| Abbreviation | MJF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2012 |
| Founder | Asha Jadeja |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, United States |
Region served | United States, India |
| Website | www |
Motwani Jadeja Foundation (MJF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Asha Jadeja in memory of her husband, Rajeev Motwani, a professor of computer science at Stanford University. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the foundation focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and technology policy, with activities across the United States and India. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Rajeev Motwani was known for his contributions to computer science and for mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs, including the co-founders of Google. [5] [6] The foundation was established to continue supporting work in emerging markets aligned with these areas. [7]
The foundation's initiatives include the Rajeev Circle Fellowship, [8] which connects Indian entrepreneurs with mentors and networks in Silicon Valley. [9] Since 2020, it has organized the India Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to highlight Indian startups in areas such as electric mobility, augmented reality, and behavioral science. [10] [11] The Impact Fellowship supports social entrepreneurs working on community-driven and scalable solutions. [12]
In India, the foundation backs grassroots innovation through MakerFest, an annual event showcasing interdisciplinary projects, and supports FabLab CEPT, a digital fabrication lab at CEPT University in Ahmedabad. In 2025, it launched the Global Leaders Program, which brought Indian professionals to the World Economic Forum in Davos to engage in discussions on topics like climate change and artificial intelligence. [13]
The Motwani Institute for Thought Leadership in Innovation (MITLI), affiliated with the foundation, organizes policy discussions and academic forums on innovation. In 2024, MJF introduced the Global India Dialogues series to explore India’s role in global innovation networks. [14]
MJF supported the Stanford India Conference, which included panel discussions on India's evolving global role, emphasizing innovation, policy, and entrepreneurship. [15]
The foundation runs the MJ Women in Tech initiative, aimed at mentoring women entrepreneurs from India, Africa, and the Middle East. It also partners with the Foundation for Excellence to offer scholarships to students in India pursuing degrees in engineering and medicine. [16] [17]
MJF supports international collaborations, including partnerships with organizations such as TiE [16] and the University of California, San Diego. It has also co-supported the DRISHTI Initiative, which focuses on defence and emerging technology cooperation between India and Israel, in association with T-Hub and Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development. [18] [19]
In 2025, the foundation provided a philanthropic gift to support the 21st Century India Center at the University of California, San Diego, marking its first major contribution to the center’s research and programming. [20]
The foundation is led by Asha Jadeja Motwani, a Silicon Valley–based philanthropist and early-stage technology investor. [4] [21] [22]