Deb Gangopadhyay
Cues and Views
Emerging technology founder Deb Gangopadhyay, in brief.
Home: United States. Age: Mid-30s. Birthplace: United States. Profession: Technology leadership (cutting edge transportation, e-commerce, consumer apps). Organization: Beam Mobility. Title: Co-founder and President. Pronouns: He/Him/His. Significant other: Gaukhar. Alma mater: Yale University. Languages spoken: English, Bengali.
Current project: Bringing affordable, sustainable transportation into cities that produce a net benefit for all citizens. Recent recognition: Forbes 30 under 30. Latest contribution to others: Working with the Open Mobility Foundation as an elected Steering Committee member to help local governments and operators work together to produce the best transportation solutions for cities. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Moving to Asia in 2018 to start one of the fastest growing technology companies, operating across several countries in APAC. Hobbies: Tennis, golf, meditation. Recent travel or adventure: Living and traveling the last seven years, all across Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Korea,Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand). Last book read: Elon Musk, by Walter Isaacson. Recently viewed and recommended: Anything sci-fi/futuristic. Recent unique acquisition: A home base, finally, after traveling constantly for seven years.
Personality profile: Open, witty, extroverted, supportive. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Supportive. Moral compass: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to see the best. How do you define a perfect friendship? Never having to think about or evaluate it; it just feels right. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Trust, shared goals, respect, empathy. What is your greatest joy? Doing something I’ve never done before. What is your guilty pleasure? TV dramas. What word or phrase do you use far too often? Absolutely. What natural talent have you neglected? Singing. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Musicians and athletes, especially tennis players.
What emojis best describe you? 🙃🤔.
What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Something that brings peace or long-term happiness, e.g., quality time with people. What is at the top of your bucket list? Travel throughout Africa and South America. How do you relieve stress? Meditation. What is your go-to workout? Tennis. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Living in the moment no matter what I’m doing.
What was your first paying job? Selling lemonade and snacks from Costco at the local park. What was your favorite college course? Psychology. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Warcraft III. What book have you repeatedly read? Harry Potter. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Lord of the Rings. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? My uncle who worked as an engineer, retired, and then studied law to help those who couldn’t afford legal support. What’s the best advice you received in your career? You never know what’s around the corner. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? Anything that helps with measuring and improving sleep. What is your favorite app? Podcasts. What is your go-to source of news and information? I go to multiple sites to understand what’s going on, and when very different sites report the same thing, that’s when I see it as news. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? Meditation. What company or organization do you most admire? Any company that has had a strong mission and stuck to it through thick and thin, like SpaceX.
What is your big idea? Still figuring it out, but I want to solve a problem that’s so interesting and close to my heart that it never feels like I’m working. What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Creating long-term impact, on lives (today, that’s cities through micromobility, but I think this will always be an important theme for me). What change would you like to see in the world? Better understanding of peace and mental health. What message do you want to send out into the world? In anything, the current situation is better than you think it is, and there are always opportunities to vastly improve it.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Soaring. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Matthew McConaughey. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Family I never got to know. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A doctor. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Probably nothing, I believe everything can be replaced. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Thinking, and spending time with people. What advice would you give your younger self? Live in the moment. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? All of them; just living more in the moment and not worrying about the future.
Personal mission: Making all parts of my life be filled with passion and feellike play. Personal motto: Almost everything can be exciting.
