Business Insider: UC tech leader had humble origins
Venture capitalist Vinod Dham got his start with a study abroad loan from UC
Business Insider named University of Cincinnati alumnus Vinod Dham to its list of 13 immigrants to the United States who became global technology leaders.
According to Business Insider, Dham came from India with $8 in his pocket to pursue his interest in electrical engineering. He worked as a research assistant in UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science and also got a loan from UC to support himself.
After graduating with a master's degree in electrical engineering from UC, he joined Intel where he developed the first flash memory chip and became known as "the father of Pentium."
Today, he works as a venture capitalist.
Also included on Business Insider's list: Google co-founder Sergey Brin (former Soviet Union); PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk (South Africa); former Intel CEO Andy Grove (Hungary) and Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger (Brazil).
Related Stories
Fall grads celebrate their success at commencement
December 12, 2025
The University of Cincinnati recognized more than 2,600 graduates at its fall commencement.
UC awarded nearly $1 million to help fight infant obesity spike
December 12, 2025
University of Cincinnati researcher Cathy Stough spoke with Spectrum News1 about a nearly $1 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to UC to help prevent infant obesity through early nutrition support and family-based interventions.
Celebrating the newest Bearcats on Decision Day
December 11, 2025
The University of Cincinnati admits its newest Bearcats for Fall 2026. Interest in the university is at an all-time high with more than 35,000 applicants for admission. Decision Day was also a time to celebrate 10 new Marian Spencer Scholarship recipients.