Motwani Jadeja Foundation
| Abbreviation | MJF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2012 |
| Founder | Asha Jadeja |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, United States |
Region served | United States, India |
| Website | www |
Motwani Jadeja Foundation (MJF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Asha Jadeja in memory of her husband, Rajeev Motwani, a professor of computer science at Stanford University. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the foundation focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and technology policy, with activities across the United States and India.[1][2][3][4]
Background
[edit]Rajeev Motwani was known for his contributions to computer science and for mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs, including the co-founders of Google.[5][6] The foundation was established to continue supporting work in emerging markets aligned with these areas.[7]
Programs and initiatives
[edit]The foundation's initiatives include the Rajeev Circle Fellowship,[8] which connects Indian entrepreneurs with mentors and networks in Silicon Valley.[9] Since 2020, it has organized the India Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to highlight Indian startups in areas such as electric mobility, augmented reality, and behavioral science.[10][11] The Impact Fellowship supports social entrepreneurs working on community-driven and scalable solutions.[12]
In India, the foundation backs grassroots innovation through MakerFest, an annual event showcasing interdisciplinary projects, and supports FabLab CEPT, a digital fabrication lab at CEPT University in Ahmedabad. In 2025, it launched the Global Leaders Program, which brought Indian professionals to the World Economic Forum in Davos to engage in discussions on topics like climate change and artificial intelligence.[13]
The Motwani Institute for Thought Leadership in Innovation (MITLI), affiliated with the foundation, organizes policy discussions and academic forums on innovation. In 2024, MJF introduced the Global India Dialogues series to explore India’s role in global innovation networks.[14]
MJF supported the Stanford India Conference, which included panel discussions on India's evolving global role, emphasizing innovation, policy, and entrepreneurship.[15]
Scholarships and inclusion
[edit]The foundation runs the MJ Women in Tech initiative, aimed at mentoring women entrepreneurs from India, Africa, and the Middle East. It also partners with the Foundation for Excellence to offer scholarships to students in India pursuing degrees in engineering and medicine.[16][17]
Partnerships and recognition
[edit]MJF supports international collaborations, including partnerships with organizations such as TiE[16] and the University of California, San Diego. It has also co-supported the DRISHTI Initiative, which focuses on defence and emerging technology cooperation between India and Israel, in association with T-Hub and Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development.[18][19]
In 2025, the foundation provided a philanthropic gift to support the 21st Century India Center at the University of California, San Diego, marking its first major contribution to the center’s research and programming.[20]
Leadership
[edit]The foundation is led by Asha Jadeja Motwani, a Silicon Valley–based philanthropist and early-stage technology investor.[4][21][22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | Strategic Synergies: India-US Technology Cooperation | Hudson Institute". www.hudson.org. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Asha Jadeja Motwani, Founder, Jadeja Motwani Foundation". India Today. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ covaipost (2020-01-21). "WEF2020: ASHA to Lead India's Contribution towards Addressing Global Challenges". Covaipost. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ a b "Impact Investing & Scaling Social Ventures in South Asia | Stanford Humanities Center". shc.stanford.edu. 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Helft, Miguel (2009-06-11). "Rajeev Motwani, Guide in the Creation of Google, Dies at 47". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ archive, From our online (2012-05-15). "Google mentor Rajeev Motwani dies". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Trump ropes in best brains from Silicon Valley, says Indian-American investor". India Today. 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ GLOBE, NEWSWIRE (2022-05-19). "Asha Jadeja Announces Rajeev Circle History Scholars Program". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | Strategic Synergies: India-US Technology Cooperation | Hudson Institute". www.hudson.org. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja Foundation Leads India Pavilion at CES 2025". ANI News. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja Foundation Leads India Pavilion at CES 2025". The Tribune. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja Foundation launches Impact Fellowship to elevate India's social impact leaders globally". ANI News. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ www.ETCISO.in. "Motwani Jadeja Foundation facilitates 10 Indian leaders at WEF, Davos - ET CISO". ETCISO.in. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja Foundation's Global India Dialogues set to begin on January 17 - Motwani Jadeja Foundation's Global India Dialogues set to begin on January 17 BusinessToday". Business Today. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "India's Global Role Examined at Stanford India Conference - indica News". 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b ANIDesk, ANI (2023-11-08). "Motwani Jadeja Foundation and TiE Women Forge Transformative Three - Year Partnership". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Amplifying Voices of Social Innovators: TheCSRUniverse Interview with Asha Jadeja, Founder of MJF, and Deval Sanghavi, Co-founder & Partner at Dasra". The CSR Universe. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Today, Telangana (2024-12-12). "T-Hub in collaboration with Israel launches tech initiative DRISHTI". Telangana Today. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "CNAS Launches New Initiative with Support from the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation on "Realizing the Potential of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership"". CNAS. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "21st Century India Center Receives Significant Philanthropic Gift". today.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "21st Century India Center Receives Significant Philanthropic Gift". today.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Menon, Rashmi (2018-04-26). "16 yrs on, Asha Jadeja Motwani regrets not having invested in Facebook". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-05-06.