SONALI VIJAYAVARGIYA:
 
SONALI VIJAYAVARGIYA




 
 
 
 
 
Founder and Managing Director, Augment Capital LLC in Ann Arbor. Vijayavargiya is an investment banker for early stage technology companies, with an emphasis on the alternative energy sector. She has led several companies through multiple rounds of venture financing and listing. Vijayavargiya is the venture services adviser to NextEnergy, the commercialization consultant to Ann Arbor's SPARK, and a commercialization specialist for TechTown. Previously, she was the assistant vice president of investment banking at Edelweiss Capital Ltd. in Mumbai, India, and also served as the deputy manager of financial advisory services at PriceWaterhouseCoopers there. She is a member of the Ann Arbor Angels, a nonprofit that brings angel investors and early stage technology companies together. She is also a member of the New Enterprise Forum, the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest, and the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium. She received her bachelor's degree in statistics from Fergusson College and her MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, both in Pune, India.


WHERE BORN: "India."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "I learned the most from my grandmother. She's my role model and has immense strength and passion. Over the years I have learned valuable business lessons from my very entrepreneurial bosses and that has greatly shaped how I approach my work today. Professor David Brophy from the University of Michigan Business School has been instrumental in my understanding of the Michigan economy and university technology commercialization."

LAST BOOK READ: "I've been reading two books on two sides of an issue: A Thousand Barrels a Second by Peter Tertzakian, and the other is Unstoppable Global Warming by S. Fred Singer. I'm working a lot with alternative energy companies."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Energy and passion. That's how I approach most of my tasks, with enthusiasm."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "I'm working with early stage alternative energy development technology. This sector is bound to grow. Alternative energy and clean technology are here to stay this time around, not only from an energy security point of view but also from the environmental and sustainability standpoints. Michigan is poised to take advantage of the growth of this sector by not only attracting and deploying new technology, but also creating green jobs. It's headed for tremendous growth."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "I love my BlackBerry."

FAVORITE PLACE: "I enjoyed my stay on Mackinac Island."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "It would definitely be listening to classical music."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Mangos."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "That I actually cook."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "I think of myself as a person who joined the collaboration of making a better future for our community, our region, our country, and the world at large. I am very passionate about my family and the community I am part of."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2014, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.