Harshvardhan Chunawala

AWS Startups Advisor, Technologist & Visiting Lecturer, Carnegie Mellon University

Industry/Field

Cloud/AI Systems, Early Stage Startups

Bio

Harshvardhan Chunawala is an engineering technologist, entrepreneur, security researcher, and visiting lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University, in the College of Engineering and the School of Computer Science. An alumnus of CMU Information Networking Institute (INI), he is part of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Startups team based in New York. He is a technical advisor to founders, executives, and researchers, helping them to build secure, scalable, and economical cloud solutions. His areas of interest span secure cloud computing, space missions, and applied AI security, with research focused on security frameworks, threat hunting, and safe AI, contributing to Carnegie Mellon’s ongoing leadership in cybersecurity and AI innovation. His work extends to national research initiatives, including projects with the U.S. Department of Energy at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where he architected cloud foundations for energy resilience supporting the nation’s growing electric-vehicle and AI infrastructure needs. As a Principal Investigator for research at CMU, H. Chunawala has led studies in cybersecurity, privacy, and sensor data ethics, contributing to CMU’s ongoing legacy of applied research at the intersection of technology and society. A CERT-SEI Certified Cyber Forensics and Incident Responder, H. Chunawala, brings deep expertise in digital forensics and threat response to both academia and industry. Earlier in his career, H. Chunawala founded the Bite Group - comprising ventures in Cybersecurity, Web and Application development, Geographic Information Systems, AI/ML, and startup mentorship. He continues to strengthen global cybersecurity through his work at AWS, securing cloud infrastructures and enterprise workloads that power billions of dollars in operations and critical services worldwide. In 2018, he identified and responsibly disclosed a critical security vulnerability in Rivet Networks’ Wi-Fi driver that impacted millions of computers globally before the company’s acquisition by Intel in 2020.

H. Chunawala is an AWS Golden Jacket awardee, recognized globally for earning all active AWS certifications and demonstrating sustained technical leadership in advancing secure cloud computing and resilient architecture design. As an AWS Academy Authorized Instructor, he teaches secure cloud computing and cloud foundations across three continents and was instrumental in enrolling the first private institute in Zimbabwe in the AWS Academy program, advancing global access to cloud education and workforce development. Within AWS, he actively collaborates with Amazon’s Project Kuiper as one of the company’s experts in security and aerospace, bringing his experience as Space Mission Engineering Lead at CMU INI. Before joining the AWS Startups team, he served as a Cloud Infrastructure Architect and Technical Lead within AWS Professional Services, spearheading critical engagements across financial services, media & entertainment, aerospace, and healthcare sectors. Driving innovation and operational excellence, he has contributed to over $40 million in projects and $117 million in incremental revenue through large-scale cloud transformation projects. His work bridges academic research and industry practice, advancing secure-by-design architectures for mission-critical systems operating in highly regulated environments.

At Carnegie Mellon, H. Chunawala became the first person from INI to serve as a Mission Operator for the Iris Lunar Rover, commanding the rover from Earth during the historic Peregrine Mission One launched on January 8, 2024. The Iris mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program—the United States’ first attempt to return to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. Through his role as Space Mission Engineering lead, he established the INI’s first Space Practicum programs, integrating cybersecurity, cloud computing, and space systems. These initiatives have enabled researchers and students across disciplines to collaborate on ongoing space and lunar missions, including the upcoming MoonRanger mission, part of NASA’s Artemis program. H. Chunawala’s contributions to CMU extend beyond research and instruction to mentorship and enduring gifts established in perpetuity at the university. He has been a dedicated supporter of the university’s research and space mission control initiatives, advancing educational and research missions. His contributions reflect a lasting commitment to empowering students and ventures, expanding access to experiential learning, and fostering innovation across science, technology, and engineering disciplines.

H. Chunawala remains active in Carnegie Mellon’s innovation ecosystem through the Swartz Center and its network of founders, researchers, and technologists. He welcomes collaboration with startups in Project Olympus and the broader Swartz community to build, scale, and secure on AWS—across every stage of growth. For founders, innovators, and researchers looking to turn bold ideas into reality on AWS, he can be reached via email.