share innovations, and drove performance optimization initiatives that improved FX trading system efficiency tenfold
- From
Oct 2007
- To
Jun 2010
Goldman Sachs
New York
Sr. Technical Consultant
- Designed and automated workflows for client onboarding, provisioning, and authentication setup across FICC, Equities, Asset Management, and PWM, enhancing operational efficiency
- Led the development of key platforms, including the Client Identity Verification platform and Organizational Entity management workflow, ensuring compliance and scalability while collaborating with cross-functional teams on system migrations and upgrades
- Built and deployed tools such as a client-reporting tool and automated processes like user inactivity management, aligning with security policies and streamlining client service operations
- From
Oct 2003
- To
Oct 2007
Citi
New York
Technical Specialist
- Designed and developed a database security and regulatory compliance suite for Citi's global businesses, saving millions in regulatory fines. The project encompassed front-end (JSPs, Servlets, Java Beans), back-end (Java, PERL, Shell), and database connectivity (JDBC, Hibernate) components
- Spearheaded the implementation of database compliance standards across Citi's businesses in London and Asia-Pacific, collaborating with external auditors and stakeholders to meet regulatory requirements and enhance customer trust
- Advised on technical architecture, performance tuning, and coding best practices while managing project plans and reporting to senior management, ensuring high-quality deliverables and predictable team performance
- From
Sep 2012
- To
May 2015
New York University, Stern School of Business
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Specialized in Entrepreneurship, Finance, & General Management
- From
Jan 2015
- To
Jan 2015
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Doing Business in China MBA Program
Two week study abroad program on doing business in China
- From
Aug 2001
- To
May 2003
Clemson University
Master of Science (M.S.)
Computer Science - Focussed on Algorithms & Distributed Systems
- From
Jun 1996
- To
May 2000
Pune University, India
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.)
Computer Engineering - Focussed on Hardware & Software Integration
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Have an idea that you are passionate about? Whether you're looking to harness the power of Web3, AI, or both to build groundbreaking technology, scale your business, or turn a bold vision into reality, I’d love to hear from you. With deep expertise in engineering, venture capital, and emerging technologies, I thrive on collaborating with creative minds to bring transformative ideas to life. Let’s start a conversation and explore how we can make your vision a success.
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Яakesh Gidwani
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hello@rakeshgidwani.com