Arnab Kumar

Arnab Kumar’s favorite photograph of himself shows him with his head thrown back, his eyes closed, laughing out loud and looking utterly self-confident.

“I used to have it on my LinkedIn profile,” says Kumar, a native of Delhi, India, who came to the U.S. for education and spent the early chapters of his career leading tech privacy teams at Meta’s Instagram and Threads. “I liked the photo because it’s different, but also because that is authentically who I am.”

Kumar left his data privacy role behind when he decided to apply for the Stanford MSx Program.

You quote GSB alum and Nike founder Phil Knight on your LinkedIn page: “There comes a time in every life when the past recedes and the future opens. It’s that moment when you turn to face the unknown. Some will turn back to what they already know. Some will walk straight ahead into uncertainty. I can’t tell you which one is right. But I can tell you which one is more fun.” How does that apply to you?

If there’s one word that describes me well, it’s “explorer.” I’m inherently curious, and I push myself into new spaces and explore new things to push my own understanding and keep an open mind through skills, presence, and leadership. For me, the journey to America wasn’t about American life, but about exploring what the world means.

How did you develop that approach to life and career?

My grandfather was an artist. He used to live in a 100-year-old building, our ancestral house, and I’d go up to his studio with him. I’m a math nerd, so I used to sit and do math for hours, and he would paint. He always felt that art mimicked music because of the frequency with which your eyes can move around to different parts of a painting, how light reflects on other parts of the painting and makes a melody. The picture needs that sense of melody for you to find it pleasing. For me, melody is the moment when you’re physically, mentally, and spiritually in the same place at the same time.

Why did you leave a successful career at Instagram and Threads to enroll in the MSx Program?

The last thing I want is to live a zombie life. I live a life of intention. I want to take meaningful steps to discover the next version of Arnab. I thought Stanford would give me the best shot to be surrounded by the greatest people, teachers, and ideas. I want to know what it means to lead and manage a company well, from finance and operations to running a good company and being an inspirational leader.

Has your experience at GSB made you rethink your ambitions?

I came intending to start a search fund after I graduate. Because I was so mindful of what I wanted to get out of it, I felt Stanford would amplify that goal. Stanford GSB is one of those places where if you have a goal, the school opens doors to places you can never imagine. At Stanford GSB, you sometimes have to pinch yourself with the space and places you are and the people surrounding you.

Why are you interested in search funds?

I’d like to find a company with good potential in a great industry and make it great. I’ve been through journeys in my time at Instagram and in my time consulting and taken small teams with potential and made them great. For me, a search fund is just doing that but at scale. That’s my two- to three-year plan. If we talk about my five- to ten-year plan, I want to take what I’ve learned and give back to India to inspire the next generations of search fund entrepreneurs.

What steered you into the privacy realm of the tech world?

I’ve always worked in privacy because it merges policy and technology. Being a consultant was amazing, but I wanted to do it myself at a company I believe in. I felt the best place to do it would be Meta. It’s on the cusp of innovation every single day. To be able to build a culture of privacy and be pro-consumer at a place like that would be an amazing accomplishment, not just from the outside but from the inside. I was impacting more than one company; I was impacting billions of users with the work I did. Now I want to run a company and make that impact for a company I own.

What do you do outside of work and school to relax?

I love cricket, and I watch every match India plays, even if it’s in the middle of the night. I also love working out and spending time on long walks and hikes with my wife and my family. I’m a very intense person, but hiking relaxes me.

You cite your mother as an entrepreneurial inspiration. Tell us about her.

My mom is probably my biggest inspiration and mentor. She started her own school at age 55! The biggest mentors don’t tell you they’re mentors, but you see their life and it’s an inspiration in itself. I’ve never found someone who was so unconditionally supportive. She trusts and believes in me, but she’s also an entrepreneur herself. She inspired me by doing.

Any specific classes, professors, or experiences that have been particularly helpful?

I’ve taken two courses with lecturer David Dodson, and he was terrific. I learned how to present myself and think through critical details. He has teaching down to a science. That’s who I want to become — an amazing leader professionally, but also a teacher. Stanford GSB faculty inspire me because they’ve often had successful careers and taken the time to give back to their students.

Photos by Elena Zhukova