How to Succeed When Opportunity Changes Your Career Plans | Michael Kouchakdjian | TEDxAUA

What if a career isn't meant to follow a straight line, but a series of unexpected opportunities and pivots? Dr. Michael Kouchakdjian reflects on his career shaped by continuous transitions, from biotechnology to entrepreneurship, company acquisition, and later academic and investment leadership. He explores what it takes to let go of certainty at every turn, and how risk, timing, and mindset shape the way we navigate change. Dr. Michael Kouchakdjian is Professor in the College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia, where he teaches courses in business, management, and entrepreneurship.
He has a background in the biotechnology industry and is the founder and former president of Blue Stream Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts which was acquired by a large multinational in 2016. At AUA, he has held several senior leadership roles, including Director of Administration, Director of the Center for Business Research and Development, and Project Executive for the establishment of the AUA Business Center. He also helped establish AUA’s Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC), where he previously served as Director for 8 years. More recently, he is co-founder and chairman of eqwefy, an investment platform for Armenian startups. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx