Farhad Chowdhury is a seasoned entrepreneur, technologist, and behavior science expert with over 20 years of leadership experience across healthcare, defense, finance, and cybersecurity. He is the Founder and CEO of Vianova AI, a multi-award-winning digital health company revolutionizing patient care through cutting-edge technology and behavioral insights.
Farhad is the founder of the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program at George Mason University (GMU) and serves on the board of Mason Enterprise, which supports over 8,100 businesses across Virginia. He is also involved in GMU’s $250M Digital Innovation Center, an anchor of the DC innovation corridor. This transformative initiative is advancing AI, robotics, and entrepreneurship with an accelerator and early-stage venture fund.
Before Vianova AI, Farhad worked at the Pentagon as a Subject Matter Expert for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, where he developed and modernized key platforms for the Department of Defense's Small Business Industrial Base, including SBIR/STTR programs and BusinessDefense.gov. In recognition of his contributions, he was published in 2016 by Defense Acquisition University for his pioneering work in predictive analytics.
Farhad's expertise extends to behavioral science and habit design, having earned certification from the Stanford Behavior Design Lab under Dr. BJ Fogg, a leading authority in habit science. He leverages this expertise to drive meaningful behavior change and innovation in healthcare technology.
As a founder, Farhad has led multiple successful ventures. From 2009 to 2016, he ran a software company serving federal, defense, and commercial clients across three countries. Prior to that, he managed a government contracting firm and served as Software and Cybersecurity Lead for prestigious clients such as the U.S. Census Bureau, UK Census, FEMA, DHS, Veterans Affairs, FAA, IBM, and GDIT.
Born and raised in New York, Farhad comes from one of America’s oldest Bangladeshi families, whose rich legacy of civic service and community leadership is chronicled in the book Bengali Harlem.
