An overview: Commercializing research on brain sciences

 

  • In 2007, Saleem Qureshi’s journey began at Stanford University when his research on brain sciences and neuroplasticity was taken up by his colleagues and faculty members. Saleem saw an immediate need to commercialize his research, and his team created products that addressed issues related to recruitment and selection. This resulted in a number of skill assessment products to facilitate workforce development. Two startups were created through this research, HireLabs and TestedTalent, both of them have had successful exits.
  • In 2017, Saleem took another deep dive into neurosciences to understand how the brain learns, this led to the creation of an EdTech called Lincoln Method that focuses on addressing education inequity and facilitates inclusion.
  • In 2023, Saleem is furthering his work in EdTech in Finland, and is building a portfolio of patents on neuroplasticity by partnering with leading scientists and AI researchers. The patents focus on learning in 3 stages:  understand how the brain consumes content, then how it stores content, and finally helping the brain retrieve content. Saleem has already started the commercialization of his research by launching a Finnish online school, with its first franchise being setup in the US.

 

Yesterday: A journey of entrepreneurship and exits

1998-2001:

  • While studying at Fordham University in New York,  Saleem devised a logic for an online payment collection model and termed it as the eCurrency. He partnered with mid-management members of Citibank and Goldman Sachs and co-founded NetWala. The company launched the e-currency in India. The company was acquired by PSI Net in 2001.

2002-2005

  • Saleem decided to study the field of medicine at City University of New York, and was accredited for discovering a correlation between quantifying molecular behavior and quantifying human behavior. His research took a new turn when he formulated the following equation ∑q ≤ x  This equation was used to map behavior thresholds, and it was commercialized into a matchmaking or match-finding service. The commercialization took place through a New York City-based startup called Zariya Inc.

2006-2008

  • Saleem’s research took him to Stanford University, where his quantification equation ∑q ≤ x was well received by investors within the Stanford network. Saleem received funding for the creation of HireLabs a research lab that would further study human behavior in the workforce.
  • Saleem’s work at HireLabs lead to the creation of a framework of 275 behavior and skill traits present in the workforce. HireLabs collaborated with data from the US Department of Labor’s ONet, and created a framework called Occupation DNA (ODNA).
  • As HireLabs’ work gained notoriety among the Stanford Alumni, Saleem and the HireLabs team were invited by the leadership team at SAGIA in Saudi Arabia to contribute towards creating frameworks for building 6 new economic cities.
  • Saleem brought on faculty members from Stanford to continue his research, he also deferred his career in medicine and focused on the commercialization of the research.

2008-2017

  • Saleem launched an investment vehicle called Assessment Fund, which used all of his research and technology to nurture talent landscape, and actively finance projects through grants in both the public and private sector projects (watch video).
  • Saleem actively engaged in smart city initiatives, with a goal to help policymakers in enhancing the skill set present within their talent pools. A recent example is Saleem’s intimate involvement in the Philippine Talent Map Initiative, through which his goal is to showcase how impact-based training can produce a higher quality workforce.
  • Saleem continues to provide an advisory role to policymakers in the Middle East on skill development for workforce nationalization issues.
  • Saleem is actively engaged in forging public-private partnerships at UN agencies including UNICEF. A recent initiative that is being backed is the 1 Million Youth project, which aims at up-skilling one million youth globally.
  • Saleem’s work in talent development is well documented in through case studies in the banking, insurance and energy sectors

 

Today: Planning the next exit with a Finnish EdTech

  • As Saleem commercializes the Lincoln Method intellectual property, the goal is to build a Finnish schooling platform that is ready for export and teaches students how to use AI tools to get ahead of the curve.
  • Saleem has started strengthening his relationships with Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with Team Finland, and he is also building relationships with the Mayors of cities in the US who would want to integrate a Finnish schooling platform.
  • Saleem is planning to have Finland’s first IPO from the education sector.

 

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