Somik Raha is a Senior Associate at Ulu Ventures. He brings a mix of two backgrounds – Computer Science and Decision Analysis.

Somik has a PhD in Decision Analysis from Stanford University’s Department of Management Science and Engineering. His PhD research was on aligning decisions with values. He enjoys digging deeper into the magical creativity that results when metrics emerge from a deep connection with our values. In particular, he defines success not by financial metrics, but by our being able to bring out to the world what feels deeply sacred within us. The financials are deeply important and instrumental in helping what we are moved by find its way in the world.

On the computer science front, he has been programming since he was 12, and enjoys not just what is built with technology but also how it is built. He believes that good design is an expression of caring and respect for one’s own work and for collaborators. In a past life, Somik was a coach with Industrial Logic helping large organizations to be agile. He started his professional career in Japan as System Architect and Product Manager at a startup that built the world’s first photo-sharing application on the internet and on mobile phones. Prior to joining Ulu, Somik was Head of Product at SmartOrg, where he led a team to build the world’s first Excel-based Portfolio Decision Analysis platform on the cloud. He deeply values the Ten Commandments of Product Development.