Jose Mejia was born into a working class family in rural Venezuela. Learning was an area where Jose excelled and he earned a scholarship to attend a private high school for wealthy students, where he privately tutored many of his schoolmates. While his high school experience provided Jose with the cornerstone of his education, it was the lessons that his mother taught him at an early age that have provided him with the true foundation of his life.
Eager to continue his education, Jose moved to the United States alone at age 16 with only 100 dollars. While working 5 different jobs he attended the University of Michigan and earned a Bachelor’s of science degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering. Eventually Jose also earned an MBA in Finance and Operations Research from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business as well as an honorary doctorate from the W.P. Carey Graduate School of Business at the Arizona State University.
Jose is a technology savvy leader and extremely astute at reading the true under-currents of a situation. Jose has been involved in the launch of more than 5 start-ups world-wide: Bay Networks, Ariba, Grandata, Rapidsos. He has been engaged in over 48 Mergers & Acquisitions valued between 20 MM to over 30 Billion dollars. He has written and worked on the transformation of the IT world and how to execute the digitalization of the enterprise, using his knowledge of transforming functional verticals like manufacturing,
procurement and the Hardware/server side of enterprises.
Jose was President and Company Officer at Lucent Technologies where he led: Fiber-Optics business, Wireless deployment, Ventures Group, Cable and Semi-conductor businesses as well as Worldwide Operations and the Customer Support and Installation organization. He had worldwide responsibilities, across 70+ countries and a high of over 80 thousand people and 37 Manufacturing facilities. He also led a significant portion of Bell Labs researchers where he led the largest Patent Portfolio unit in the world with
over 38 thousand patents. He was a key driver of companies like Bay Networks (the first company to create routers for the internet), Ariba, Alliente, e2open, etc.
As the President and Chief Operating Officer of RapidSOS, Jose A. Mejia leads the world’s most advanced AI-driven safety platform, which processes over 4 billion data payloads annually to enhance emergency responses and save 4 lives per minute. With a proven track record of driving innovation and scaling businesses, Jose has formed strategic partnerships with major tech companies including Apple, Google, and Microsoft, revolutionizing public safety communication and delivering impactful results for first responders
and emergency services worldwide. Jose’s leadership at RapidSOS has resulted in substantial growth and transformation. Under his guidance, the company has achieved:
• A 174% increase in ARR, raising over $250 million in capital and doubling the company’s valuation within 12 months.
• The management of 4+ billion data payloads across 15,000+ first responder agencies, significantly improving emergency response times and outcomes. 24/7 99999 Requirement
A visionary in AI, data management, and machine learning, Jose and team have positioned RapidSOS as a critical player in public safety technology, leveraging AI to handle life-saving data securely and efficiently. His expertise in scaling SaaS platforms and creating transformational business strategies has made him a sought-after advisor and board member for companies looking to navigate technological disruptions and pursue strategic growth. Jose has been involved in new automotive models to new glass and plastic containers to personal computers and network systems. From fiber optics to power supplies to fuel cells, memory chips and complex semiconductor products, AI/ML. He has broad and deep knowledge in many industries.
Jose is the recipient of the “Ellis Island” Medal of Honor. The Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation named Jose “Engineer of the Year”.
Jose founded an abandoned children’s foundation called Unamos.org in Venezuela in 2001, which helped over 30 thousand abandoned children from the streets and provided them with education, many are college graduates today. He is a Board member at RapidSOS, University of Michigan Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office. He served for 8 years as the operating Board member of Pella Windows and Doors and Liberty Property Trust. He is active in helping small and Medium size business grow and create jobs in underdeveloped countries and advises many family owned enterprises.
admin
Founder and operator focused on building sustainable growth with high-performing teams.
