More about Donald Doane
Donald Doane is the CEO of ConnectYard. Founded in 2007, ConnectYard specializes in helping colleges and universities tap the power of social media for student recruitment, retention and alumni re-engagement.
Previously, Doane founded OpenDemand in early 2000 and served as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. Doane has been involved with testing and analyzing the performance of Web sites and applications since the first commercial Web load/stress testing tools were introduced on the market and was one of the early visionaries to recognize the business need for companies to quickly adapt to the "open", or unlimited, demand of the Internet.
Prior to OpenDemand, Doane held various senior-level and key management positions with companies including Ovid Technologies, Qwest Communications, Icon CMT Corp. and Interworld Technology Ventures, and has provided consulting services to large accounts such as UBS, CBS, CitiCorp, Bear Stearns, US Clearing Corp., and PR Newswire.
Donald Doane received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the Cornell University, College of Engineering.
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The eChai Effect - In Their Words
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
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Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
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