CEO | ZtartUp.com, CEO | Intelligent Beings, Partner | KUBE VC, Director | mU Holdings.inc
Director | Murgency International
It takes a lot to retain an edge in the competitive and fast-paced business world of Dubai. And Dr V Francis John is rapidly shooting skywards in the arena thanks to his incredible growth-oriented entrepreneurial mindset and intelligent moves.
He dons multiple hats, from the CEO of ZtartUp.com and Intelligent Beings to the Director of mU Holdings.inc and Partner at KUBE VC.
The exceptional visionary has a long list of start-ups under his belt, embodying the very essence of someone who converts obstacles into avenues of opportunity. Through his endeavours, he empowers every life he touches in the process.
Born into a middle-class family in India, the rebellious young John showed signs of the man he would become as early as his teenage years.
The independent teenager displayed the business acumen that would grace his career by taking on work as a DJ, then scaling up and transitioning it into a large and very commercial operation.
He soon established himself in the cultural & entertainment industry and was working with top-end theatre groups, performers, artists and musicians while still in school.
The precocious young technophile spent his early twenties in the sound technology industry, having been a part of approximately 300+ theatrical and musical productions in India, encompassing hundreds of cast members at a professional level.
John’s enterprising genius has earned him a place in a wide and exhaustive list of organizations, associations, forums & platforms including think tanks such as the World Economic Forum, the World Business Angels Forum, the Forbes Business Council, MIT Technology Review and the Economic Corporate Network.
Uplifting Talent
A hyper-curious entrepreneurial dynamo, John’s interest in the world is avid and far-reaching. He soon threw himself into the business world and now stands at the helm of his enterprises.
His role as a venture capitalist Partner in KUBE VC has involved uplifting a large number of startups within the services, commercial products, technology, and media sectors with a special focus on the arts.
As the CEO of a novel Dubai-based first of it’s kind tech business incubator and accelerator; ZtartUp.com, he has supported 16 startups from 9 sectors.
ZtartUp was founded in 2019 and is the only incubator in Dubai with professionals with 200+ years of cumulative pedagogy playing such an active role in mentoring and guiding budding young talent in admin, marketing, legal and auditing skills.
The corporate leader decided to fly in the face of convention and keep a brick-and-mortar office as a base for the ZtartUpNetwork to work its magic.
Equitable Learning
John maintains that anybody can become a leader, given enough coaching, mentoring and advice. However, he believes deeply in leading by example and is happy to see his staff learn and transform themselves into entrepreneurs by investing in their early careers towards becoming the leaders and CEOs (Chief Enablement Officers) of tomorrow.
The Spirit of Humanity
John learned how to convert people’s negative energy into positive motivation for himself during his early years. He has found this learning to be so valuable over the years that he titled his firstbook ‘VFJ – Very Foolish John’; the monicker that a sharp-tongued teacher had given him in school. It is easy to envision the experience teaching him to do the same for others in a professional capacity.
While at work he connects with innumerable people and pushes them to their higher selves, he doesn’t neglect to do the same for himself. Deeply spiritual, he continues to work to reach a higher spiritual existence and practices Yoga and intense meditation.