Draft:Sidd Ahmed

= Sidd Ahmed =

Sidd Ahmed (born Syed Sayeed Ahmed; born March 13, 1971) is an Indian-born American entrepreneur, businessman, and motivational speaker. He is the founder and president of VDart Inc.

Early life and education
Sidd Ahmed was born the youngest of 6 siblings in Tiruchirappalli, India to a family of modest means. Growing up, his father and mother struggled to make a living and support the family. With great effort, they managed to send him and only him to English-medium Anglo-Indian Schools, Campion Higher Secondary School and St. Johns Vestry Higher Secondary School in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Sidd was reportedly a poor student at university, maintaining below-average grades while working towards a degree in computer science, but discovered his love for salesmanship and building relationships, which drove his career path in the future.

Career
Sidd began work as a salesman of educational software in Tiruchirappalli from 1993 to 1996, after which he joined Aptech in Chennai. At this job, while living and working with software engineers, he was introduced to the concept of IT recruitment, an industry he would join to great success in the future. He was invited to the United States in 1997 and became a citizen of the United States soon after.

After a decade spent working with small technology companies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Detroit, Michigan, Sidd quit his well-paying job in December 2007 to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, and founded VDart Inc. He managed to flourish the company in the height of the 2008 recession and has continued to run the company to great success. VDart reported a revenue of $242 million in 2022, with 2,400+ employees worldwide.

Sidd has spent the last decade as a motivational speaker alongside his obligations to his several companies, and maintains a large following on Instagram and YouTube where he posts inspirational content for entrepreneurs. He was invited to speak at TEDxIIMTrichy in 2020.

Key milestones
Over his lengthy career, Sidd has received several major awards and accolades, including:


 * Personal Invitee of President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to the first-ever celebration of the Lunar New Year at the White House
 * E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast 2017 award recipient
 * Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) MBE Advocate of the Year 2019
 * Board Member of the Georgia Education Foundation (GMSDC)
 * Vice-Chair to the Staffing Industry Group in MBEIC (Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee)
 * Alumni Advocate at the Georgia Mentor Protégé Alumni Association