Ashok Rao is an entrepreneur and investor of several successful high technology start ups. He founded ASCENT, the largest trade association for the long distance & wireless industry with over 1,000 member companies, and served as Chairman for its first 2 years. Mr. Rao was the first Indian-American to take a company public on NASDAQ. He founded Midcom Communications in 1990. As CEO and founder, he grew the company into one of the 10 largest long distance carriers with $250 million in annual revenues, cul minating in a successful IPO in July 1995. Mr. Rao was President of the North-American operations of Houston-based Enron Corp from 1996 to 1997. He founded Trex Communications Corporation in December 1997, a Satellite Communications business. TrexCom’s revenues reached $60 million in 2 years. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Rao was CEO of Prime Wave Communications, a broadband wireless access technology start-up with revenues of $50 million. In 2007, Mr. Rao was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Entrepreneurial achievement from his alma mater Marquette University. Mr. Rao is on the Council of Overseers of the Jones Graduate School of Business School of Rice University. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi, and M.S. from Marquette University. Mr. Rao holds a diploma in Financial Management from the London School of Economics. Rao 0.00