Kailash Joshi In Indian culture, the knowledge roots run deep TiE is a blend of Silicon Valley culture of wealth creation through entrepreneurship and the ancient Indian tradition of knowledge transfer from generation to generation. In the over 6,000-year history of Indian culture, knowledge has been revered. The tradition of the guru-chela, or teacher-student, was mostly responsible for the generational transfer of the knowledge of scriptures and the arts. Some of this tradition was disrupted in the aftermath of the Mogul and the British rules of India. However, in the knowledge economy, the Indian knowledge tradition is once again emerging with full force, and I anticipate that India will gain significant benefits from this trend. It is my view that knowledge and ideas cannot be passed on from one generation to another by way of tradition alone. Such transfer requires valid knowledge and substance or it will be rejected. One hundred years from now, the world will be inhabited by people unborn today and only knowledge seen valid by them will stay alive . Therefore, the evolution of mankind also means a parallel evolution of knowledge. Guru-chela for a high-tech age The guru-chela (teacher-student, mentor-prot g ) tradition of India was the primary means of knowledge transfer for centuries. In this process persons renowned in the knowledge (gurus) took the budding knowledge seekers (chelas) under their wings and imparted their knowledge in a very disciplined and personalized fashion. This was usually done in a modest setting where a one-on-one relationship was developed over time. The guru took pride in the success of the chela as much as the chela enjoyed the association with a well-known guru. At TiE we have created a mentoring and networking process that blends the entrepreneurial ambitions of the Silicon Valley culture and the ancient Indian tradition of guru-chela relationships. Within such a framework, in Silicon Valley we have hundreds of accomplished entrepreneurs who become gurus and thousands of budding entrepreneurs who are the chelas. Most of this group shares the background of South Asia, where they received their education and developed a strong competitive spirit. They come from middle-class backgrounds and find the Silicon Valley setting ideal for sharing new business ideas. In this process, the mentors impart knowledge and experience to the prot g s, who in turn bring currency of knowledge in their fields to the mentor. It is this two-way nature of the relationship that keeps this mentoring and networking process energized. Mentoring is a face-to-face process requiring intellectual honesty. Typically, the mentoring session is arranged ahead of time and the open and frank discussion lasts about an hour . It is not uncommon for a mentor to suggest that the prot g drop a business idea for specific reasons or suggest a meeting with an expert in the field. In some cases the mentor may agree to join the board of the prot g 's company or introduce potential investors to the company. The mentors are mostly the charter members who are invited to join TiE on the basis of significant past accomplishments as entrepreneurs, business executives, or partners in professional services organizations. Collectively they form a large pool of intellectual capital from which the members can draw. TiE membership is open to all with the payment of a nominal fee. The TiE activities are sustained through membership dues, sponsorship contributions, and the efforts of a large group of volunteers. TiE sponsors include established venture, law, and accounting firms, as well as some of the blue-chip corporations. Both sponsors and volunteers are able to network with the entrepreneurs and participate in their areas of interest. Starting in Silicon Valley, TiE has become one of the most respected networking organizations in the world, as evidenced by the growing number of chapters and the large attendance at its monthly events and the flagship annual TiEcon conference in Silicon Valley. TiE events are always open to the public and take place at each of the TiE chapters around the world. The participants at these events come from various ethnic and national backgrounds. TiE Silicon Valley also supports economic policy analysis at Stanford University in regard to India and engages in relevant discussions with the policy makers in South Asian countries. It is one of TiE's explicit goals to spread the fervor of entrepreneurship and free markets in all countries of South Asia. In summary, TiE sees itself as an organization that unites people and nations for economic value creation in the emerging borderless world. | 