On Tuesday, Staff Writer Maren Frey attended a talk hosted by Columbia Art Market Society and Columbia Venture Partners where Devang Thakkar, the Head of Christie’s Ventures, shared his insights on his professional journey, NFTs, and the intersection of art and venture capitalism. 

“20 years ago, I walked these halls, and in 20 years, you will be up here, too,” is how Devang Thakkar, Head of Christie’s Ventures, began his lecture this past Tuesday. As students crowded into Fayerweather Hall, it was clear everyone was interested to hear what Thakkar had to say. A Columbia Engineering Master’s graduate, Thakkar has an extensive background in both technology and the art world. Growing up in Bombay, India with an artist mother, Devang is not only a change-making entrepreneur but a painter as well. Prior to attending Columbia, Thakkar worked as a portrait painter in London’s Trafalgar Square after leaving Bombay with only $100 in his pocket. After 6 months, Thakkar began his Master’s at Columbia until the opportunity to work at Microsoft arose. And, after being convinced by Bill Gates himself to join the company and move to Seattle, Thakkar began a 12-year position at Microsoft. 

While at Microsoft, Thakkar helped build more than 30 products, many of which we continue to use today, from Microsoft Teams to the copy-paste feature. He quickly rose in the company’s ranks, from intern to holding a business leadership position. He described the experience as “the best first decade one can hope for in their career.” After more than a decade at Microsoft, Thakkar left the company to pursue a new venture—this time focused on art. Self-described as an “avid painter,” Thakkar dipped his toe into this new world after joining Artsy, an online art brokerage network. 

As “art and technology are the two things I like,” Artsy seemed like the perfect fit for Thakkar. After investing his own money into the company, his interest peaked when he learned about the company’s mission to “make art accessible to anyone with internet access.” Thanks to Devang and his coworkers at Artsy, the company was able to digitize the art world and raise revenue from 0 to $10 million in their first year. Thakkar is a man of many hats and talents and at Artsy, he served as the VP of Consumer Marketplace, the Head of Auctions, and the Head of Product—all at the same time. However, after 4 years at the company, Thakkar decided to say goodbye and head into retirement… or so he thought he would. 

“I retired at 40, however, that lasted for 6 months,” Thakkar said to sum up the journey that led him to Christie’s Ventures, one of the oldest companies in the art world. While he started at Christie’s serving as a consultant one to two days a week, he soon stepped into a full-time position as the Global Head of the branch. Thakkar cited that working at Christie’s has given him access to “experts who sell the best art.” “From Da Vinci to Monkey Jpegs,” at Christie’s Ventures Thakkar has not only been able to shape the capital side of the brand but also the artistic side. In 2021, he and his team took the infamous “The First 5,000 Days” NFT by artist Beeple from worth $100 to a record-breaking $69 million. 

Nonetheless, Thakkar did not stop his innovation there and has continued to help shape the art and VC world by helping lead the Art+Tech Summits that Christie’s hosts annually (which he also invited audience members to attend). The Art+Tech Summit brings together people from all walks of life, from Congressmen to singers, from Grimes to VC firms. The summit highlights a new and different technology each year, “bringing together the best ideas to the art market.”Focused on connection and innovation, the Summit aims to spark dialogue over the intersection of art, finance, and technology. 

After a long and inspiring career in art and technology, Thakkar has truly shaped the modern art world as we know it. While Thakkar acknowledged that there is “still a lot of work to be done” when it comes to art and venture capitalism, he ended the panel with a sentiment; “the world is my oyster.”

Image via CVP and CAMS Instagrams