Shri Thanedar - Belgaum to Michigan
Shri was born in 1955 in a village called Chikodi near Belgaum (Karnataka). Like any other lower middle-class child, he did some odd jobs to manage his family expenses. He managed to score only 55% marks in his std-10. After getting a bachelor's degree in chemistry, he went on to do his Masters in the subject from the University of Bombay. He then had a brief stint as a scientist at Mumbai's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
In 1979, Thanedar left for the US when he was 24. He studied for his PhD from the University of Akron in US. He got a doctorate in polymer chemistry. Additionally, he completed his Masters in Business Administration from Fontbonne University. After working as a scientist and a scholar for some days, Thanedar decided to pursue entrepreneurship. In 1990, he purchased Chemir, a small chemical testing laboratory located in St. Louis. Since then, there was no looking back and he created companies like Chemir, Azopharma, and Avomeen Analytical Services. He became a US citizen in 1988.
He often visits India and can speak Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi fluently. He was instrumental in hosting the first Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Meet) in San Jose (USA). He currently lives in Michigan and is elected to the 110-member House of Representatives in Michigan with 93% votes. He is a democrat and represents District 3 in Detroit.
His memoirs are named “Hi Shrinchi Iccha” and “The Blue Suitcase”. These books narrate his journey from ordinary to extraordinary; from poverty to wealth; and from a struggling Indian immigrant to being elected for House of Representatives in Michigan.
Ravindra Zinjurke