The George Mason University alumni presence in Northern Virginia is significant, with notable entrepreneurial graduates creating businesses, launching products, and contributing to the institution’s economic impact of the region, which is estimated at over $3 billion annually.
Meena Krishnan, founder and CEO of Inoventures and CEO of SciMetrika, is a classic example…and classic Mason success story, part of the initial cohort of systems engineering graduates in the late 1980s.
Meena’s roots are in Madurai, India, and her success in her adopted country is no surprise, given her family was of some consequence, going back a century. Her great-grandfather was Suryanarayana Sastriar, a linguist who was so accomplished that the Indian government released a postage stamp with his image in 2007. Her grandfather was a public health officer, running a printing press on the side to publish his father’s works.
“My family was into the performing arts and languages, while excelling in academics,” Meena said. “I’m very proud to be in the line-up of wonderful intellectuals.”
Her first masters was in Econometrics from the University of Madurai, where she was valedictorian and received the Dean’s Gold Medal. She subsequently received a full paid tuition to pursue her PhD and by then she had already turned her eyes toward international studies. But it was London that had her attention, not the United States.
But then… “My eventual husband was visiting India from the U.S. Our families knew each other, so when things worked out and we decided to get married and move to the United States, my family was very happy. They supported me, but I’m sure it was a little scary for them, as I was the youngest and the only daughter.” She noted that staying in touch with her family across the world was a challenge at that time. “A phone call home to India was something like $3 per minute!”
After getting settled in Northern Virginia and considering higher-ed options, she said, “George Mason welcomed me with both hands.” The Systems Engineering program particularly intrigued her, and it was relatively unique at the time. “It’s engineering, but it’s about how you can be more efficient. ‘Agile thinking’ is popular these days and I call systems engineering ‘the father of agile thinking.’ It breaks down a process into different systems so one can focus fully on the system on hand. I apply this systems process even today in my role as a CEO. My typical day involves attending to anything that might need my attention around the company—it could be business development, employee relations, or program management—but using the systems engineering process helps me get my job done efficiently and effectively, no matter what problem needs resolution.”
She landed a job with Verizon directly out of college, where she received positive mentorship in a collaborative environment. After 10 years, she decided to help her husband Shiv at the business he had started, Indus Corporation.
“I learned a piece of all aspects of the business…but I never impacted his decision making because I wanted to remain married,” she said, laughing.
Her career was on solid footing when she suffered a devastating personal loss. While on a trip home to India, her mother, brother, and his two daughters died in a car accident. In that moment, the sobering realization that she was an orphan overwhelmed her.
“I was stunned and didn’t know how to proceed. After several months of reflection I felt like I needed to get back to my values and move forward. After all, my daughters were observing me. I realized I need to live my life. Change was the only constant and facing it head on was the only option. I wanted to leave a legacy for the departed loved ones.” With that determination, she enrolled and graduated from the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton Business School and brushed up key business skills.
In 2014 she started Inoventures, a technology company focused on innovative software and application development and systems integration. She followed that in 2018 with the purchase of SciMetrika, a company that has been providing Public Health solutions for 20 years. Working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other Health and Human Services agencies, SciMetrika works to fight the spread of infectious diseases like COVID 19, malaria in India, and Ebola in Africa. The company has also worked on several projects with Indian Health Services to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs. In addition, the company works with the CDC's Radiation Emergencies division, providing support and training for state emergency departments to react in the event of a nuclear radiation fallout.
In addition to her dual CEO role, Meena stays active on various regional boards such as FVC Bank and is chairman of her family’s non-profit foundation, Save a Child Now. She regularly visits her two daughters, Preeti and Priya, in New York City, where one is a lawyer and the other recently started an AI-based tech firm. “They are very busy young women who inspire me,” she said. “If I have a dull moment, I look at them and think, ‘I have to get up and run!’” She has a grandchild, Kion Vijay, who is almost two and who Meena is clearly thrilled with. In her sparse free time, as a lifelong dancer, she creates choreography routines for friends, particularly for weddings and other celebratory events.
Her Mason connection contributes to her success, even to this day. “In this region we have a lot of entrepreneurs who are Mason alums and that speaks to the relationship we all have as part of this community. Nicole Washington (wife of Mason President Greg Washington) hosts an entrepreneur women leaders’ group and I always look forward to attending this forum. We discuss very relevant and current issues that impact our nation. The university experience doesn’t stop once they send you off.”
To current students she advises not to be overcome with the amount of work at hand. “If you work hard and show you have substance to offer, the rest follows. It seems daunting at times and you may wonder how you’ll ever apply what you’re learning. But hang in there and remember that there’s no substitute for hard work.
“Life is very short; create your legacy.”