At 80 years old, Kanwal Rekhi, a self-made Indian-American millionaire, Silicon Valley pioneer and mentor to thousands, has chronicled his remarkable rise and lifelong mission to empower others in a new book titled The Ground Breaker. The memoir, released on February 23, 2026, charts Rekhi’s journey from a young graduate student in Michigan to the first Indian-American founder to take a venture-backed company public on the NASDAQ, then goes further, sharing the hard-earned lessons he now uses to help other entrepreneurs thrive.
Rekhi’s story embodies classic elements of the American Dream including discipline, innovation and resilience but it is his dedication to lifting others that defines his legacy today. Despite facing early cultural barriers in the tech world, Rekhi went on not only to build and lead successful ventures like Excelan, a networking pioneer in Silicon Valley, but also to co-found TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global organisation that supports and mentors entrepreneurs around the world. Through TiE, he has invested in over 200 startups and counselled more than 10,000 founders, a testament to his belief that success is most meaningful when shared.
