Stefan Nguyen

Career started with HP and Oracle. Went on to co-found Xignite in 2000 with Stephane Dubois. Attended Columbia then started Next Ignite and recently launched first incubated company, Xfluential.

San Diego, California, United States
Member since April 16, 2012

San Diego entrepreneur. Co-founder of Xfluential, LLC and Xignite. Trustee at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Columbia and Northwestern alum. Avid tennis player and runner. Quote_down

About

Education

1989 Northwestern University , BS , Electrical Engineering

2007 Columbia Business School , MBA , Entrepreneurship, Finance

I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

If you're an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?

I'm bursting with ideas!

My favorite startups:

Four Square

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

Having an idea that you truly believe in. It can be an extremely lonely path, and yet exhilarating when the idea gets traction.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?

Naivete...not calibrating one's ideas to the market to see whether it is ahead of its time or behind the times.

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

Having confidence and faith in what I create, always remembering and forcing myself to calibrate my ideas, and then working my butt off to come through when it counts the most.

Full bio

Software engineer with business training. BSEE from Northwestern and MBA from Columbia Business School.

Co-founded MindShare Solutions in 1996.

Co-founded Xignite in 2000.

Founded Next Ignite in 2011.

Launched Xfluential, LLC as first incubated company out of Next Ignite in 2012.

Currently resides in San Diego.