Nikhil Handigol

Chief AI Officer and Co-Founder, Forward

Nikhil Handigol is Chief AI Officer and co-founder of Forward Networks, a groundbreaking technology provider of "network digital twin" software that enables large enterprises to achieve reliable, agile, and secure networks. Before starting Forward Networks, Handigol earned his Ph.D in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he and his colleagues built the foundational pieces of Software-Defined Networking. His research at Stanford focused on applying SDN principles to network troubleshooting, emulation, and load balancing. Handigol is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and has received the Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award 2025, the AsiaOne Most Influential Young Leaders Award 2020-21, and the IIT Madras Young Alumni Achiever Award 2022 for his contributions to the networking industry.