Manu S. Kumar (E 1995, E 1996, CS 1997)

2004 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award

Bio

Within five years of his graduation from Carnegie Mellon University, Manu Kumar (E 1995, E 1996, CS 1997) had made his indelible mark as an entrepreneur.

As an angel investor, he's now helping other young graduates do the same. Case in point: the team at CardMunch, a company he co-founded and funded through his firm K9 Ventures.

Created just over a year ago by a team of CMU alumni, CardMunch was recently acquired by LinkedIn, the powerhouse professional networking site.

"CMU alums have one of the most amazing work ethics I have ever encountered," he noted. "It's a get-it-done attitude that is the best in its class."

Kumar says it's this attitude that helped the CardMunch team succeed so quickly.

"CMU alums also have an amazing ability to learn," he added. "They can pick up things very quickly — a huge asset in the world of tech startups where things change quickly."

Kumar had previously founded two successful companies, working on both occasions with predominantly CMU teams.