Vito Prasad’s Biography
Vito Prasad is studying for his MBA with a focus on Technology Management and Entrepreneurship at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles, California. His career spans various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, aerospace, and AI-driven product management. He combines a passion for AI and product development with his extensive technical background. He aims to leverage his diverse experience to excel as a product manager within AI, consumer products, and complex technology sectors.
At UCLA, he is Co-President of the Japan America Business Association and vice president of Alumni and Corporate Relations for the Anderson Video Game Business Association. These roles allow him to foster strong connections across industries and cultural boundaries, enriching his academic experience.
In AI product management, Vito is committed to empathetic leadership. He focuses on understanding user challenges and simplifying complex problems to create impactful product features. During his MBA, he contributed as a Product Manager at DocDraft, an AI-assisted consumer legal platform. Here, he led the development of an AI-powered feature for generating documents, which resulted in a 40% cut in creation time and a 50% boost in subscription conversions. His initiative to shift to a subscription-based model, backed by thorough research, doubled the monthly recurring revenue.
Vito also introduced an innovative AI feature for matching customers with attorneys, improving the service based on user feedback, which enhanced customer satisfaction by 30%. This role enabled him to blend his technical skills with market insights to improve user engagement and business growth.
Before joining DocDraft, Vito worked as a Systems Engineer in Contamination Control at Northrop Grumman on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This role culminated in his childhood fascination with space exploration, nurtured during annual visits to space camps and the NASA Ames Research Center. His contributions were crucial in the successful launch of the JWST, which allowed humanity to observe the cosmos with unprecedented clarity.
Following his time on the JWST project, he took on the Lead Systems Integration Engineer role within Northrop Grumman's Strategic Systems Division. He led a cross-functional team on a multi-satellite project, delivering detailed analyses and performance studies that influenced product development and strategy.
Additionally, Vito worked as a Manufacturing Engineer at SpaceX, focusing on propulsion and fluid systems for the Falcon 9 rocket. His work contributed directly to SpaceX's mission of reducing space travel costs and enhancing the reliability of reusable rocket technology.
Vito's experience also extends to management consulting, where he served as a Senior Business Analyst in Kearney's Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, and Transportation Practice. He optimized international supply chains and distribution strategies for electric vehicles, significantly reducing lead times, constraining costs, and enhancing client service delivery and operational efficiency.
At Pearl Therapeutics, a part of AstraZeneca, Vito was instrumental in doubling production efficiency within three months through innovative process controls. He also managed international technology transfers and equipment validation for FDA-approved respiratory treatments, tripling the global supply.
Vito has committed to community service by participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program and as a COVID-19 Vaccine Site Volunteer.
Born to first-generation immigrant parents in a multilingual home, Vito's upbringing was enriched by diverse cultures and languages. His curiosity was evident from a young age, with his first word being "why." He speaks fluent Japanese, influenced by his years living in Japan and his early love for Pokémon.
Vito graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, where he was deeply involved in student leadership and engineering projects.
Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Vito is an avid coffee brewer and enjoys visiting Japanese whiskey distilleries. His interest in brewing led to a stint at Anchor Brewing Company, where he learned about large-scale brewing operations. He is also an accomplished tennis player and a longtime runner and enjoys birdwatching, cooking, film analysis, and curating travel experiences for friends.