In an awkward interview on NBC Bay Area's Press:Here, the CEO of Chicago-based Nin Ventures defended adding Gurbaksh Chahal--a Silicon Valley entrepreneur known for his involvement in multiple cases of domestic violence--to the firm's advisory board.
Press:Here host Scott McGrew began the segment by stating how surprised he was that Nin Ventures CEO Nin Desai agreed to come on the program, given the backlash the young VC firm received after it announced via a press release that Chahal would be joining its advisory board. What followed was a strange back and forth between Desai, McGrew and the program's other guests--Pando Daily's Sarah Lacy and USA Today tech editor Laura Mandaro--as Desai dismissed questions about Chahal's sordid past and her decision to add him to the advisory board.
"I personally find Mr. Chahal to be a thorough gentleman," Desai said. "As far as the ad tech industry is concerned, that’s why we brought him on--to disrupt the ad tech industry."
The panelists peppered Desai with questions about whether she had any concerns about Chahal's past, what a move like this means for a tech industry that has been criticized for its issues around diversity and inclusion, and why she wanted to add a person with Chahal's alleged crimes in the first place.
"He’s a perfect fit for our board," Desai said, adding, "I’m very comfortable having him on our board."
Chahal was accused of beating a woman inside his penthouse apartment in 2013, kicking her 117 times in an attack that was caught on security camera footage. Chahal struck a deal in 2014 to plead guilty to lesser misdemeanor assault charges to avoid jail time, agreeing to three years of probation.
In July of this year a judge ruled that Chahal violated his probation when he was accused of kicking another woman in the same apartment in September 2014. Chahal also allegedly threatened to report the woman to immigration officials after she requested a restraining order.
Chahal was sentenced to a year in prison, but the sentence was stayed pending an appeal.
As McGrew notes in the interview, Chahal is an accomplished entrepreneur who sold his first company, ClickAgents, for $40 million; his second company, BlueLithium, was acquired by Yahoo for $300 million. But when asked about why a small VC firm with relatively little press would invite criticism by hiring Chahal, Desai said, "We have received positive feedback from all the investment community and people we have met in general."
At the end of the interview, McGrew gives Desai a chance to talk about Nin Ventures' investments that have paid off and deals she is proud of, which Desai mostly sidesteps, saying that she's "invested in disruptive technology with a disruptive idea when it comes to venture capital."
It's not clear what specific investments Nin Ventures has made--if any--since it launched in 2013. The firm doesn't list any portfolio companies on its website and doesn't list any investments on Crunchbase. The firm, which hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment, says it uses a crowdfunding approach where accredited investors can invest in the fund with a minimum investment of $100,000.
For now, at least in the public eye, Nin Ventures remains best known for appointing an alleged serial abuser to its advisory board.
You can watch the Press:Here video here.
Screengrab via Press:Here
