Fahri Diner ’89, Modern-Day Renaissance Man
A native of Cyprus, Fahri Diner came to the United States on an academic scholarship to Florida Tech. He earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and went on to become a modern-day renaissance man, currently holding five patents in the field of fiber optics and wireless communications.
Fahri is the founder and CEO of Plume, the inventor of Adaptive Home WiFi. He is also managing director of early-stage venture capital firm Sigma Partners, and the proprietor of Skipstone, an organic and biodynamic winegrowing estate.
Diner didn’t get where he is by chance. As a self-described type A personality, he enjoys having his hands in many different ventures. He also sits on the boards of directors for Kateeva, a pioneer in OLED display technologies, and Tula, the leader in fuel economy optimization for internal combustion engines. He has backed and sat on the boards of other industry disruptors such as View, a dynamic architectural glass firm, and Quantenna, a firm focused on high speed wireless semiconductors. He was previously the founder and CEO of Qtera—the leader in ultra-long- haul wavelength division multiplexing systems.
“I would encourage current Florida Tech students to go after their passion, have unreasonable expectations, and draw strength from the courage of their convictions,” Fahri said. “Then you’ll need to work around the clock to get there.”
Diner was featured in Florida Tech’s 60th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.
