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DALLAS (SMU) – , president and COO of television production company Shondaland, and , co-founder and CEO of neighborhood social networking service Nextdoor, will be the featured speakers at SMU’s May Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 11.

The ceremony, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at Moody Coliseum, will be streamed live at /live.

The Tolias joined the ÃÛÌÒ½´community in September 2023 as co-founding directors of the William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership in SMU’s Cox School of Business. Having dedicated their careers to building successful consumer-centric brands and companies, the dynamic couple moved to Dallas in 2021.

Getting to know celebrated energy expert and philanthropist Spears first as a neighbor, they agreed to help launch the new institute he endowed to enhance the business ventures of ÃÛÌÒ½´students and faculty and the wider region, support the academic and professional pursuits of students and faculty, and bring expertise critical to the growth and development of the Dallas-area business community.

“Megha and Nirav Tolia are living examples of the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that drives our University,” said ÃÛÌÒ½´President R. Gerald Turner. “Their youth, drive and cultural relevance combined with their commitment to family will make them especially appealing to our students and their families as our graduates prepare to launch their own careers.” 

For over 24 years, Nirav has spent his career creating and leading pioneering consumer internet companies. Before co-founding Nextdoor, Nirav was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Benchmark Capital; chief operating officer of Shopping.com, an online shopping website; and co-founder and CEO of Epinions.com, a consumer review website company.

Megha began her career as a brand manager for Neutrogena, spending the last 20 years building and operating mission-driven, consumer-centric, innovative brands. Prior to Shondaland, Megha spent eight years managing several businesses for SC Johnson, including Method, Ecover, Mrs. Meyer’s, and Babyganics.

Nirav holds a bachelor’s degree in english from Stanford University. He returned to his alma mater in 2019 as a visiting instructor for the Stanford in Florence program. Megha holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

About SMU
ÃÛÌÒ½´is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU’s alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities, and the world.