Dr. Dinesh Patel

A native of Zambia, Africa, Patel earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Gujarat University, followed by his master’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. In 1979, he earned his Ph.D. in pharmacy from the University of Michigan.

Patel has become known across the country for his business ventures. He is the co-founder of vSpring Capital, a Salt Lake City-based investment firm where he is currently founder emeritus - it is now known as Signal Peak Ventures and manages more than $450 million. He is also a primary angel investor in at least 20 IT and biotechnology companies, including TheraTech (which he co-founded and which was acquired by Watson Pharmaceuticals (now Actavis) for $350 million), and Ashni Naturaceuticals, where he was formerly CEO.

Additionally, Patel holds 15 patents in both the U.S. and abroad. In 2006, he was awarded the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In 2009, he received the University of Michigan’s College of Pharmacy’s Alumni Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2013, he was awarded the Willem J. Kolff  Lifetime Achievement Award from BioUtah.

Dr. Dinesh Patel currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Kalpana.  They are the parents of two children, Ashish and Avni, and three grandchildren.