Leadership in the most holistic sense always dictates community building and imparting values to the society. The intricacies of an emerging economy aligns with proactiveness in building an effective startup ecosystem. To analyze the very foundation of a business, the conversation can start with the efficacy of the management. It is clear as water that good leaders create great companies and greater teams. Today, Business Outreach Magazine wants our readers to dive into the success story of Abdul Riyaz, whose resilience is marked as a bold statement of success.
A Brief History-
Abdul Riyaz is a visionary leader, who has been working in the corporate industry for more than 12 years. He has witnessed several market trends and has earned the invaluable experience of corporate productivity. Abdul believes that the growth of a nation is parallel to the strength of its startup ecosystem. Bharat is the third largest country with a remarkable startup ecosystem. Abdul Riyaz, being passionate about innovation has helped several startups scale at an impressive rate. He collaborated with about 8 startups which have transitioned into successful unicorns in the market.
There is always an urgency to appreciate legacy and Abdul Riyaz is highly inspired from his father, who has advised him to help others, regardless of the sector. Such compassion towards growth and community motivated Abdul Riyaz to navigate a career as a Corporate Responsibility Manager, moving further towards the sustainable development goals.
Struggles and Success Stories-
In his diverse career, Abdul Riyaz has worked with several top-tier companies. Out of those, he recollects his time as a General Manager at JP Morgan. It was during the daunting time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Abdul strategized a system where he provided health assistance through the volunteer model in Andhra Pradesh. He and his team delivered a monumental positive impact to about 2 lakhs people with a team of more than 100 individuals. Abdul Riyaz also helped raise funds for NGOs through several NGO summits and empowered skill development.
When it comes to education, Abdul has always looked toward seeking knowledge and upskilled himself for the current market. He studied Masters in Computers from Acharya Nagarjuna University, Andhra Pradesh in 2011. He is also Certified CSR Professional Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs – 6, which he completed in 2019. Additionally, Abdul Riyaz did a Master Trainer (Operations & Finance) from National Institute of Rural Development – Hyderabad in 2019.
As an Incubation Manager at one of the premier universities in Andhra Pradesh, Abdul Riyaz is handling more than 200 startup portfolios. With Vignan Group, Abdul Riyaz is helping to raise funds from Central, State and CSR which could scale the startups at a significant level. Abdul is aiming to progress Vignan Group as one of the best incubation centers in the country. While studying the career trajectory of Abdul Riyaz, there is a clear indication of holistic leadership under his belt.
Abdul Riyaz worked for Accenture as a Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Mumbai. While working with the client, UPS, for more than a year, he helped the employment for more than 1500 people during the tough times of the pandemic. During his career, working with HCL, Abdul highly contributed to the project Techbee and evolved it into a new direction for the company’s scalability in the software industry.
Key Takeaways-
Abdul Riyaz has won awards like the Best Employee for the Year -2019 by JP Morgan (India) and the Best Mentor by Business Outlook – 2024. He highly looks toward his insightful experience as a mentor for Bharat’s Startup India mission. Over his career, Abdul Riyaz came across several roadblocks in his life. He cannot focus enough on the importance of building an expansive startup ecosystem in the Tier2 and Tier 3 cities in India. Abdul has always ideated about the beautiful impact of entrepreneurship in these emerging cities.
The pivotal essence of mentorship has always allowed Abdul Riyaz to go above and beyond in helping startups in India. This is the purity of growth and what values humanity should leave behind for the future generations. There is always enough room growth while generating jobs and opportunities for the nation.
Furthermore, Abdul Riyaz also leads Andhra Angel Networks, where he shares his insights and opportunities with other investors. Currently, Abdul has been navigating the progressive trajectory of startups in domains like Agriculture, Waste Management, Renewable Energy. He has been playing a key role in distributing funds of more than Rs. 25 crore under Central Sponsored Scheme Department of Science & Technology (I- NIDHI), MEITY, Startup India Seed Grants, YUVA Programs and creating a magnificent network of Angels & Venture Capitalists with growing startups. In the coming years, Abdul wants to move forward with his objective to help strengthen the startup ecosystem in India. When we asked Abdul Riyaz on his take on success, he said, “Push yourself for you, as no other person can do it for you.”
