- 03
- The founder
Alex (Alexandre) Clug
A visionary leader with experience across medical robotics, telecommunications, finance and natural resources — and a lifelong advocate for continuous learning.
- His mission
Education without financial barriers
Alex created this scholarship to provide financial assistance to dedicated students pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. His goal is simple: to inspire and enable the next generation to achieve greatness — because every student deserves the opportunity to pursue their academic goals without financial barriers.
- 04
- The journey
From West Point to a US$1B NASDAQ listing
West Point & the U.S. Army
Graduated with Honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Electrical Engineering, then served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — leadership experience that shaped his career in business.
Early career & UCLA Anderson
After his military service, Alex led complex projects at Sensormatic Electronics and Cambridge Technology Partners, and built a telecommunications company in Venezuela from the ground up — serving as its CEO. He then earned an MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Avra Medical Robotics → NASDAQ
He co-founded Avra Medical Robotics, achieved a public listing in 2017 and later merged the company with SS Innovations — up-listing the combined surgical-robotics company onto NASDAQ (SSII) at a valuation of over US$1 billion.
Mining, private equity & beyond
As founder and CEO of Alta Gold S.A., he operated a Peruvian mine previously owned by Glencore. He also served as Partner, CFO and COO of DC Associates, and today leads The Dolphin Group LLC, a consultancy focused on early-stage ventures.
Philanthropy
Alex serves as Trustee of the Barry F. Cohen Foundation and funds this annual scholarship — investing in education as a means of driving positive change.