Veena Dinesh

Business Manager- Startups

Veena Dinesh is the startup manager at TOV where her role focuses on new venture creation and supporting existing NYU spinoffs. The TOV office has helped create over 200 startups that have licensed NYU innovations and know-how to successfully bring products to market and create societal impact. As the startup manager, Dinesh works very closely with startups at the ideation stage and existing NYU startups to grow and meet their business milestones. This support can be provided in the form of business coaching, access to mentors, access to incubation space, fundraising support, pitch coaching, and matching with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.

Dinesh previously worked at the University of Maine as their director of business incubation where she led entrepreneurship-related activities for faculty and student spin-offs. Dinesh comes with prior experience in guiding startups and University ventures in diverse sectors such as life sciences, cleantech, EdTech, and creative arts to help create sustainable and scalable business models. She facilitated an annual startup entrepreneurship accelerator program for high-growth startups and a commercialization accelerator program for university projects with commercialization potential for startup and/or licensing opportunities. Dinesh also led NSF’s I-Corps program at UMaine. Dinesh was on the Steering Committee for a not-for-profit local pitch competition and is on the technology board for a state-funded funding agency. Prior to this, Dinesh worked as a startup incubator manager for a large technology innovation park.