Networking The White House

Wed, Sep 23 01:32 PM

Enlarge Photo Networking The White House

Taylor Buley, Forbes.com

At a breakfast held by Silicon Valley’s Indus Entrepreneurs organization Saturday, President Barack Obama’s technology adviser, Aneesh Chopra, revealed the origins of his White House appointment.

Chopra, 37, told the predominantly Indian audience that when he was networking he wasn’t promoting himself--he was promoting his then-boss David Bradley, now owner of Atlantic Media Company, publisher of The National Journal and The Atlantic Monthly.

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Chopra had, years ago, convinced Bradley to attend an event organized by the Indian CEO Council, which later became the Washington D.C. Indus Entrepreneurs chapter, and brought together some 400 to 500 Indian business executives.

"I wasn't very close to him, and I was just sort of mid-level in the company," says Chopra. "We spent 30 minutes at the Indian CEO event and I had introduced him to 12 executives who in a period of three minutes each blew him away with all that was possible."

After all the introductions, Bradley appointed Chopra his high-tech consigliere, an ambassador to executives and visionaries in the field.

In his new role, Chopra advised on the company's investment decisions, and Chopra soon became a partner in the business. He eventually became a managing director and helped take the company public in 2001. He went on to serve as secretary of technology for Virginia Gov. Tim Kane, which led to his current position at the White House.

"I got lucky," he told the crowd of South Asian entrepreneurs. "It wouldn't have happened but for the community and the networking capacity that had been generated."

Chopra’s lesson: Stay out there. The ear of the president is out there, too.

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