GURURAJ "Desh" DESHPANDE

Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande is co-founder and chairman of Sycamore Networks, Inc. Dr. Deshpande co-founded Sycamore Networks in 1998 with the vision of creating next-generation optical networking technology that will revolutionize the backbone of the public network. Sycamore has already received numerous awards. The company was named one of the Top 25 Hot Start Ups (Data Communications Magazine), Hot 100 Private Companies (Upside Magazine), Top 100 Companies of the Electronic Economy (Red Herring Magazine) and both Cool Companies for 1999 and Top 10 Picks for 2000 (Fortune Magazine). Sycamore's products received the SuperQuest Award at SUPERCOMM '99 with Williams Communications; the Communications Equipment Award in the Top Ten Hottest Technologies for 1999 from Upside Magazine; and the Top Ten Hottest Technologies from Telecommunications Magazine.

Prior to co-founding Sycamore Networks, Dr. Deshpande was founder and chairman of Cascade Communications. Dr. Deshpande started Cascade in 1990 with a vision to create a new public network for global computer connectivity. Between 1991 and 1997, Cascade grew from a one-person startup to a company with $500 million in revenue and 900 employees. Cascade was named one of the "Top 25 Very Cool Companies" (Forbes Magazine, 1996). In June of 1997, Cascade was acquired by Ascend Communications for $3.7 billion. Prior to Cascade, Dr. Deshpande co-founded Coral Network Corporation in 1988 and was with the company until 1990. Previously, he served in various management positions for Codex Corporation, a subsidiary of Motorola, and taught at Queens University in Kingston, Canada.

Dr. Deshpande has garnered many top industry honors. In 1999, both Red Herring Magazine and Massachusetts Investor's Digest named him one of 1999's Top Entrepreneurs and Dr. Deshpande was named the 1999 Mass High Tech All-Star in the telecommunications industry. He has also been the subject of numerous business and trade press articles. Dr. Deshpande holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in India, an M.E. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in Canada and a Ph.D. in Data Communications from Queens University in Canada.

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