Mahendra Nath

College of Science and Engineering, November 2, 2012

Mahendra Nath received a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1965. He came to the United States from his native India with just $800 in his pocket. In two decades he rose to the position of founder, CEO, and President of his own restaurant, hotel, and real estate management organization, Nath Companies located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Prior to pursuing his entrepreneurial goals, he worked for 20 years as an industrial engineer and executive at Sperry Corporation (now Unisys). Nath Companies has been ranked #1 in a list of top minority-owned businesses, #24 of top family-owned businesses, and #78 of top privately held businesses in Minnesota. He is known for combining innovation and vision with sound business strategies and encouraging employees’ entrepreneurial spirit. He was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 2002 and was recognized as Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. Described as generous and civic-minded, he is involved with the Bloomington Rotary and Children’s HeartLink, Normandale Community College, North Hennepin-Community College, Northwestern Health Sciences University, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, to name a few. He is also the founder of Healing Hearts India, the first pan-India nongovernmental organization dedicated to providing life saving treatment to children in India with congenital heart defects. In addition, he has lectured on entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management, Hamline University, and other venues.