David A.

David Ajoku

5.0

(1)

Ex-Apple, NVIDIA, Tesla • 2x Founder + EB-2 Visa — Coaching Int'l founders

Harvard University Logo

Studied at Harvard University

Apple Logo

Worked at Apple

Successful clients at

Available tomorrow at 6:30 PM UTC

Only taking on 3 clients this quarter.

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

David's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $499/hr

Get help with Ideation, Market Research, and .

David also coaches for Career Coaching and MBA. View all.

David’s Startup Founders Qualifications

Coaches professionally

Experience level: Executive

David has helped clients get into these companies:

I run two AI companies while finishing my master's at Harvard. Demystifyd, a career platform serving 2,000+ international students across 38 countries. Aware.ai, an AI maternal health platform. Before founding, I shipped product at Apple, NVIDIA, and Tesla. The U.S. government awarded me an EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card for my work in AI and entrepreneurship. I coach a specific kind of founder: international builders who want to start, scale, and stay in the U.S. — without losing their visa, their company, or their runway in the process. Most founder advice assumes you're a U.S. citizen with no clock running. International founders are operating under conditions almost no startup advice accounts for. The visa decisions you make in years 1-3 of your company shape whether you're still building it in year 7. The fundraising decisions you make affect your immigration options in ways most lawyers and most advisors don't connect. The structure of your company, your role inside it, the timing of when you incorporate, who you raise from, when you file what — all of it interacts with your visa pathway. What I help international founders with: - Founder-track immigration strategy: O-1, EB-2 NIW, and the long game beyond H-1B - Company-building decisions that protect your visa runway (incorporation timing, role definition, fundraising structure) - Positioning your venture for credibility — with investors, with USCIS, with universities and accelerators - Navigating the school question: when grad school helps your venture, when it hurts it, when to defer - AI startup positioning specifically: category, go-to-market, narrative for the current funding climate - Deciding what to build, what to kill, and what to delay — through a founder-with-a-clock lens I'm not an immigration attorney. I'm a founder who built and structured my way through this system, and now I help a small number of others do the same. I take very few founder-track clients per cohort because the work is intensive and the stakes are high. If you're an international builder serious about scaling a U.S.-based company and protecting your future here, book a free 30-minute consult.

David can help with:

Ideation

Market Research

Go-to-Market Strategy

Branding

Web Development

Business Strategy Development

Hiring

Interview Prep

App Development

David also coaches for Career Coaching and MBA. View all.

About David

I came to the United States as an immigrant on an F-1 visa without a clear roadmap. Over time, I built a career working with companies like Apple, NVIDIA, and Tesla, earned degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, and am currently completing my Master’s at Harvard Kennedy School. I also successfully navigated the U.S. immigration system and received an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (green card) based on my work in technology and entrepreneurship. Because of that journey, I understand the unique challenges international professionals face when trying to build a career in the U.S. My coaching focuses on helping immigrants and international students break into elite tech companies, craft powerful professional narratives, and position themselves for long-term immigration success, including strategies around sponsorship, career positioning, and entrepreneurship pathways. In addition to my work in industry, I’m the founder of Demystifyd, a platform dedicated to helping international professionals access better career opportunities and navigate the complexities of building a life and career in the United States. If you're an ambitious international professional looking to break into top tech companies and build a long-term future in the U.S., I’d be excited to work with you.

Why do I coach?

I coach because I remember how difficult it was to navigate my career in the United States as an immigrant. When I first arrived, there was no playbook for how to break into top tech companies, build the right network, or understand how career decisions could affect long-term immigration opportunities. Much of what I learned came through trial and error, mentorship from generous people along the way, and a lot of persistence. That journey eventually led me to opportunities with companies like Apple, NVIDIA, and Tesla, as well as degrees from Carnegie Mellon and Harvard. But I know how overwhelming the process can feel when you're trying to figure it all out on your own. I coach because I want to shorten that learning curve for others. If I can help someone avoid years of confusion, make smarter strategic career moves, and build a stable future in the United States, that’s incredibly meaningful to me. Watching someone gain clarity, confidence, and access to opportunities they didn’t think were possible is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.

Work Experience

Demystifyd Logo

Founder, Chief Product Officer

Demystifyd

2023 - Present

Hiring Manager

AI-powered career platform for international students serving 2,000+ users across 38 countries and 16 universities. Built and shipped from zero. Learn more: www.demystifyd.com

Aware.AI Logo

Founder, CEO

Aware.AI

2022 - Present

Hiring Manager

AI maternal health platform inspired by my mom. Shipped mobile apps on the App Store and Google Play. Drove 70M+ organic views and 100x follower growth through AI-native marketing strategy. Recognized by the U.S. government and awarded an EB-2 National Interest Waiver green card for this work. Learn more: https://www.getaware.ai/for-partners

Oneday Logo

Venture Advisor

Oneday

2025 - 2026

Advised founders on AI product strategy, go-to-market, and fundraising strategies.

Kava Labs Logo

Head of Product Strategy - AI and Blockchain

Kava Labs

2024 - 2025

Owned strategic vision and roadmap for 3 next-generation blockchain products targeting a combined $10B+ market opportunity.

Apple Logo

Senior Engineering Program Manager, iPhone

Apple

2022 - 2023

Led the iPhone 15 engineering program @ Apple

NVIDIA Logo

Product Engineer - Deep Learning GPUs & AI Superchips

NVIDIA

2021 - 2021

Worked on NVDIA Grace chips, and NVIDIA GPUs. Speaker at GTC 2022

Tesla Logo

Product Engineer - Drive System (Model S/X/Y)

Tesla

2019 - 2020

Worked on Tesla model 3, model X, and model S.

CTS Corporation Logo

Chief Engineer - Global Actuators

CTS Corporation

2017 - 2019

Led the end-to-end development of the $0.25 Billion Smart VGT Actuator product from concept to launch, managing a global team of 40+

David was also given offers to work at

  • Meta Logo

    Meta

  • Amazon Logo

    Amazon

Education

Carnegie Mellon University Logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Masters, Engineering & Technology Management

Distinguished Alumni | Tartan on the Rise: https://www.cmu.edu/engage/events/tartans-on-the-rise/2026/david-ajoku

Carnegie Mellon University Logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Masters, Mechanical Engineering

Licensed U.S. Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Mechanical Engineering Top graduating student: https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2020/december/agma-award.html

Western Michigan University Logo

Western Michigan University

Bachelors, Aerospace Engineering

Top graduating student in class.

Sichuan University Logo

Sichuan University

Study Abroad, Manufacturing Technology

International immersion that informed my early thinking about cross-cultural product development and global supply chains.

Harvard University Logo

Harvard University

Masters, Technology & AI Policy

2025 - 2027

In progress

David was also personally admitted to

  • Tuck School of Business Logo

    Tuck School of Business

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Overall Rating

5.0


David has helped clients get into these companies:

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