Confessions of a serial entrepreneur: Rob Bakshi
Learn from the CEO of Active Witness, who’s already built two acquired companies, on how to create scalable, disruptive ventures – even in economic headwinds.
Rob Bakshi can’t seem to keep himself away from good business. The serial entrepreneur’s first venture, surveillance tech firm Silent Witness, was a public company that was acquired by its largest customer in 2003. His second venture, communications technology outfit Apivio, was also a public company that was acquired in 2017. Now onto his third sizeable business, Active Witness, Bakshi doesn’t anticipate it to be his last. “Once this company is acquired, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna run a company again,” Bakshi tells Vancouver Tech Journal.
Vancouver Tech Journal: Can you describe your journey as an entrepreneur so far?
Rob Bakshi: I've been building businesses all my life. I’ve never worked for anybody in my life. My strength is really in early stage startups: basically a concept, to manufacturing, to marketing, to distribution. And once the company gets to a certain stage and becomes a corporation, I always get bought out for some reason.
My go-to industry is technology. I love technology; I love solving problems. I've been on boards and invested in many different aspects of industries, from retail chains to construction, food and beverage, and biopharma. Some have worked really well, some have not worked. That's the life of a good entrepreneur.
VTJ: What perspective do you bring to your ventures?