hey! i’m samyr. 

samyr-qureshi

founder, advisor, investor, musician

on a mission to help others unlock their full potential.

uae-born, pakistani-american immigrant.

university of florida grad.

short stints @ nielsen, apple, and gartner.

ceo / cofounder @ knack - $15m+ raised to build the leading p2p college tutoring platform.

venture partner & limited partner @ deep acre - backing emerging fund manager specialists, and exceptional founders .

fascinated by online-to-offline ventures, and those that help better humanity.

deploying personal capital and learnings to builders.

some other things…

  • thiel foundation summit pitch competition winner (2015)

  • uf big idea business plan competition winner (2016)

  • emerging tech leader of the year, tampa bay tech (2020)

  • forbes 30 under 30 (2020, education)

  • top 10 under 40, tampa magazine (2021)

  • 40 gators under 40, uf alumni association (2021)

  • 30 under 30, pi kappa phi (2021)

  • “It has been a real pleasure to work with Samyr since the very early days of the company. Samyr has that rare combination of strong founder instincts and a willingness to take and incorporate feedback from others without being whipsawed. I am proud and excited to work with him.”

    Charles Hudson

    Managing Partner, Precursor Ventures

  • Samyr has integrity, grit, and focus. He's also working on an important problem. What's not to love? Talented people gravitate towards Samyr. Each time I connect him with someone in my network he never ceases to impress with his intellect, insight, and eagerness to share. I'm grateful for befriending Samyr and honored to have earned his trust. I'm happy to do whatever is in my power to help him and Knack win.

    Julian Weisser

    Co-Founder & CEO, On Deck

  • “Samyr is a relentless, growth-oriented founder -- leading a team that's shipping product far faster and at a much higher quality than most teams their size. I love working with Samyr.”

    Ryan Delk

    Founder & CEO, Primer

  • “Samyr is smart, driven, and coachable. He constantly executes, working to build momentum quickly.”

    Anthony Pompliano

    Founder & CEO, Professional Capital Management

  • I met Samyr in San Francisco and was blown away by his maturity and thoughtfulness regarding product and marketplace dynamics. I'm incredibly impressed not only with the early organic traction. but also with his scrappiness, hustle, and willingness to learn. His coachability is coupled with a sharp product mindset and thoughtfulness around building a two-sided marketplace. I am eager to continue to work with Samyr and his team going forward.

    Adam Besvinick

    Managing Partner, Looking Glass Capital

  • Samyr is one of the most steely determined startup entrepreneurs I've ever met. He is wise and savvy way beyond his years. He's always in it to win it and doesn't stop till he gets there - and does it with high integrity, consistent communication and respect for others along the way. It's a special talent and character combination you do not commonly find.

    Allen Clary

    Executive Director, USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship

    Chair, TIGER 21

  • Samyr joined my team and had an immediate impact. His most impressive qualities were his emotional intelligence in regards to his customers, his unlimited mindset in thinking what IS possible (versus what isn't), and his grace under pressure. Most importantly, Samyr knows how to successfully leverage his resources and foster relationships while keeping his mind on his number one task: delivering results.

    Michael Kiser

    Vice President, Gartner

let's chat!

let's chat!