Grainger College of Engineering Special Founders Week Fireside Chat

Join us for a special Founders Week fireside chat!

The Grainger College of Engineering invites you to a special fireside chat as part of Founders Week, the university's annual celebration of Illini entrepreneurship. Join as as we sit down with Grainger Engineering alumni, Arpit Dwivedi, founder and CEO of Cache Energy, and Arnav Mishra, co-founder and CTO of DOSS, as they share more about their startup journeys, lessons learned along the way and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Arpit Dwivedi ('22, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering) is the Founder and CEO of Cache Energy, whose work on reliable, low-cost, long-duration energy storage can help enable a future where energy is accessible and affordable for everyone. Dwivedi has worked across corporations, startups, national labs and universities, giving him a broad perspective on technology, teams and the impact they can create.

Arnav Mishra ('18, B.S.-M.C.S., Computer Science) is the Co-Founder and CTO of DOSS, a suite of applications that helps brands manage the flow of goods, dollars and data into and out of their business. Arnav spent his early career as a founding software engineer at construction finance startup Siteline.

Moderator Vidhi Chavda, a junior double majoring in mechanical engineering and innovation, leadership and engineering entrepreneurship (ILEE), opened her own business on campus in 2025. Her store, Elite, offers healthy food options that incorporate nutritional supplements so students can easily grab a shake or other quick meal on their way to class.